This is another of those films that's makes you proud to be dinki di Aussie. Set outside of Andamooka, it's about these rowdy uncouth miners, ex cons actually on the run, the latest, who full of surprises I must say, is thought to have knocked over a bank, with carrying a hefty suitcase. The other newie, a inept young guy is our own Michael Caton, playing a somewhat different character to the tough minded characters he normally plays. Most of the film is set in a rust tin shed, where our ex cons sleep, their days are filled with hard yakka, when at night they're boozing, sharing the company of whores and playing cards, or if we're lucky, some fighting. We do too have some ruckus's during the day, like in it's start, where an employer says the wrong thing to the wrong person. Gerard Kennedy is just solid great as Tarzan, the man in charge, a wonderful angry role, many actors would love to play. He can really swing a mean fist, him and his fight with loudmouth employee Pansy (Mike Preston, really good too) long overdue. We spend moments here and there in the remote Andamooka, it's scenery a plus to this low budgeter, which is one of my favorite Aussie flicks, that I mention to a few friends of mine. All the very naturalistic performances are so good. Michael Duffield is great as the 60+ educated oldie, Mathusula, as when he's not nearly getting killed at work, has to spray a lot, on the account of his constant letting go of wind, we can smell him right through the t.v. He has a nice little nest egg hidden away which he foolishly blows over a card game, you wanna just smack him one. As being a bit of a gambler in past, I totally agree with Tarzan's view on gambling. I could never get sick of watching this movie, which I know many of you, would favor. The fight at the end, between Peter Hehir, great as our mysterious drifter with the suitcase, and ex boxer, Steve Rackman (who loves his food I'm told) tearing up half the shed, impresses too, never letting down the quality of the movie, which is just flat out entertaining. There's a great sky shot just outside the shed, with Hehir, getting some air, woken up by some gun fire, the result of one of Maddog's (Steve Bisley) nightmares. Good ozzie flick all the way. I wonder too in a close up of Caton's plate of muck in the kitchen, what that rally was.
