The four Sydney on Screen titles available through the Sydney on Screen blog and outlets listed at the top of this page. Click on the image for a preview of the guides!
Sacha Molitorisz, The Sydney Morning Herald, reports
Hollywood is fickle. One day she wines and dines you, the next she doesn't return your calls. One day she takes you out for dinner and a show, the next she changes the locks, throws your stuff onto the street and threatens to take out an AVO if you don't leave her alone. In the taxonomy of partners, Hollywood is dysfunctional and dangerous, more Betty Blue than Betty Boop.
No wonder the Australian film industry has insecurity issues. One minute, Hollywood's biggest producers and directors - George Lucas, Jerry Bruckheimer and the Wachowskis - are getting up close and personal with big-budget productions. (Actually, since Larry became Lana, the Wachowskis aren't brothers any more, but that's another story.) The next minute, nothing.
Luckily, says film buff Luke Brighty, we're in a good patch at the moment.
''There's a renewed interest in Sydney-made movies,'' Brighty says. ''The Great Gatsby has been shooting at Fox Studios and upcoming projects I, Frankenstein, Paradise Lost and Sydney, I Love You are rejuvenating Sydney's global appeal as a filming destination.''
For nearly a decade, Brighty ran tours of Sydney locations used in both Hollywood and local productions. As he says, ''Whenever I have a chat with people about Sydney's film world, often they're surprised how little they know about their own city and movies such as Superman Returns, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mao's Last Dancer, Mission Impossible 2, The Matrix, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding and Strictly Ballroom, to name a few.''
Recently, Brighty stopped doing tours and published four ''Sydney on Screen'' walking guides, complete with maps and itineraries (see sydneyonscreen.blogspot.com.au). Their titles include ''Where Opera Meets Oprah: Bennelong Point, Mrs Macquaries Point and the Rocks'' and ''Where Heroes and Monsters Play: Lower Central Business District and Darling Harbour''.
''They cater to the growing interest in movie tourism worldwide,'' he says.
Meanwhile, veteran actor Kim Knuckey continues to run tours of Kings Cross (see twofeet.com.au). They take in landmarks such as Juanita Nielsen's house, but also linger on the locations seen in Gregor Jordan's Two Hands and TV's Underbelly: Razor.
''Some people are afraid to visit the Cross on their own, scared of what will happen to them,'' says Knuckey, who co-starred in Underbelly: Razor.
On his tours, Knuckey visits Kellett Street, where one of the big battles depicted in Underbelly: Razor took place.
''In 1929, 20 of Tilly Devine's razor gang and 20 of Kate Leigh's razor gang slashed at each other for 40 minutes,'' he says.
''And everyone's amazed that, though 40 blokes slashed at each other with razors, there was not one witness.
''In the '20s, Kellett Street was a mean, dingy, treeless, rundown joint. The fight caused a public outcry because of the brazen attitude of the gang members. One man was particularly singled out for slashing - this was the chauffeur and lover of Kate Leigh. Tilly Devine's men cut him up so badly he left Sydney for good.''
Hollywood may not be a perfect partner, but at least she doesn't attack us with razors.
Hollywood is fickle. One day she wines and dines you, the next she doesn't return your calls. One day she takes you out for dinner and a show, the next she changes the locks, throws your stuff onto the street and threatens to take out an AVO if you don't leave her alone. In the taxonomy of partners, Hollywood is dysfunctional and dangerous, more Betty Blue than Betty Boop.
No wonder the Australian film industry has insecurity issues. One minute, Hollywood's biggest producers and directors - George Lucas, Jerry Bruckheimer and the Wachowskis - are getting up close and personal with big-budget productions. (Actually, since Larry became Lana, the Wachowskis aren't brothers any more, but that's another story.) The next minute, nothing.
Luckily, says film buff Luke Brighty, we're in a good patch at the moment.
''There's a renewed interest in Sydney-made movies,'' Brighty says. ''The Great Gatsby has been shooting at Fox Studios and upcoming projects I, Frankenstein, Paradise Lost and Sydney, I Love You are rejuvenating Sydney's global appeal as a filming destination.''
For nearly a decade, Brighty ran tours of Sydney locations used in both Hollywood and local productions. As he says, ''Whenever I have a chat with people about Sydney's film world, often they're surprised how little they know about their own city and movies such as Superman Returns, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mao's Last Dancer, Mission Impossible 2, The Matrix, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding and Strictly Ballroom, to name a few.''
Recently, Brighty stopped doing tours and published four ''Sydney on Screen'' walking guides, complete with maps and itineraries (see sydneyonscreen.blogspot.com.au). Their titles include ''Where Opera Meets Oprah: Bennelong Point, Mrs Macquaries Point and the Rocks'' and ''Where Heroes and Monsters Play: Lower Central Business District and Darling Harbour''.
''They cater to the growing interest in movie tourism worldwide,'' he says.
Meanwhile, veteran actor Kim Knuckey continues to run tours of Kings Cross (see twofeet.com.au). They take in landmarks such as Juanita Nielsen's house, but also linger on the locations seen in Gregor Jordan's Two Hands and TV's Underbelly: Razor.
''Some people are afraid to visit the Cross on their own, scared of what will happen to them,'' says Knuckey, who co-starred in Underbelly: Razor.
On his tours, Knuckey visits Kellett Street, where one of the big battles depicted in Underbelly: Razor took place.
''In 1929, 20 of Tilly Devine's razor gang and 20 of Kate Leigh's razor gang slashed at each other for 40 minutes,'' he says.
''And everyone's amazed that, though 40 blokes slashed at each other with razors, there was not one witness.
''In the '20s, Kellett Street was a mean, dingy, treeless, rundown joint. The fight caused a public outcry because of the brazen attitude of the gang members. One man was particularly singled out for slashing - this was the chauffeur and lover of Kate Leigh. Tilly Devine's men cut him up so badly he left Sydney for good.''
Hollywood may not be a perfect partner, but at least she doesn't attack us with razors.
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