![]() ![]() However, a series of events complicate matters, from the murders of random witnesses, a hand-off gone wrong, and the kidnappers' unpredictable acts of violence, putting a local police chief hot on their trail. Macy, Peter Stormare, and Harve Presnell Director: Joel Coen Runtime: 97 Minutes Rating: R Rotten TomatoesĪn Academy Award-winning film from the Coen brothers that has since spawned a critically-lauded television series of the same name, Fargo surrounds a car dealership sales manager who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife so they can split the ransom money from his father-in-law. A provocative film that had been previously difficult to find in recent years, Star 80 was also noted for its less-than-complimentary depiction of Hugh Hefner, who sued the producers thereafter, as well as the choice to partially film the movie at the home where the crime had been committed.Ĭast: Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Elevated by powerful performances by Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts, Fosse’s film is ultimately a heartbreaking and brutal showcase of a woman on the verge of superstardom and the circumstances leading to her murder. The final film of Bob Fosse, which was released only three years after the appalling crime had been committed, Star 80 was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning article by Teresa Carpenter and follows the rise and untimely demise of Playboy model and nascent film star Dorothy Stratten, who was killed by her husband, a failed pimp and businessman, after leaving him for acclaimed filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich. I felt inclined to shield my eyes and block my ears, trying not to notice lines such as, “It wasn’t just a store, it was a family.” Yeck.Cast: Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts, Cliff Robertson, Carroll Baker, and Roger Rees Director: Bob Fosse Runtime: 104 Minutes Rating: R Rotten Tomatoes In Ransom Christmas, one can sense the stench of schmaltz coming a mile away. Like Ransom Christmas, that much sharper and funnier film (penned by the same writers) is zany and sweet, but doesn’t make you want to reach for the vomit bag. There are few others, though Stan has added a couple to the canon, with Vuko’s production and 2020’s A Sunburnt Christmas. Tapsell, Stanhope and Sturzaker fare better but no one is a show-stopper or scene-stealer, and many of the side characters (including firefighters and a police negotiator played by Vuko) are neither plausible nor amusingly implausible.įamily-oriented Australian Christmas movies include 1987’s Bushfire Moon and two versions of Bush Christmas (from 19 respectively – the latter featuring Nicole Kidman’s first film performance). It’s not really Gladys, Wombat and Brady’s story either they frequently disappear and are usually reinserted to propel the narrative forward. The writers never decide whose narrative this is, initially suggesting Derrick (who gets a family backstory in the prologue) is the protagonist but seemingly getting bored of him pretty quickly. ![]() Unbeknown to them, others are in the building: Gladys and two young shoplifters Wombat (Evan Stanhope) and Brady (Tahlia Sturzaker), who we assume will hatch a clever plan and save the day, but instead just kind of bumble around. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morningīut alas! The goons – Shez (Bridie McKim) and Nan (Geneviève Lemon) – burst upon the scene, waiving around pistols and tying Derrick and Pete to chairs using golden tinsel. Early in the runtime Derrick takes pity on a poor mother and daughter, giving them free toys, before imploring his employee Pete (Ed Oxenbould) to knock off early. This bloke is the opposite of Scrooge, reeking of decency and goodwill. The narrative jumps forward in time to follow Clarence’s son Derrick (Matt Okine), now the owner of the store, which isn’t what it used to be. And yeah yeah yeah, we get it: the guy was great, the store was great, everything was great – including the giant inflatable kangaroo outside that stored the kids’ letters to Santa.īut note the past tense. ![]() The owner was Clarence Harrington (Cleave Williams), a “real-life Santa Claus” who “was beloved by every kid who knew him”. An extraneous prologue is dedicated to the toy shop’s history, a wholesome-sounding narrator painting it as a utopian place that “kids never wanted to leave” because it was “chock-a-block full of the best toys ever”. But the writers appear to forget the simple, tangy appeal of that concept and deviate from it in various ways. ![]()
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