Hi. Can you remind me of the pretzels reference?
Someone on this board put up a link to a site which has a go at the movie for not being factually accurate...they seem to take umbrage that credit is not given where it is due [the site gives credit to another Australian satellite dish]. That doesn't really alter my appreciation of this film...my enjoyment was not based on realism, but on humour.
That link, I think, mentions the "not to scale" remark made by a reporter in a tv broadcast. From memory, the site said that that remark was made on another space mission. Who cares? It was funny! And even if that incident never happened, I don't care either...it's still funny. Comedies wouldn't be funny if they were realistic. Maybe only people who intimately know of the real story of had dealings with those who do, really get their knickers in a knot about factual inaccuracies.
The scene where a communication problem for the satellite is simply solved had me wondering if that really could have happened that way...it didn't strike me as real, but as a viewer, it was easy to follow and hence enjoy.
You imply that you are American, then say that you are based there...not sure what you mean...you American, or working there?
Another Australian film I enjoyed for its comedy was Bad Boy Bubby. It's really dark, so not suited to young audiences, but I found it funny-maybe others might take it more seriously. A Brendan Fraser movie seemed to take the premise of BBB and give it a lighter, fluffier feel. Remember really enjoying Two Hands, with Heath Ledger. Can't remember if it had comedy-I think it did, though it was more a crime movie in the Tarrantino, Ritchie mould. Oh yeah, almost forgot Sweetie-at first I thought it would be one of those awful Australian movies with dire acting and a worse script, but I then woke up to its surreal humour-shockingly uninhibited...must see that again...been a while. Remember that it didn't finish as strongly as it started though...a bit like BBB.
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20 years ago
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dfle3
19 years ago
Hi. Went trawling on to the next page of my IMDB post history and found this...you kept me waiting, ay? Re you only being to Canada, well, didn't George W Bush say the same thing when asked if he'd been overseas?
Re pretzels-so the joke is that the Aussie didn't know what pretzels were? There is an ok Australian film with Bryan Brown and the US' John Goodman called "Dirty deeds". Goodman has some of the best lines in the film. As per my pretzels guess, he is in a funny scene concerning an ordered pizza. I also like his reflections on pizza and what impresses people. The film is in the mould of Tarrantino and Ritchie, but not as good. Two Hands with Heath Ledger is a much better film in that mould.
Re not to scale in the Dish-MAYBE that REALLY did happen-the footage looked archival.
From memory, the anti-American school girl in that film (at least anti war), was a bit of an embarrassment, but, on reflection, she has the right mixture of insight and ignorance on the subject to be plausible.
Re Blast from the past-I didn't get much from that film, and compared it unfavourably to Bad Boy Bubby. BBB is much darker though, and much funnier too, I felt. Not for Mormons.
I liked the scene in the Dish where they joke about carrier pigeons, and I loved Warburton's Puddy lite character. He was one of the best things in the film.
Recently saw Kung Fu Hustle. More entertaining than any Hollwood film I've seen this year, I think. Also saw a good, funny doco about two American political pranksters, The Yes Men. Both good movies.
Cheers.
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Storm_Mickche
19 years ago
It's strange really because on ROTTEN TOMATOES this has a fresh rating of 96% out of 100
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simonkevnorris
9 years ago
"Hi. Can you remind me of the pretzels reference?"
It's when the Mayor and his assistant are talking in town to the woman who runs the local cafe/restaraunt.
It was her who made the pretzel remark.
It was done in such a way as to seem 'exotic' or 'foreign' that someone (Al) should ask for Pretzels.
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