Underbelly Razor - Sydney Razor Gang Crime in the 20s and 30s = new TV series

[cookie]

1920s photos of Underbelly Razor actual crims:

http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/nsw/the-real-razor-wars-20111104-1mzlx.html

 

[Benny Holiday]

Well it's finished airing now and I have to say it improved pretty quick and I quite enjoyed it. We're starved of decent period dramas here. Even Wild Boys has been axed. Remarkable how crappy reality TV seems to survive just fine though. Anyway, it was good to see a depiction of Sydney "back in the day".

 

[Shangas]

Well it's finished airing now and I have to say it improved pretty quick and I quite enjoyed it. We're starved of decent period dramas here. Even Wild Boys has been axed. Remarkable how crappy reality TV seems to survive just fine though. Anyway, it was good to see a depiction of Sydney "back in the day".

I know others might disagree, but let's be honest.

Australia has no real history to speak of. I may be oversimplifying things, but major events...and I mean REALLY major events, in Australia, could be counted on one hand.

1788 - The First Fleet drops anchor, establishing permanent European settlement.
1851 - The Victorian Gold-Rush.
1880 - Ned Kelly hanged in the Old Melbourne Gaol.
1901 - Federation.

What else happened? 1973. The end of the White Australia Policy. 1966. Decimalisation of currency ("In come the dollars, and in come the cents, out go the shillings, the pounds and pence..."). WWII: Darwin is bombed. Sydney is attacked by submarines...

What else happened? Almost nothing worthy of making a movie off of.

That's probably why we have so few decent period dramas here. I mean I can't remember the last decent period-drama that we had in Australia that was homemade. Perhaps "The Sullivans"? I dunno. That's the only one I can think of, off the top of my head.

And yes, Wild Boys has been axed. I barely knew it existed until I read about it in the paper this morning. That's probably why it was axed. Nobody knew it was even around.

 

[Philip Adams]

I know others might disagree, but let's be honest.

Australia has no real history to speak of. I may be oversimplifying things, but major events...and I mean REALLY major events, in Australia, could be counted on one hand.
....
What else happened? Almost nothing worthy of making a movie off of.

Shangas,

It appears to me you're saying that Australia has no history worth recording as drama and that existing attempts to record period drama have been poor.

As far as your first statement is concerned I agree Australia's non-aboriginal history has been pretty short but there are plenty of things worthy of films. Just a few events spring to mind, the Rum Rebellion in 1808, the story of Burke and Wills in 1860, the Australian engagement at Long Tan in 1966, Phar Lap, Don Bradman, Utzon and the story of the Sydney Opera House, the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 etc.

It's less a question of stories available, as I think there are plenty, but more about the returns available to film and TV serial makers. I was fortunate enough to be in Oz to see 'Underbelly Razor' and whilst they did a good job, you could certainly tell it was made on a budget. I just don't think that many people are interested in watching period drama in Australia.

Anyway not all drama has to be about 'really major events'.

Australia has made some good period films about things that haven't exactly been world changing. 'Gallipoli' (1981) is a fine example. It was a smaller and disasterous campaign in a very long war. It was complete defeat for the ANZACS (and others) yet a fine story has been told around it. 'The Dish' (2000) outlining the Australian involvement in the Apollo moon landings, is another. It's the story of a small but significant part of the complex project to get images of the moon landings back to earth. 'Breaker Morant' (1980) is another. And the Boer War hardly rates on anyone's radar these days outside of Sth Africa.

 

[Shangas]

It appears to me you're saying that Australia has no history worth recording as drama and that existing attempts to record period drama have been poor.

Not so much 'no history', but rather not enough history. Western-style recorded history in Australia is just over 220 years old at the moment. That's nothing, compared to China, America, England, Canada and Europe. And while it's true there are other countries with shorter histories that filmworthy subjects, Australia just seems to lack them.

I'd say that Australian attempts to produce period dramas (or period anything) have been few and far between. Lack of practice would make them be of questionable quality. Let me think...we have...

The Sullivans (Family during the Depression & WWII).
The Man from Snowy River (I enjoyed that).
The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (now I admit, that one was pretty good).
Wild Boys (which as we know, has been axed barely after it began).
Underbelly Razor (much as I tried to enjoy it, I really couldn't).

And if we include films, then the recent one "Australia". I watched it and nearly fell asleep.

Like you said, there are probably lots of stories out there. But how many of those stories are going to make for a good film and/or TV series? That's the thing you have to consider.

Maybe I'm being overcritical, but that's just my view.

 

[lolly_loisides]

I disagree Shangas.

Have you seen Newsfront or For the term of his natural life or The Hungry Miles or My Brilliant Career or Harp in the South or Rabbit Proof Fence or Ten Canoes or Lousy Little Sixpence? There are many more I could list, but there's plenty of well made Australian period film & tv shows out there.

 

[Shangas]

I have seen Rabbit Proof Fence, albeit it was a long time ago.

 

[lolly_loisides]

If you're interested I could PM you a longer list of Aus films. There's quite a few excellent indigenous films that deal with pre white history & the aboriginal experience.

 

[Shangas]

If you know any decent Australian history dramas, let me know. Most of the ones I've seen have been terrible.

 

[Philip Adams]

I'd say that Australian attempts to produce period dramas (or period anything) have been few and far between. Lack of practice would make them be of questionable quality.

Shangas, if Australians are so bad at period drama can you tell me why Baz Luhrmann is shooting the upcoming version of 'The Great Gatsby' in Sydney?

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...caprio-in-sydney/story-e6frewt0-1226008675872

 

[lolly_loisides]

If you know any decent Australian history dramas, let me know. Most of the ones I've seen have been terrible.

Have a look at my previous list, all the films listed range from good to excellent, but it sounds like you've already made your mind up about Aus cinema (period pieces at any rate).

 

[Philip Adams]

If you know any decent Australian history dramas, let me know. Most of the ones I've seen have been terrible.

Apart from the ones I've already mentioned, how about:

My Brilliant Career (1979)
The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1978)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

 

[Philip Adams]

..... it sounds like you've already made your mind up about Aus cinema (period pieces at any rate).

....and Australian history

 

[lolly_loisides]

They're all good ones Philip.

Shangas you should search out Thomas Keneally, he has written some fantastic historical novels, and of course, The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes.

 

[Philip Adams]

Shangas you should search out Thomas Keneally, he has written some fantastic historical novels, and of course, The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes.

I agree.

Even Marcus Clarke's 'For the Term of his Natural Life' makes for an interesting read.

 

[flat-top]

This never came out on DVD in the US. I really wanted to see it.

 

[Blackthorn]

Me too.

 

[flat-top]

Ok, it's on DVD, but only in a non-US format :eusa_doh:

 

[flat-top]

Can any Aussie Loungers direct me to any online sources for viewing this series? Youtube has bits and pieces but I really would like to watch the entire thing!
Any leads?

 

[tuppence]

No sorry, can't find anything. However when they were showing it on TV, you could catch up on missed episodes here
http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/video/fullepisodes/
Which may be useful to you, if you would like to watch Underbelly-Squizzy, same era, set in Melbourne. Supposed to be on TV some time this year.
I hope it works in America