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Author Topic: The Dish
John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 10-14-2000 01:24 AM      Profile for John Wilson   Email John Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This one is an absolute charmer!

The guys who made 'The Castle' have made a second feature which, unlike its predecessor, will actually travel very well.

The film is the story of a group of four men who are responsible for maintaining and operating an outback receiving dish in 1969...the time of the moonlanding. The dish is located in the town of Parkes, Australia, and is originally intended as only a backup to relay pictures of Neil Armstrong and co. The site is then 'upgraded' as the prime receiving dish, thus sending this little town and it's new heroes into the world spotlight.

The script is the gem here. It is simply faultless and incredibly funny (even though this is not essentially a comedy). The charactisations are so good that each character is as good as the next and there is not one that shines above the other. The film has in its cast list a torrent of talented Australian actors, it also stars Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton (Elaine's boyfrind Puddy from 'Seinfeld') as the NASA connection in the Australian operation.

As I was watching this, I was thinking that for so long movies have been such crap and yet here is the proof of where the fault lies.

Script...script...script. If it's not on the paper to begin with, it will never be up on the screen either.

I give this 8/10. It has made a sale to the rest of the world, but unlike The Castle before it, The Dish will have no trouble finding an audience internationally.

Highly recommended.

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Paul Cunningham
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Jun 2000


 - posted 10-28-2000 09:29 AM      Profile for Paul Cunningham   Email Paul Cunningham   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes I agree entirely with John.

I thought I was watching Sea Change for a bit though. The only thing I personally didn't like was so much of the 60's TV footage, it worked well at the start but I think it went a little over the top later.

Paul

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Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 12-14-2000 06:25 AM      Profile for Peter Berrett   Author's Homepage   Email Peter Berrett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 

Fuzzy Rodent's Film Review - The Dish

Surprisingly entertaining movie when one considers that the subject matter is reasonably basic and the film is essentially built around one event.

Criticisms I had with the film were the typical Australian film maker's obsession with Australian culture vs other cultures (a celluloid cultural cringe), a token American no doubt added for that market and the lack of depth in terms of plot.

Nonetheless the basic plot is well presented and good acting makes the film believable.


Overall merit (out of 5 stars) = * * * 1/2

cheers

Fuzzy Rodent

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999


 - posted 03-19-2001 05:37 AM      Profile for John Wilson   Email John Wilson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
According to the IMDB, this went out limited last Friday in the USA...

...anyone over there running it? What did you think?

Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 03-19-2001 01:42 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We have been trying to get this since your first post about it.

The Dish was reviewed but Roper and Ebert on the television this week and got two thumbs up.

We are looking at opening it at the end of April. I am very much looking forward to it.

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 05-06-2001 02:30 AM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
So no one else has seen this yet? (In the US, at least?)

First, a disclaimer: I'll admit to being something of a sucker for historical stuff relating to space exploration. I have a collection of magazines (National Geographic, mostly) with articles on the early days of the US space program as well as some films (including 16mm prints of the 1903 Melies short "Trip to the Moon" and a fascinating 1958 CBS TV show featuring a very young Walter Cronkite discussing possibilities for US space exploration soon after the launch of Sputnik in Russia). I have enjoyed most films of this genre, most recently, "October Sky." As such, I could be expected to enjoy "The Dish."

And so I did.

This was a fun film that worked on many levels. The story itself was compelling, the acting, cinematography, and score were first-rate, and the running time was just right--it held up nicely throughout with no dull moments.

This is actually a pretty marketable title; it would "work" for the over-50 crowd who remebers the moon landing, or it could work as a "family" film or for school groups. I'm 24 and don't fit into either such group and I really enjoyed it as well. This would be a pretty "safe" title for an art-house or crossover booking and would work nicely if preceded by one of the NASA shorts (available for free rental with a few phone calls, though probably only in 16mm) about the Apollo 11 missions. I guess it could be considered to be a "feel good" movie, but it certainly doesn't have the negative qualities that most "feel good" movies have (it's not "overly cute" for the sake being "overly cute," for example).
I really can't think of any audience demographic which wouldn't enjoy this. There aren't too many genuinely good films that I can say this about. As much as I liked "Requiem for a Dream," for example, I wouldn't recommend it to my parents (well, actually, I _did_ recommend it to them, but I prefaced the recommendation by saying "I know you will hate this movie, but you need to go see it anyway"...)
In short, go see this. It seems to be getting a rather limited release in the US, unfortunately, but it will probably be around for a while in smaller towns (I hope, anyway). It hasn't gotten much publicity, but the reviews that I have seen have all been postiive.


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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 05-06-2001 01:19 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We just opened The Dish. I sat down on Friday night during the prime show to watch it. I liked it very much. It is our #1 film at the moment. It is very popular with the grandparents and their grandchildren. I'm 38 so I was 9 when it happened. I was right there on the floor in front of the Neighbors TV. I love the understated humor in this film. It is my kind of humor. What a refreshing idea, that one can like every character in the film.

Last night I decided to do something I rarely do, see a film in my movie theatre. I sat down for the 7:10 show of The Dish. So just as the show begins, my favorite movie people show up, the couple with the baby. I don't say anything. Ten minutes later, the baby begins to scream. So I pop out of my seat, stand right in front of the couple and tell them that if they can't keep the child quiet, that they will have to remove the child to the lobby, then I sit back down. Shortly there after, one of them takes the kid out.
Half way through the film, as she is heading back to her seat, she stops by my chair and says that I didn't have to be rude about it and that if it bothers me I could move. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. If I had, I would have told her that I was the theatre's owner and that if she didn't like it, she could leave.

Alas, as usual, I didn't get the satisfaction. I am now telling my cashiers to tell baby owners that a cinema isn't the best environment for a baby and that the child may bother other money paying patrons.

If I had built this place, I might have put in cry rooms, but I didn't and I can't, so take your babies elsewhere.

Friday we did 272 people and $1,717.20, Saturday, we did 244 people and $1,523.20. I can only hope that these numbers improve. I also hope that it goes up a bit next week. I tell everybody that comes in and is unsure about a movie to see this one.


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Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000


 - posted 05-07-2001 03:58 AM      Profile for Peter Berrett   Author's Homepage   Email Peter Berrett   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Funny you should mention about parents with young children. During the week I noticed that Hoyts here in Melbourne are advertising special baby-friendly sessions at 10.30 A.M. for mothers with young children.

It seems to me that parents with young children are a forgotton market. The cinema isn't the ideal place for them.

I hope that one of our cinema companies here in Melbourne realise that Drive-in Theatres are ideal for parents with young children and start opening a few extra drive-ins in the outer suburbs. My wife and I have a young child and we find the drive-in ideal. Coburg Drive-in is ok but it is a long way to drive from where I live.

cheers Peter


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Michael Barry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 584
From: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Registered: Nov 1999


 - posted 05-10-2001 12:20 PM      Profile for Michael Barry   Email Michael Barry   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Peter: True! 'Bubs' sessions are starting to become popular. The theatre I work at is running special sessions - as are several other independents.

Ian: Glad you liked the movie and that it's generating good business for you. May I ask if you received a new or rejuvenated print and also which lab it came from? (No special reason...just curious!)

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John Anastasio
Master Film Handler

Posts: 325
From: Trenton, NJ, USA
Registered: Sep 2000


 - posted 05-13-2001 07:14 AM      Profile for John Anastasio   Author's Homepage   Email John Anastasio   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I saw the film and would have absolutely loved it more if the shutter ghost on the theater's Century hadn't constantly gnawed at me. Still, there's an interesting story here. The Tuesday after I saw the film, a couple of Australians were touring our facility here in New Jersey. I greeted them and mentioned that I had just seen "The Dish" and thought it was a wonderful film, whereupon one of them piped up and said "Oh, yes...good film. I'm the principal of the school where they shot that" Talk about coincidence. Best film I've seen in a long time. It brought back memories of exactly what I was doing in July, 1969 when I saw those pictures from the moon.

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