Film news

SBS proudly present Garth Marenghi's Darkplace which is a comedy series presented as a lost classic: a series produced in the 1980s, yet never shown until now. Garth Marenghi's Darkplace shows the adventures of Dr. Rick Dagless, M.D., as he fights the forces of darkness while simultaneously coping with the pressures of day to day admin. 1am Sunday SBS TV.

How cool does this movie look? Established seven years ago in Portland, Girls Rock is a sort of school camp/ School of rock hybrid where 8-18 year old girls come together to rock out; learning how to play instruments, form bands, write songs, perform and build community and self-esteem all in one week. Girls Rock is a documentary made by film makers Arne Johnson and Shane King in the summer of 2007. It follows four girls - a teenage former meth addict, an adorably self-assured 7yr-old, a extroverted metal fan and a shy 8yr-old with a daisy-shaped guitar - as they attend the camp of the same name and embark on a bit of self-discovery; letting the audience into the often pressured and confused minds of adolescent girls in the 21st century. This film is apparently very cool and moving and lovely; with appearances from the stereotype bucking likes of Beth Ditto and Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater-Kinney fame). Unfortunately, given it's slightly underground status, the film has yet to play outside of the States but let's hope that with people power it shows up at our theaters soon - goodness knows it could be a nice change from Hannah Montana et al.

Do you remember your last year of highschool? How your feelings seemed so much more intense then? How the things that barely register now were once-upon-a-year-twelve-time so all encompassing? Sometimes it's nice to think back to how it all was at the edge of adulthood, and the movie American Teen does a pretty good job of reminding you - even if you didn't happen to attend a highly cliched, middle-American highschool. For ten months, film maker Nanette Burstein (who also made the fabulous documentary, The Kid Stays in the Picture) followed and filmed a group of final year students at a high school in the conservative christian town of Warsaw, Indiana. Each day Burstein had unfettered access to the student's "insecurities, cliques, jealousies, first loves and heartbreaks" and just like a real life version of the Breakfast Club, each subject slotted easily into the stereotype of geek, jock, princess, outsider and rebel. But as Burstein continued to spend time with them - and as the documentary unfolds for the viewer - each teenage character develops into something more and makes a masterpiece from the feelings we can all, no matter how old, remember. American Teen is due out in cinemas this July.

Despite not being slated for release until November, the world is currently anticipating Baz Luhrmann's "epic tale", Australia, as fervently as the hag-rags are of Nicole Kidman's first baby pics. Excitement was stepped up a notch yesterday with the Internet release of the first official trailer (slightly different to the clever fakes that have been popping up on the 'tube). Although yesterday only available to Big Pond customers, the trailer has today been made viewable to all those with access to the internet. You can view it here, Set in Northern Australia just prior to WWII, Australia is based around the fight between an English aristocrat (played by Kidman) and a group of English cattle barons who have designs on her sizable chunk of sunburnt land. Add to this a romance with a "rough-hewn cattle driver" (Hugh Jackman), 2,000 cattle and a race across hundreds of miles of unforgiving land and you have quite the cinematic adventure on your hands. Here's hoping the film lives up to the hype!

Ooh my, am I looking forward to this one – and not just because Mary-Kate Olsen’s on the credit roll. The Wackness is your edgier variety of “coming of age” story; set in early Guiliani-era New York (a Larry-Clarke-favoured time when Biggie and 2-Pac were still kickin’ it and pagers were the must-have communication device), the plot follows awkward teenage pot dealer Luke and his burgeoning friendship with his drug-addled, receding hair-lined therapist, Dr Squires. The two set off on various adventures across NYC as Squires introduces the young Luke to various Manhattan misfits - including “A Phish following, dread-locked pixie” who’s played aptly by the pixie-like MK. Not only does the story sound cool but visually The Wackness is pretty amazing too; a back drop of 94’ New York at it’s most grimy and costumes that are not unlike what we’re currently seeing a resurgence of on the world’s more hipster-ish streets (think Chloe Sevigny for Opening ceremony – all lace-up boots and Liberty prints). The Wackness is due in cinemas this July.

Guaranteed to delight and thrill almost all members of my family (and many others around the world) Pixar animations are due to launch their latest film Wall-E in the coming months.  Famous for classics such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo (my favourite), Wall-E follows the story of the last robot on earth, who finds love after 700 years of being alone.  Not much else is known about the plot however it is said that in a throwback to silent movies of the past, the first 45 minutes are entirely dialogue free.  With breathtaking visuals and Pixar’s usual story telling flair this is sure to be another classic in the making.

So, let’s say you are a film company and you’re wanting to make a movie out of a much loved children’s book. You hire a director who has forged a career with off-beat and slightly uneasy music videos and later, off-beat and slightly uneasy movies. So, errr, are you that surprised when he creates for you an off-beat and slightly uneasy adaptation of the book? Especially a book that is as off-beat and uneasy as Where the Wild Things Are? It seems Warner Bros are. In what many saw as a perfect fit, the studio took on Spike Jonze to shoot the Maurice Sendak classic but following a recent test screening the powers that be are now freaking out that the film’s not looking “commercial enough”. Now; although they hired Jones, green-lit the script he and Dave Eggars wrote and poured 75 million into the thing, Warners are apparently looking to re-shoot the entire movie!!!!! How ridiculous - if there is one thing that movies such as Pans Labrynth and even Harry Potter have shown, it’s that dark and Delphic cinematic stories are ones that appeal to children and adults alike…………just like the book you might say!