Well let's face it, who isn't a little curious to see this film - banned then abandoned for a generation - about Carlton junkies in the mid-70s? Raided by vice-squad at its own premiere, this little underground film stayed that way longer than Ramos-Horta lived in hotel rooms. Its got it all: gritty intravenous realism, chase scenes, chemist break-ins, and excellent pre-fame cameos from Greig Pickhaver and Max Gillies. For all that, the scene-stealer is actually Helen Garner's hilarious appearance as a speed-addict, with advanced psychosis of the obsessive cleaning variety. There's even a social commentary poke at the earliest manifestations of the methadone program.
Australian 70s cinema. When will it be matched, let alone topped? I'm not holding my breath.
See the DVD trailer here.
14 comments:
I notice you've failed to provide a link to the torrent.
yes, FDB - and I must confess I wouldn't know what to do with a torrent if I feel over it. Ive sen them on the nets here and there, but buggered if I know how they work! Any tips/ primers welcome!!
Some trivia.
The film is based on the true exploits of Lizzie (Davidson) and Johnny Byden, my one-time neighbours. This is more of a documentary than you think. Bert Deling made it on $28,000, though most actors weren't paid, in spite of promises. Nearly all actors were smack users including Phil Motherwell and Gary Wadell (who plays "Lou", i.e. Johnny.) The film was made with the help of a grant from Buoyancy Foundation which was a charity designed to help addicts. I think it was a project started by Lizzie's mum Diana Davidson.
More trivia, Lizzie's father was Lex Davidson, the famous Australian racing driver.
Lizzie was well connected to the big end of town in Melbourne, when they got popped, Johnny went to do a bit of porridge but Lizzie was a bridge too far for the cops.
HG Nelson is the dealer in the film.
Excellent background Sir Henry. Yes, Ive heard Greig Pickhaver/ HG was a fixture in Carlton at that time - though South Australian by birth. Alogn of cours with Red Symon and MArtin Armitage who did the soundtrack. Dare I ask, did those actors generally survive the period?
Gary Waddell definitely has and is today one of Australia's top character actors, seen from time to time on TV and the big screen. Phil Motherwell is still around and working as far as I know, mainly in the theatre scene in Melbourne. He was in a film called "Every night every night" about Pentirdge H division in the late 90s. Phil wrote a novel called "Mr Bastard" and a number of plays.
BTW, Correction re Johnny's name, it should have been Bynon, not Byden. John Bynon is I understand, an activist in the rehabilitation of drug users and is an author of a report tabled in the Australian senate (as per Google search).
Many of the actors in Pure S (its original bowdlerised title) are indeed dead of heroin overdoses or associated illnesses.
Sad to hear, Sir Henry. Would you agree with my general thesis that Australian cinema peaked in the 1970s?
Umm, that is a tough one. There was a lot of garbage made that never saw the light day, under section 10BA of the Tax Act where a lot of carpetbaggers moved in and made films so as to take advantage of the very generous tax write-off the scheme provided. You actually made money if the film lost, as in The Producers.
On the other hand, the 70s was a golden period for filmmaking everywhere - a flowering of the art, ahem, as it were. It certainly holds true for the USA.
The 70s being what they were made possible the 2 degrees of separation with regard to Pure Shit:
The film was made by Bert Deling who shared a house with Mac Cocker in Balmain (but not for long as Deling moved out). Mac was one of the founding fathers of 2JJ later 2triple J and he lived in the Curtis Rd house with Gillian Noakes (and five cats).
Roy and HG got their start on 2JJ as a radio act but they met on a film called Tar Flowers written by Terry Larsen who also wrote The FJ Holden (77) that featured Gary Waddell, star of Bert's Pure S.
The FJ Holden was directed and produced by Michael Thornhill whose first film was Machine Gun starring Graham Pitts who was boyfriend of Gillian Noakes at the time - she left him for Mac Cocker.
Sir Henry has a minor speaking role in Machine Gun.
well, I see we're among 70s Ozfilm royalty! FJ Holden ios a film Ive heard of and want to see - hear its a classic.
Im thinking of great films like Summerfield, Cars that Ate Paris, Petersen - 80s and 90s ans 00s OZ film tried too hard to do the formulaic blockbusters - whereas the state film corporations of the 1970s were a bit more into telling stories, and not worrying about markets to the exclusion of all else. Thats why i see it as the golden age. I guess time itself has a way of filtering out the dross though - I just wouldn't get to anything too terrible these days!
I worked at Buoyancy a bit before the film was finalised. I'm not in it.
There was a "premier" of the DVD at ACMI middle of September this year and a whole lot of the cast turned up. One or two I knew have died and a few have just drifted off.
It's a 3 DVD set with lots of extras and interviews and context. I could lend it to you.
You mean "Pure Shit", FXH? The one I borrowed from my vid stores had a bunch of cool extras. It was three disk - with one being the soundtrack. So thanks, but I think Ive seen it all!
Nice to see so many people from the scene at the time commenting on my 70s OZfilm threads. There's almost as many now as Portuguese forts in Asia. Identity crisis at the blog!
I'm from that era - knew nearly all these people - acted with one or two at the time - most are still alive - grew up, survived themselves - it's good to know
Fran
Why does this movie been banned to be seen across the contry? I think the thesis ideas of the movie was good, but the problem is that they concept of the movies was not the good for some people to bear with. Anyway, what happened with this kind of movie in the 70s?
Hello Francis
I’m researching Buoyancy’s history and would like to make contact with you. E mail max7343@hotmail.com
Cheers
Patrick
Hello Anonymous
I’m researching the film, Buoyancy and the times. I’d love to make contact: max7343@hotmail.com
Cheers
Patrick
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