Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Stephen Elliott always struck me as a self-promoting pratt.

My memories of the year 1994 are a bit hazy owing, I suspect, to a lifetime of dedicated drinking. However one thing does vaguely stand out; if you wanted a night out watching an Australian film* there seemed to be only two real choices in 1994; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert or Muriel’s Wedding.

I chose Priscilla and thus spent the evening locked in almost visceral rage** while all about me people were laughing like hyenas on nitrous oxide.

The fact that Priscilla’s director, Stephen Elliott, then made two critical and commercial flops and disappeared into a well deserved obscurity offered me a great degree of satisfaction.

Now, it seems, Mr Elliott is back.

And with a new film, Easy Virtue.

Bugger.

In a series of mostly puff pieces in the local media Mr Elliott claims that his nine year absence from the exciting world of cinema was due to his “self-destructive tendencies” or that he was “traumatised by being in New York during the 9/11 attacks”.

Really?

I think a more likely explanation is that he pissed a lot of other people’s money up against the wall making his two flops and people weren’t keen for that to happen again.

Apart from one or two local outlets, everybody else seems to regard Easy Virtue as possessing all the attractions of a piece of stinking fish so I suspect it may be some time before Mr Elliott pops up again.

*A mistake I won’t make again.

**Owing largely to its racism and misogyny. Oh and the fact that it was shit.

17 comments:

Lewd Bob said...

I suspect drag queen humour is annoying to everybody except drag queens.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Drag queens must be easily amused, Bob.

squib said...

I have never seen Pricilla. I don't know why. People told me it was wonderful. A classic etc.

Fad MD said...

It was excrable.

Perseus said...

You wouldn't thnk a movie with Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terrence Stamp could be shithouse, but it was.

Fucking shithouse.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Indeed Pers.

Mr Elliott has a special, special talent.

Anonymous said...

You wouldn't thnk a movie with Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terrence Stamp could be shithouse, but it was.

I could create a better movie starring those three actors.

It would be called Smackdown IX - Agent Smith Vs General Zod vs Det Lt Ed Exley.

wari lasi said...

It was politically correct, and probably still is, to love Priscilla

Otherwise you just a sticking homophobe.

It pissed me off, and most of my gay friends don't like queening it up either.

wari lasi said...

Typos galore, but you get my drift.

Louche said...

Muriel's Wedding was infinitely better, but Priscilla had some good moments.

You fag haters.

Joking!

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Good point louche but a film should be something more than one or two "good bits" separated by the actors wandering around in a vague "do you want us to move over here now, Stephen?".

Melba said...

I didn't like Priscilla either. But confession time: I heard Mr Elliott interviewed on radio and he was SO FUNNY AND WITTY that I decided then and there to see his new movie.

I'm serious. He's hilar-ious.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

He may be Oscar freaking Wilde, Melba.

He still can't direct films for shit.

Melba said...

I think the other reason he was quiet for nine years was that he "snapped his body in two", landing on his pelvis on a boulder during a skiing accident.

You're right, humour doesn't guarantee good direction.

Louche said...

I think it was just a shit script. I saw the stage show recently (didn't pay) and it also had a lot of faffing about.

patchouligirl said...

Priscilla was ground breaking in its time I suppose. The next year 'To Wong Foo thanks for everything' with Patrick Swayze was made. I remember thinking how the Wong Foo drag queens seemed completely ashamed and apologetic about who they were, whereas Priscilla was more a celebration of the lifestyle with good character development. I was glad that in Australia we are mature enough to be given the non - watered down version that the Americans obviously couldn't stomach.

Puss In Boots said...

Muriel's Wedding was shit, and I still don't understand why everyone says it's a great film. What's so great about it? I really don't understand. I think Muriel's Wedding was the first Australian film I ever saw, and there really haven't been any since that have restored my faith in them. And no, I haven't seen Lantana, which everyone tells me is excellent. I'm skeptical.