"Danny Deckchair & Billy's Holiday"

[amicus]

Hello all…

In recent years on this forum, lacking many other places to share such thoughts, I have made mention of several films made outside Hollywood, films from England, France, Germany, Canada and Australia.

I find very little interesting in American made films of late and thus turn to the IFC (International Film Channel) where, occasionally, I find entertaining fare.

I think I have previously mentioned “Billy’s Holiday”, but tonight, for the very first time, I watched Danny Deckchair and found it very entertaining, although a little hackneyed.

I thought perhaps the sophisticated clientele of Literotica/AH, might have some further opinions.


http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808489334/info


 Danny Deckchair (2004)


"...Based on a true story, the tale of a cement truck driver named Danny, whose long awaited vacation is cancelled thanks to his scheming girlfriend, Trudy. Danny escapes his grim life in suburban Australia and blasts into the skies in a chair tied with helium balloons. A mighty thunderstorm blows him clean off the map, and spits him out far away over the lush green town of Clarence. In this new town..."





http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=134829

Billy's Holiday
1995-Australia-Musical Fantasy



PLOT DESCRIPTION

"...Since the breakup of his marriage, Billy Apples (Max Cullen), the stocky, middle-aged owner of a hardware store in Sydney, Australia, hasn't had much going on in his life. Billy has one hobby, singing with a jazz band in a club in his neighborhood; he knows that he's not much of a vocalist and that his teenage daughter Casey (Rachael Coopes) considers him an embarrassment, especially since she's convinced that he's to blame for her parents' divorce. But late one night, Billy sees several comets dotting the night sky, and something miraculous occurs -- suddenly, Billy is capable of singing like Billie Holiday!..."


~~~

If you have not had occasion to view these films, I am certain they are available as rentals and I found them to be good light comedy and I usually do not enjoy comedy.




Ah...this was on the unnamed file that I saved the links to, a thought for a poem that doesn't seem to be going anywhere...perhaps I should 'haiku' it?


"Pastel pink and purple Japanese Plum blossoms drift like snow as spring softly announces her arrival..."


amicus...the unexpected pleasure of your acquaintance....

 

[drksideofthemoon]

My favorite movie is Cinema Paradiso

Try to see the directors cut, it's about 20 minutes longer...and watch the Italian version with English subtitles...it is a wonderful movie...

 

[amicus]

I suspect it is an all Australia day on IFC as yet another Aussie film is being featured:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Ballroom

Strictly Ballroom

Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Written by Baz Luhrmann
Andrew Bovell
Craig Pearce
Starring Paul Mercurio
Tara Morice
Bill Hunter
Pat Thomson
Music by David Hirschfelder
Cinematography Steve Mason
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release date(s) 1992
Running time 94 minutes
Country Australia
Language English
IMDb profile

"...Strictly Ballroom is the name of a 1986 play and its 1992 film adaptation. Both play and film were written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. The film was directed by Luhrmann.

Strictly Ballroom is a romantic comedy telling the story of an Australian ballroom dancer, Scott Hastings. Having come from a family with a history of ballroom dancing, Scott has been training since childhood and has become very proficient. However, he encounters considerable resistance when he tries to dance his own steps in preference to the more traditional ballroom moves. His dancing partner Liz leaves him, and he eventually finds a new dancing partner, and love, with dancing student Fran, who takes lessons from Scott's mother. At the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix, Scott and Fran overcome the odds and practically bring down the house dancing the Paso Doble, which they have learned from Fran's father and grandmother. A sub-plot involves Scott's discovery of his parents' hidden past.

Style
The film plays with clichés and stereotypes, mocking and embracing them at the same time. Luhrmann has also commented that the film revolves around stories similar to David and Goliath, Abby the Ballerina, Cinderella and The Ugly Duckling, though whether he was merely commenting on the stories' similarities to the plotlines of the movie, or stating that the film was based on the stories, is unclear.

[edit] Original play
The film was an adaptation of an original short play of the same name created by Luhrmann and first staged in 1986. At the end of 1988, Luhrmann was approached by producer Tristram Miall to transform his play into a movie.
Luhrmann told Playbill that he would revive the play onstage sometime in 2005, but this never happened.

[edit] Awards
Strictly Ballroom was a huge hit at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Prix de Jeunesse award. It was sought after by distributors from across the world. Immediately after its showing at Cannes, it was sold to 86 countries for more than $10 million. It has been placed as the film option on the British and Irish school leaving examinations[citation needed] for English, alongside such classics as On the Waterfront and Ten Little Indians...."

~~~

AH...Author's Hangout...some write plays and screen plays. I find it interesting to notice the adaptation of a play to the big screen and also to write with the scope and the imagination to one day think that a story of mine may one day become a film...which is another reason to post such threads as relate to films...for every film began with one person and one idea that blossomed into a poem, a play, a novel, a film...

good luck...

amicus...