Call it the Van Diemen's Land effect.
After years of up-and-coming Australian directors using well-trodden territory such as horror, revenge or supernatural movies to make their first independent splashes into the global film pool, we're now seeing a rash of new filmmakers delving back into the nation's bloody past to make their debuts.
Van Diemen's Land -- with it's true to life tale of bloody cannibalism in the harsh unforgiving wilderness of early 1800s Australia -- was a start, and a few weeks ago we added Moonlite (an unorthodox tale about the outlaws that stole from the mail coaches and banks during colonial Australia) to the list.
Now we can add 1629 -- finally a story of the bloody Batavia shipwreck and aftermath -- directed by Nathan Christoffel who made a startling indie debut with his no budget Brazil-esque Eraser Children and produced by Andrew Scarano, who was the driving force behind Into The Shadows,...
After years of up-and-coming Australian directors using well-trodden territory such as horror, revenge or supernatural movies to make their first independent splashes into the global film pool, we're now seeing a rash of new filmmakers delving back into the nation's bloody past to make their debuts.
Van Diemen's Land -- with it's true to life tale of bloody cannibalism in the harsh unforgiving wilderness of early 1800s Australia -- was a start, and a few weeks ago we added Moonlite (an unorthodox tale about the outlaws that stole from the mail coaches and banks during colonial Australia) to the list.
Now we can add 1629 -- finally a story of the bloody Batavia shipwreck and aftermath -- directed by Nathan Christoffel who made a startling indie debut with his no budget Brazil-esque Eraser Children and produced by Andrew Scarano, who was the driving force behind Into The Shadows,...
- 7/5/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Is it a revelation or a revolution? It’s both! The Revelation Perth International Film Festival is tackling the theme of “Revolution” when its 13th annual edition begins violating Australia on July 8-18. Get set for 11 days filled French zombies, Belgian cowboys, outer space outlaws, Beat poets, cat ladies, gospel musicians and other revolutionaries.
Actually, one of the main features of the festival this year is a slew of music documentaries, mostly spotlighting both American and Australian music. On the U.S. side of things there’s Wheedle’s Groove, a look at the history of Seattle funk; Rejoice and Shout, which examines gospel music’s impact on African-American culture — and vice versa; Tom Dicillo’s Doors documentary When You’re Strange; plus The Family Jams and 72 Musicians. And, from Australia, there’s Megan Simpson-Hubberman’s classic concert film The Night of the Triffids.
There’s lots more than music docs,...
Actually, one of the main features of the festival this year is a slew of music documentaries, mostly spotlighting both American and Australian music. On the U.S. side of things there’s Wheedle’s Groove, a look at the history of Seattle funk; Rejoice and Shout, which examines gospel music’s impact on African-American culture — and vice versa; Tom Dicillo’s Doors documentary When You’re Strange; plus The Family Jams and 72 Musicians. And, from Australia, there’s Megan Simpson-Hubberman’s classic concert film The Night of the Triffids.
There’s lots more than music docs,...
- 7/2/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
With a total of 37 features from 21 different countries, this years premier genre fest in Porto Alegre, Brazil is looking mighty fine. What are they playing you ask? Among others:
Amer (review)
Monkey Boy (review)
Psalm 21 (review)
The Life and Death of a Porno Gang (review)
and lots more. You can check out a full list of the feature films playing starting July 2nd after the break and find out more on their official website (if you know Portuguese).
Features
8th Wonderland
Amer
Black
Cold Storage
Dirty Saints
Eraser Children
Glenn, The Flying Robot
I Am Other
I Sell the Dead
Ink
Kandisha
Macabre
Monkey Boy
Mum & Dad
Must Love Death
Psalm 21
Rampage
Recortadas
Samurai Princess
Sleep Dealer
Stingray Sam
Strigoi
T.M.A.
The Ante
The Death of Alice Blue
The Door
The Horseman
The House of the Devil
The Human Centipede
The Life and Death of a Porno Gang...
Amer (review)
Monkey Boy (review)
Psalm 21 (review)
The Life and Death of a Porno Gang (review)
and lots more. You can check out a full list of the feature films playing starting July 2nd after the break and find out more on their official website (if you know Portuguese).
Features
8th Wonderland
Amer
Black
Cold Storage
Dirty Saints
Eraser Children
Glenn, The Flying Robot
I Am Other
I Sell the Dead
Ink
Kandisha
Macabre
Monkey Boy
Mum & Dad
Must Love Death
Psalm 21
Rampage
Recortadas
Samurai Princess
Sleep Dealer
Stingray Sam
Strigoi
T.M.A.
The Ante
The Death of Alice Blue
The Door
The Horseman
The House of the Devil
The Human Centipede
The Life and Death of a Porno Gang...
- 6/14/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Year: 2009
Directors: Nathan Christoffel
Writers: Nathan Christoffel
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Ben austwick
Rating: 5 out of 10
Despite a low budget, Eraser Children is at times a stylish film of visual flare, and certainly can't be accused of not trying. But with a poor script, poor cast and practically nothing at its heart, its promising style and hyperactive approach is wasted on an empty, meaningless film.
It's a little difficult to decipher what's going on in this confusing and badly written movie, but there's no doubt where it gets its ideas: Terry Gilliam's Brazil. The setting is an authoritarian future where office workers talk to each other in bureaucratic jargon ("Regulation 4-210/67898" – weary stuff we’ve heard countless times before), while being casually beaten by the police while they walk down their office corridors, the one funny touch in a film where the camp, theatrical comedy otherwise constantly misfires.
Directors: Nathan Christoffel
Writers: Nathan Christoffel
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Ben austwick
Rating: 5 out of 10
Despite a low budget, Eraser Children is at times a stylish film of visual flare, and certainly can't be accused of not trying. But with a poor script, poor cast and practically nothing at its heart, its promising style and hyperactive approach is wasted on an empty, meaningless film.
It's a little difficult to decipher what's going on in this confusing and badly written movie, but there's no doubt where it gets its ideas: Terry Gilliam's Brazil. The setting is an authoritarian future where office workers talk to each other in bureaucratic jargon ("Regulation 4-210/67898" – weary stuff we’ve heard countless times before), while being casually beaten by the police while they walk down their office corridors, the one funny touch in a film where the camp, theatrical comedy otherwise constantly misfires.
- 5/18/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Eraser Children will be having a European premiere next month at the Sci-Fi London Film Festival. The single showing for the feature begins Sunday, May 2nd at 6:00pm and for those who do not know, the film blends "The Matrix [with] 1984 by way of Max Headroom" (Sci-Fi). Eraser Children also envisions a world so controlled that dreaming requires payment and laughing will surely lead to a fine.
- 4/23/2010
- by Michael Ross Allen
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Yes we announced the partial lineup a ittle while back, and now we have the exclusive full lineup to share, and boy, is it a doozy. The festival runs April 28th to May 3rd so get your tickets now!
Opening night film: Splice by Vincenzo Natali.
Cosing night film: Cargo (which we loved, review)
TiMER (UK Premier)
Hunter Prey (International Premier) (teaser)
2033 (UK Premier) (Another film we loved, review)
1 The Stanislaw Lem adaptation (UK Premier) (Yes, we loved this too review)
Transmission (A Ballardian telecom malfunction, UK Premier) (review)
Drones
Eraser Children (International Premier, finally I get to see this tonight!) (trailer)
Radio Free Albemuth (Sneak Preview of this Philip K. Dick adaptation! We should have a trailer soon)
Earthling (International Premier) (review)
Depositarios (International Premier, more Mexican scifi) (teaser)
Plug & Pray (UK Premier, documentary)
8th Wonderland (UK Premier)
and much more! You can head over to the festival website for more details and tickets,...
Opening night film: Splice by Vincenzo Natali.
Cosing night film: Cargo (which we loved, review)
TiMER (UK Premier)
Hunter Prey (International Premier) (teaser)
2033 (UK Premier) (Another film we loved, review)
1 The Stanislaw Lem adaptation (UK Premier) (Yes, we loved this too review)
Transmission (A Ballardian telecom malfunction, UK Premier) (review)
Drones
Eraser Children (International Premier, finally I get to see this tonight!) (trailer)
Radio Free Albemuth (Sneak Preview of this Philip K. Dick adaptation! We should have a trailer soon)
Earthling (International Premier) (review)
Depositarios (International Premier, more Mexican scifi) (teaser)
Plug & Pray (UK Premier, documentary)
8th Wonderland (UK Premier)
and much more! You can head over to the festival website for more details and tickets,...
- 3/26/2010
- QuietEarth.us
That's right, it's almost time again for the Sci-fi London film festival and we just got a heads up on part of the lineup which is quite a doozy. What's playing?
8th Wonderland
Depositarious A Mexican scifi I've been keeping my eye on but haven't found anything yet.
1 Pater Sparrow's Stanislaw Lem adaptation which we all loved. (review)
Adas (Transmission) What if all the telecom in the world went dead? We loved this one too. (review)
Earthling (trailer)
2033 Another Mexican scifi, we loved this one as well. (review)
Eraser Children It didn't play last year, but it will this year! (trailer)
Radio Free Albemuth The Philip K. Dick adaptation we're all waiting on. Hopefully we'll have a trailer soon.
And for the Polish Season:
The House of Transfiguration
Test Pilot Pirxa
Golem (I loved this one)
The War of the Worlds: Next Century
And some extras:
Love Story 2050...
8th Wonderland
Depositarious A Mexican scifi I've been keeping my eye on but haven't found anything yet.
1 Pater Sparrow's Stanislaw Lem adaptation which we all loved. (review)
Adas (Transmission) What if all the telecom in the world went dead? We loved this one too. (review)
Earthling (trailer)
2033 Another Mexican scifi, we loved this one as well. (review)
Eraser Children It didn't play last year, but it will this year! (trailer)
Radio Free Albemuth The Philip K. Dick adaptation we're all waiting on. Hopefully we'll have a trailer soon.
And for the Polish Season:
The House of Transfiguration
Test Pilot Pirxa
Golem (I loved this one)
The War of the Worlds: Next Century
And some extras:
Love Story 2050...
- 3/4/2010
- QuietEarth.us
British newcomer Owen Williams writes and directs Sertoli, Sertoli, Sertoli, a scifi short that puts a particularly comedic spin on the whole Orwellian dystopia thing.
Similar in tone to Brazil, but more in keeping with the micro-budget aesthetic of its Australian sister film, Eraser Children, the short is right up our alley.
Synopsis:
When an underground resistance movement seeks to uncover the truth behind the Second Branch and the Great Conduit, they send in their top man, Guy Lance, to infiltrate the corporate behemoth Sertoli, Sertoli, Sertoli.
In this strange tale, set in an Orwellian state, Guy Lance is the Y.S.R.M's only hope for truth. What is really at the end of the Great Conduit? Is the Second Branch a lie? Has everyone remembered their tie?
The film stars Michael Dixon who you may have missed in Alexander if you blinked, but who just walked off the...
Similar in tone to Brazil, but more in keeping with the micro-budget aesthetic of its Australian sister film, Eraser Children, the short is right up our alley.
Synopsis:
When an underground resistance movement seeks to uncover the truth behind the Second Branch and the Great Conduit, they send in their top man, Guy Lance, to infiltrate the corporate behemoth Sertoli, Sertoli, Sertoli.
In this strange tale, set in an Orwellian state, Guy Lance is the Y.S.R.M's only hope for truth. What is really at the end of the Great Conduit? Is the Second Branch a lie? Has everyone remembered their tie?
The film stars Michael Dixon who you may have missed in Alexander if you blinked, but who just walked off the...
- 12/17/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Yes, we've been eagerly awaiting this Aussie dystopic mindf*ck, and while it's still in heavy post, director Nathan Christoffel sent over some brand new stills from portions of the film we haven't seen yet.. it doesn't reveal much but whets the appetite even more. If you missed this gem we recommend checking out the teaser, and after that checking out the full gallery of stills we have.
In a world of useless products, police brutality, pre-paid dreams and a list of Violations so long if you laugh too loudly you wll be fined, Misner Corporation has invented a new source of energy which has given them a global monopoly on all facets of human life, creating a totalitarian society ruled by one man, Misner.
Anyone not willing to work for Misner's regime, lives underground in a dark world of insane 'system dropouts'. Only coming above ground for the 1 hour...
In a world of useless products, police brutality, pre-paid dreams and a list of Violations so long if you laugh too loudly you wll be fined, Misner Corporation has invented a new source of energy which has given them a global monopoly on all facets of human life, creating a totalitarian society ruled by one man, Misner.
Anyone not willing to work for Misner's regime, lives underground in a dark world of insane 'system dropouts'. Only coming above ground for the 1 hour...
- 3/8/2009
- QuietEarth.us
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