ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
NOT SINCE THE RELEASE of 2011 feel-good hit Red Dog have we had such reason to celebrate.
Screen Australia was able to confirm this morning that the successful movie’s sequel Red Dog: True Blue wasn’t intentionally bleak, depressing or sad in any way.
The news has led to an outpouring of emotion, with thousands taking to social media to belatedly thank the movie’s producers and writers. Australian audiences have longed for the relatable comedy for what seems an eternity.
Prior to Red Dog, the last palatable Australian comedy was The Dish. Like it’s radio satellite namesake, it stood alone brave and tall on the Australian film landscape as the last bastion of fun before the dark ages.
Film executive Grant Sackerman says he only had to open his ears and listen to those around him before he gave the Red Dog: True Blue the green light back in 2015.
“I don’t know how I didn’t see it earlier,” said the 43-year-old.
“Who in their right mind would pay $19 to go see a movie like Jindabyne? Fuck me! You’d walk out of the cinema and straight under a bus. Don’t even get me started on Tomorrow, When The War Began, that made me want to drive my car into the creek for a whole month,”
“Then we did snuff films like Wolf Creek and shit. Mad Max doesn’t count because Americans like it. Australian cinema was about as fun as visiting a parent, who’ll never recognise you again in a dementia ward.”
Mr Sackerman’s sentiments have been echoed by professional movie critic David Stratton, who agrees that the nation and indeed the world has been crying out for more Australian comedy films.
He says you’d be forgiven for thinking that he’d enjoy the more mentally stimulating Aussie flicks of the past two decades like Shine or Lantana but you’d be wrong.
“My favourite Australian movie of all time in Paperback Hero with Hugh Jackman and Claudia Karven. I just adore it. I didn’t want to tell the whole world when I was reviewing films that my favourites were the simple ‘mind popcorn movies’ like Paperback Hero,”
“Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles was my pick of the trilogy. The Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos should’ve been screened at Sundance.”
