Ross v Ross

They may speak the same language as us, but Australian films have a look and style that makes them very distinctive and sometimes startlingly unique, even if the majority of them are about dysfunctional families, World War 2 or sheep. Sitting at the arse end of the planet, it’s no surprise the world didn’t really take much notice of the cinematic efforts of our antipodean friends until the 1970s, something not helped by its production of cheap but cheer-free snorefests that were about as enticing as a date with Morag off Home And Away. But then things changed and some young diggers got to work and came out with classics that brought new talents to our screens and perhaps most noticeably, a whole new lexicon that quickly caught on (but inevitably led to cliché after becoming as overused as a dunnie after a day eating undercooked shrimp off the barbie… see?) This was no more evident than in the 1980s when Hollywood briefly fell in love with a certain knife-wielding crocodile wrestler, but thankfully things picked up again and we’ve been left with some very tough calls on what was good enough to make this list. Mr Dundee doesn’t make it (it’s an American film), but then neither does BMX Bandits, such was the quality to choose from. So who is in the Top Five? Read on and find out… Continue reading →