Up until now, Australian actor Damon Gameau had probably been best known as ‘that guy from The Tracker (Rolf de Heer, 2002)’ or ‘that guy from Underbelly: a Tale of Two Cities’. Nowadays, I suspect we’re more likely to start referring to him as ‘that sugar guy’, after his documentary, That Sugar Film. The film…
Fat Tony and Co. doesn’t bear the title “Underbelly” (for reasons to do with Screen Australia that I don’t really understand) but it’s the most Underbelly-esque series yet. It’s essentially a remix of the first series, with most actors returning (except for the ones who, y’know, actually became successful), with the masculinity pumped up to…
In case you couldn’t guess from the title, this ‘ere post is commemorating the completely arbitrary milestone of reaching 100,000 total views on ccpopculture. It also conveniently comes at a time where my focus for the site is shifting away from fostering page views. When I first started ccpopculture, it was practically an obsession –…
Birdlesque saw its debut this Saturday as a showcase for budding burlesque starlets. The event was nestled out the back of a secluded laneway in the middle of Brisbane city in the Bird Gallery and Studio – a charming, distinctive venue. First up was Melody Bonbon, whose iridescent gown reflected her colourful, playful performance, featuring…
Underbelly: Squizzy was a show of limited potential, and yet never met even the low benchmark it set for itself. Despite its scant charms (though I suppose “ample” is the better word for Gracie Gilbert’s appeal), Squizzy will be remembered as a series that falls short of mediocrity. Where can the blame be laid? Jared…
An overheard conversation regarding last week’s almost pornographic episode: “Oh, did you watch last night’s Underbelly?” “Nah, I’ve already given up on the show.” “Boobs. BOOBS!” Yes, Channel Nine knows what its audience wants – Gracie Gilbert naked – and it delivers again quickly, showing flashes of her nude form in otherwise unrelated scenes. Only a…
Some very NSFW thoughts on Underbelly: Squizzy (and newcomer Gracie Gilbert) after the break:
One of the big hooks of the Underbelly series is that it depicts, with some degree of veracity, real crime events from Australia’s history. The drawback to this selling point is that the show can often feel like it’s merely ticking off sufficiently interesting occurrences without having to bother with questions like “How does this…
Let’s be honest: Underbelly has never really produced a consistently good season of television. But its bright spots – that gold dust I spoke of – have made it fitfully rewarding viewing. More often than not, the show’s strongest moments come from its approach to violence, mixing in real pathos to elevate its usual bloodshed-as-entertainment.…
This is an extremely late review; it was hard to muster enthusiasm for the latest, unexceptional chapter in the Underbelly story. Like every Underbelly, it examines the criminal history of Australia, focusing on a particular time and place; Squizzy concerns its titular character, an up-and-coming pickpocket in 1920s Melbourne. Like every Underbelly, there’s that awful…
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