Australia (2008)

[J. M. Stovall]

I didn't see a thread for this movie. So does anyone know anything about it? Takes place pre and during early WWII. What do our Australian FL members think about it? So many questions.

http://www.australiamovie.com/

 

[cookie]

I posted some link on it but it has not hit the movies yet.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Yes you did! Sorry. When I was scanning though the Moving Picture threads I didn't see it.

 

[goldwyn girl]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this. Out side of Australia no one seems to know we were bombed by the Japanese or much of our involvement in WWII. I think it releases in November in the US. Full of fabulous Australian actors too.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

I'm not keen to see it. I'll probably have a look when it comes out on DVD.

 

[Smithy]

I think I'll be another wait for the dvd.

I think I'd rather watch "The Sullivans".

 

[zaika]

my aussie friend actually laughed at the trailer. but i'm going to see it. lol hugh jackman can make me see the worst movies. hello kate and leopold!

 

[Feraud]

Our decade's Legends of the Fall.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I'll go see it but have no idea of what to expect quality-wise. My Dad served on the anti-aircraft searchlights during the Darwin bombings, so I it'll be interesteing to see how that is depicted in the movie. I hope it doesn't turn out to be lame.

 

[splatt]

The have certainly spent some time and money on it and it does look like it will be another Baz Luhrmann success. I'm looking forward to watching this on the big screen and seeing how it turns out.

Calling it "Australia" could be its major downfall though, as it will be very tightly scrutinised by everyone.

 

[Drew B]

HEHEH

my aussie friend actually laughed at the trailer. but i'm going to see it. lol hugh jackman can make me see the worst movies. hello kate and leopold!

ahh kate and leopold, terrible yet brilliant, though i would opt for brilliant.

anyway if its directed by luhrman it ought to be good, remember strictly ballroom. Great movie

"Pam Short's broken both her legs and i wanna dance with you"

 

[cookie]

Auistralia - LA Times Report

I was in an antique store the other day and the owner showed my the Art Deco furniture used in the bedroom!

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman star in the upcoming movie "Australia." Due for release in November, the film follows the two as they drive cattle across the continent on the eve of World War II. Director Baz Luhrmann has agreed to adapt "Australia" for an advertising campaign to lure tourists to the land down under.

Director Baz Luhrmann agrees to adapt the upcoming film for an ad campaign to boost tourism to the land down under.

By Alana Semuels, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 29, 2008

A big-budget movie that glamorizes Australia would seem to be a perfect commercial for Australia. Especially if it's made by a famous Australian director who's working for a movie studio controlled by an Australian-born media mogul.

And now it will be. Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director of the 20th Century Fox period piece "Australia" due out in November, has agreed to adapt the movie for an advertising campaign to lure tourists to the land down under.

Marketers are hoping the ad and movie combo will have the same effect that "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy had for New Zealand, where it was filmed, and "Notting Hill" had for the London neighborhood: attract moviegoers swayed by the romance of the film.

"It's a marketer's dream," said Michelle Gysberts, vice president of Tourism Australia. "The movie itself will show tremendous landscapes, bringing Australia to the top of mind."

It's also a Hollywood studio's dream of free movie publicity. The 30- and 45-second TV and movie spots, which will begin airing in October, will feature "an urban couple transformed by an adventure," Gysberts said. The spots also feature Brandon Walters, an Aboriginal actor in the movie, and images of the continent.

Gysberts says Tourism Australia is spending $40 million Australian (about $38 million in U.S. dollars) on the campaign, which also includes print and online ads created by DDB Worldwide.

A spokesman for Fox said executives were traveling and not available for comment. Fox is a unit of News Corp., which is controlled by Australian-born Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s to comply with federal regulations that prohibited foreign-controlled companies from owning TV licenses in the United States.

Other movies have boosted tourism. The number of visitors to New Zealand increased 30% after "The Lord of the Rings" showcased the country's vast mountain landscapes. Some wineries in the Santa Barbara area saw a 300% increase in visitors after the film "Sideways" featured two men hitting the local wine scene. And thousands of visitors annually still flock to a baseball field in Iowa to get nostalgic about the Kevin Costner film "Field of Dreams."

"Australia" is Luhrmann's first movie since the 2001 musical "Moulin Rouge!" which won a Golden Globe award for best musical or comedy and netted eight Academy Award nominations and two wins. "Australia" follows two characters, played by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, as they drive cattle across the continent on the eve of World War II.

This isn't Luhrmann's first foray into blending one of his films with an advertising opportunity. He directed a "Moulin Rouge"-inspired HYPERLINK "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTO4FHf8MBs"Chanel commercial starring Kidman that looked a lot like the movie.

In a statement, Luhrmann said he agreed to direct the commercial for Tourism Australia because, like his film, the agency aims to "celebrate the truly unique and transformative power of this ancient and extraordinary continent." As if to answer critics, he said the ad would not be "aping the film."

Yet even a famous director might have trouble persuading tourists to spend thousands of dollars on a plane ticket to Australia. These days, most travelers are staying close to home. Data show that destinations such as Hawaii and Orlando, Fla., which depend heavily on visitors coming by air, are drawing fewer tourists, said Carl Winston, director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University.

Travel to Australia has been relatively stagnant in the last three years. The number of visitors from the U.S. increased 2.2% to 456,000 in 2006, but grew only 0.6% in 2007. An advertising campaign might help, Winston said, but ads for destinations usually lead to spur-of-the-moment trips.

"People don't make impulse trips to Australia," he said.

 

[DanielJones]

Well those publicity photos look great. I hope that it is going to be a good one. Both have great singing voices and work well together. Can't wait to see it.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[tuppence]

AustraliaTacky

I thought we'd finished all that rubbish in the 80's, got over it and moved on.
Don't go it will only encourage them.

 

[Jerekson]

I thought it was pretty good at avoiding the Australian cliches, and did a wonderful job of glamorizing the country. I'm not an Aussie, but I think I can tell whether a movie glamorizes a country or slaps it in the face, and I really don't think this movie was a slap in the face to anyone.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Should be renamed "Carry on up the Kimberly" With Barbra Windsor in the kidman role, and Sid James in the Jackman role, add Rod Hull and "Emu" and Baz could have a hit on his hands :eusa_clap

 

[cookie]

Apparently it is a must to see on the big screen not DVD.

 

[texasgirl]

We thought it was great! I want Nicole's outfits to go adventuring! It was very entertaining throughout the whole movie, great story, casting. Te little boy is really good too. My only complaint would be the CGI. I wish they'd do some things the old fashioned way. But I'd definitely see it on the big screen.

 

[swinggal]

Didn't hate it but I definatley didn't like it much either.

I love Baz Lurman's films (Moulin Rouge etc) but this was...meh. Can't stand Nicole as an actress but love Hugh. I dunno, I just wanted to laugh half the time in 'non-laughing' segments.

If you want great Australian historical drama watch Gallipoli, Changi, Breaker Morant, Rabbit Proof Fence etc.

 

[Laura Chase]

I'm dying to see this one!

1. It's directed and written by Baz Luhrmann! For me, that in itself is reason enough to see any movie. He's brilliant and he's made so few movies that I'm always yearning for the next one. Romeo + Juliet will forever be a favorite of mine.

2. It's a historical drama.

3. It's Nicole Kidman!