★ 6 / 10
Beautifully Australian and great acting role by Ray Barrett doesnt save this film from being a bit too long
This film starts off strongly, with the setting of the Sunshine/Gold Coast perfectly captured at the time, whether its the beaches, the dingy pubs, streets…
This film starts off strongly, with the setting of the Sunshine/Gold Coast perfectly captured at the time, whether its the beaches, the dingy pubs, streets late at night or apartments.Ray Barrett as former a drunk, aimless Deputy Commissioner Michael Stacey is a highlight. I especially enjoyed his narration. The story is also a unique one, and does it capture the time and the look of the ALP political apparatchiks of the time so well (they all have that Bob Hawke look, a phenotype that is now sadly lacking in Australia).So why the low rating? It goes a bit too long, I was tired and waiting for it to end and couldn't finish it sadly. A lot of T&A, as an Ozploitation film maybe to be expected but it was unnecessary, obviously. For some reason there's a drag show and the discussions of sex are strange. Maybe that was the time, but it's odd.
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★ 8 / 10
Crime and corruption on the Gold Coast. in an treasured pic
About almost everything made on the Gold Coast is crap. This isn't. If a lover of this great tourist destination, you'll be trying to guess a lot of the…
About almost everything made on the Gold Coast is crap. This isn't. If a lover of this great tourist destination, you'll be trying to guess a lot of the locations used, a couple used in the hinterland, Mt Tamborine territory. In a priceless award winning role, Barrett (it's his movie) plays a down on his luck journalist, Mike Stacey, (Stace as he's commonly referred to), about to investigate one hell of a big conspiracy, involving some corrupt political figures, and their henchies, where they're gonna tear down the Gold Coast. You'd wanna kill em' just for thinking that. As you might of heard a while back, there's talk of actually changing the name of The Gold Coast. How could you? Stacey is a boozer, fu..s young pros, and has many contacts, amongst them a couple of friends, as well as a old nemesis pi dick, (Paul Chubb) I loves Stacey's description of stuff in a film with an excellent script, that flies. Robyn Nevin as an old flame of Stacey's is strong too, as we see various faces of actors we don't see anymore. I love too the finale out on the plantations with Barrett's big army of men, fighting the baddies with machine guns and tanks, it very much takes the away the realism of the film that preceded. Barrett is just fun to watch, bar hopping, making threats while pointing bananas, and we see a few of em', or even punching out a commune member, for being thrown out of an ashram. I must say, I love this movie, every time I see it, carried by a much loved and missed actor who delivers the performance of his life. And again we have that shot of open coastline of endless apartments that stretch for miles. In another scene, there's that big chess board and pieces, on the sand, where Barrett plays with one of his compadres, if showing his strategy of attack in the journalistic world, but being subdued by pally who points out, "You could never see the obvious". A must see ocker view, although it has a dreary title song, though is truly befitting.
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★ 8 / 10
DVD
This minor gem is getting a DVD Release in July 2019 - at last. Smartly written and acted, well worth a look.
This minor gem is getting a DVD Release in July 2019 - at last. Smartly written and acted, well worth a look.
6.4/10
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Even bigger YES. Thanks for upload.