Father Geek here with another of our regular weekly columns on what's happening in the increasingly productive film industries down in Australia and New Zealand. Of course we know they"re working like crazy on the biggies like MATRIX 2 and THE TWO TOWERS, but what else is going on in the land downunder... well it all comes to light each week right here in...

The AICN DOWNUNDER REPORT #38...

by Tamsin

SWIMFAN

The trailer for Aussie actor/director John Polson's first foray into Hollywood movies, SWIMFAN, has just been released. Starring Jesse Bradford (BRING IT ON) and Erika Christensen (TRAFFIC), SWIMFAN has a loose release date of late September.

I had a look at the trailer and it reminded me of a higher budget version of the B-Grade straight-to-video thriller, UP AGAINST AMANDA (damn I love that title). The trailer for SWIMFAN can be viewed at: [www.apple.com]

IMPERIAL MYER

Currently in pre-production is the feature IMPERIAL MYER which is described as following "the plight of one young soldier in his quest to stay alive in an alien and horrific environment." Produced by the Actors Cafe and Matt Norman, the feature will shoot early 2003.

PETER PAN

Set to start shooting on September 30th, the PJ Hogan directed/co-written PETER PAN will feature the talents of a number of top Australian crew members including Director of Photography Donald McAlpine (MOULIN ROUGE), production designer Roger Ford (BABE, RABBIT PROOF FENCE), and costume designer Janet Patterson (HOLY SMOKE). Touted as "the highest budget film to be shot in Australia", the US$100 million (AUD$175 million) feature will be shot at Warner Studios with Industrial Light and Magic to complete the digital effects. The US release is currently scheduled for Christmas 2003.

EYE WITNESS & AMERICA'S PRINCE: THE JFK Jr. STORY

Aussie actress Portia de Rossi (ALLY MCBEAL) is a busy girl, currently shooting the independent thriller, EYE WITNESS with Jeff Daniels and James Spader - the tale of an aid worker who becomes caught up in a murder in Mexico. De Rossi has also been signed to star as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy for the biopic TV feature, AMERICA'S PRINCE: THE JFK JR. STORY.

THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN

Aussie Oscar winner, Geoffrey Rush is in negotiations to star in the action film cased on the popular theme park ride (Wow, Hollywood now appears to have hit absolute rock bottom in their search for film plots!!!!) Rush will joins Johnny Depp in the project about a daring rescue attempt against a ruthless band of pirates. Rush would play villain Captain Blackheart in the pic.

NED KELLY GOSSIP

Word from an insider on the set of the NED KELLY movie is that Hollywood Studio honchos were so concerned about the fact that Heath Ledger would have a beard and wear the authentic Kelly Gang bushranger helmet, that they offered this ultimatum: Forget authenticity - audiences want to see heart-throb's Heath Ledger's face, so the choice has to be made between beard and helmet. The beard appears to have stayed and it is yet to be seen whether or not the helmets will feature much in the final edit. Considering it was a major part of the Kelly Gang's history, it will be sad to see Hollywood Studio bosses remove this important fact in order to cater for 13 year old girls.

BROTHERS AT WAR

A feature film about the historical Father's Day bikie massacre of 1984 is currently seeking public investment to put together the final budget of AUD $9 million . Set to star Colin Friels (MALCOLM) and Lisa Hensley, BROTHERS AT WAR is based on the shoot-out between rival motorcycle gangs the Comancheros and the Bandidos at a New South Wales pub that left seven people dead and 21 injured. Producer Richard Bradley has issued a prospectus to the public, inviting would-be producers to take a stake in the picture, at $5000 a unit. The public can access the 46-page prospectus document online at www.brothersatwar.com.

SAMPLE PEOPLE

Our Kylie (The Green Fairy in MOULIN ROUGE for those of you who took 10 years to discover her) is once again stirring up a storm with word of an upcoming release in the UK of the Australian film SAMPLE PEOPLE. Also starring Joel Edgerton (THE HARD WORD), Ben Mendelsohn and Simon Lyndon, Kylie plays a cocaine-addicted prostitute called Jess in the film who spends a weekend in Sydney with a group of clubbers, a drag queen, an Indian kebab shop boss and his effeminate son. SAMPLE PEOPLE was released in Australia two years ago to a lukewarm response, but will be released in London for the first time in August.

ROAD TO PERDITION

Adelaide's Anthony La Paglia has been cut from the new film, ROAD TO PERDITION, from director Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY). He can partly blame fellow Aussie, Jill Bilcock (MOULIN ROUGE), who is editing the film. La Paglia is still as busy as ever, with the completion of two other projects, THE GUYS, based on Sept 11th and ANALYSE THAT.

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN

Star of LA FEMME NIKATA, Aussie Peta Wilson has been signed to play the female lead in LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN for Fox. Wilson will play Mina Harker, a beautiful British scientist who used to work with her husband to rid the world of Count Dracula. Sean Connery will star as team leader Alan Quatermain, British novelist Henry Rider Haggard's adventurer created in the 1880s. Other cast members confirmed are Shane West, Stuart Townsend and Jason Flemyng. Steve Norrington (BLADE) will direct the $US80 million ($A142 million) production that's set to shoot this summer in the Czech Republic and Morocco.

Send Downunder news and reviews to Tamsin@aintitcoolmail.com

Tamsin

Father Geek back with a tidbit of interest to Aussie-fyles the world over... This announcement of a new limited edition (3,000) CD of a scarce Australian based soundtrack just arrived here at Geek Headquarters in Austin, Texas in time to make this weeks column...

"On the Beach" (1959) is a celebrated picture by renowned "message" filmmaker Stanley Kramer, starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins as among the last survivors of a nuclear war awaiting the end at an Australian naval base. The film marked the first full collaboration between Kramer and his soon to be regular composer, Ernest Gold (Exodus, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, etc).

For "On the Beach" Gold set the well known traditional Australian tune "Waltzing Matilda" in a wide variety of permutations: from an anthem for humanity... to a love theme... to a dirge for the end of the world. Along with his original love themes and bold, questing music for a mid-film submarine mission, "On the Beach" is a rare and memorable symphonic score consistently requested on CD by collectors. FSM presents the original stereo LP master (the original scoring sessions are lost) in sterling sound quality.

As a bonus, the CD also includes Gold's stereo LP recording of The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), a lighter score for a sprawling comedy/drama set in WWII Italy, also directed by Kramer and starring Anthony Quinn, including one previously unreleased track. The score features sumptuous, Italian-flavored melodies and a lengthy symphonic setpiece for the film's signature sequence, in which Italian peasants hide a million bottles of wine from the German army.

FSM's Ernest Gold doubleheader CD features extensive liner notes and a colorful 24-page booklet.

Remember, our comprehensive order form is accessible at: Our Site ... Right Here

Well, that's it for this week, this is ol'Father Geek signing off for Tamsin and the AICN Downunder Report...