Aussie Rules Collection (1975)

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    The Aussie Rules Collection sees three feature films brought together with a handful of extras, all celebrating our national game, Australian Rules Football. The collection consists of the classic early 80s film The Club, a mid 70s offering in The Great Macarthy, and the 1997 docudrama about the Footscray Football Club, Year Of The Dogs. Included on this third disc are a few extras including the mini-documentary War Without Weapons, showing coach Ron Barassi as he leads the North Melbourne team during the early part of 1979.

    The DVDs for The Club and The Great Macarthy are the exact same discs that have been released individually in the past, while the newcomer Year Of The Dogs, includes a few generic footy extras.

    The three discs are packaged in individual Amaray cases, with all three slipped inside a very sturdy and attractively designed box. One of the highlights of the boxset is the front cover art showing the team mascots as drawn by the famous footy artist Bill Green (otherwise known as WEG). The back cover also sports WEG drawings of the various characters in each of the three films. Very nicely done and really quite eye-catching.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

The Club (1980)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Main Menu Audio & Animation Interviews-Cast & Crew-"Meet The Team" Short Film-"The Club - Then and Now" Featurette-David Williamson - "Compulsive Playwright" Music Video-"Up There Cazaly" Music Highlights-"Hear Jack Thomson Sing"-The Collingwood Club Song Theatrical Trailer Trailer-Malcolm, Pubert y Blues, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own. Trailer-The Big Steal
Rating
Year Of Production	1980
Running Time	95:07
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Bruce Beresford
Studio Distributor	South Aust Film Corp Madman Entertainment	Starring	Jack Thompson Graham Kennedy Frank Wilson Harold Hopkins John Howard Alan Cassell
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$34.95	Music	Mike Brady

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Based on David Williamson's magnificent play of the same name, The Club remains one of Australia's most biting satires, and great Aussie movies of the 1980s. Having only ever seen this film on television or on video, it's brilliant to finally be able to enjoy a widescreen version through the wonder of DVD.

    Written for the stage, (and adapted for the screen), by one of Australia's most successful playwrights, David Williamson (The Removalists and Don's Party), as a play, The Club was extraordinarily successful. Melbourne Theatre Company launched it on 24 May 1977 at the Russell Street Theatre, and it played to full houses in an extended four-month run. Even in the non-Aussie Rules states the play did very well. For example, The Nimrod Theatre production in Sydney also enjoyed an extended run with packed houses.

    Apart from its great, and unexpected, commercial success, The Club has been a critical success as well. Indeed, within two years of it opening, The Club was added as one of the plays studied in Australian High Schools. I'm sure many of the readers of Michael D's web-site would have discovered the play as part of their schooling. The Club was also performed overseas, where it was warmly welcomed, and well reviewed.

    "Outside, the fans are cheering the high marks and the low tackles. Inside, the executives are wheeling and dealing, back slapping and back stabbing."

    The Club is not necessarily a story about Aussie Rules Football. It's a story about egotism, commitment, power, jealousy, and greed, i.e. it's about human beings in a competitive and public environment. The story covers the transition of Australian sport into becoming Australian business. The culture and rituals of an old club are torn to shreds as the mighty dollar takes over. As one player remarks "we joined for the honour of wearing the Guernsey and a pat on the back . . . not for money".

    The club (referred to in the title) is languishing near the bottom of the Victorian Football League (VFL) premiership ladder, and has done so for a long time. Indeed it's been 19 years since its last Premiership win, and an atmosphere of blame-storming, back-stabbing and desperation has brewed in the resulting tension. The club has just paid an enormous sum of money for a young Tasmanian player, in a huge gamble that he will help change their fortunes. What they don't know is that he's rather disenchanted with "chasing a piece of pig skin around a muddy paddock". His arrival at the Club ignites the tension and friction that has been gradually building between a number of key people.

    One of the great things about The Club are the characters. They are all instantly recognizable as people we've all known or met, with all too recognizable human failings and weaknesses. First there's Ted (Graham Kennedy), a self-made businessman, who has bullied and blustered his way into becoming the Club President. Then there's Gerry (Allan Cassell), the club administrator and the wheeler-dealer. Add to this Jock (Frank Wilson), the wife-beating dinosaur -- a blunt and crude 'Aussie bloke'. There's also Danny (Harold Hopkins), the Captain, and one-time star, who can see the end of his career rapidly approaching. At the moral centre of the story is Laurie (Jack Thompson), a decent man and a struggling coach. Finally there's cynical Geoff (John Howard), the young recruit who has little interest in the ritual and tribal nature of footy or the Club, but somehow he still retains some residual spirit for the game.

    Beautifully acted by the superb ensemble cast, the film is expertly directed by Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy, and Black Robe). The stand-out feature, however, is the expert writing by David Williamson (Gallipoli and The Year of Living Dangerously). Both as a play, and as a film, The Club is expertly crafted, and unlike many plays that get converted to film, The Club does not suffer in the transition. Instead of a bare stage with a few chairs, with the magic of film, we're treated to cathedral stadiums, cheering crowds, and some great footage of classic VFL footy. So there's plenty of action, and not just talking heads.

Video

    Time has been unkind, and the transfer is very, very dated and extremely grainy.

    The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, 16x9 enhanced. I have been told that the film's original aspect ratio was 2.35:1, and if so, the film has not suffered too badly in the cropping (but then again I've only ever seen it in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, pan and scan).

    The image is fairly soft throughout and the shadow detail is poor, for example the interior background at 32:48 has almost zero detail in it.

    The colour has suffered over the years, and whites appear blue. Skin tones are a harsh brown/orange.

    The image is so soft throughout that it's hard to spot MPEG artefacts, and I didn't see any obvious examples. Film-to-video artefacts are present in the form of telecine wobble which appears occasionally, such as at 26:29. As expected, film artefacts appear throughout, but none were too distracting.

    No subtitles are provided on the DVD.

    This is a single-sided, dual-layered disc, and I did not spot the layer change.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Originally released theatrically in mono, the only audio option is English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps).

    The dialogue quality is acceptable, but at times the audio sync does suffer.

    The musical score is credited to Mike Brady, and features his great Aussie anthem, Up There Cazaly.

    Obviously, there is no surround presence nor LFE activity to review.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    As a pleasant surprise, this disc comes loaded with genuine extras.

Menu

    An animated menu with audio.

Meet The Team (35:06)

    Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio, this extra includes interviews with the 'team' behind the movie, including Bruce Beresford, Jack Thompson, and Producer Matt Carroll.

The Club Then and Now (2:15)

    Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio, this extra compares clips of Collingwood's clubhouse and ground as featured in the movie, with shots of those same areas today. Interestingly, much of it hasn't changed in the last twenty years.

David Williamson: Voices On The Page (26:26)

    Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio, this is a genuine and interesting documentary about Williamson, The Club, and Australian theatre.

Complete ABC Radio Adaptation

    Running for about 90 minutes, as the title indicates, this is a radio adaptation of the play (audio with a static screen).

Up There Cazaly Music Video

    Surely one of Australia's most iconic pop songs, along with Men At Work's Land Down Under, this video is guaranteed repeat viewing.

Hear Jack Thompson Sing

    Another audio extra. Over a static screen, here viewers can listen to Jack Thompson singing the Collingwood Club song.

Theatrical Trailer (2:55)

Umbrella Propaganda

    The trailers for Malcolm, Puberty Blues, Barry McKenzie, and The Big Steal.

    From what I can tell, The Club has not been released on DVD in Region 1.

    Filled to the brim with tense human drama and black humour, The Club is a must-see Aussie movie, now available to enjoy on DVD.

    The video quality is very disappointing but still watchable.

    The audio quality is limited.

    The extras are genuine, and really do make this a much better package.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

The Great MacArthy (1975)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Audio Commentary-Richard Brennan (Exec. Prod.)& Bruce Smeaton (Composer) Featurette-On The Bench With The Great Macarthy Short Film-Squeakers Mate Theatrical Trailer Trailer-The Club, Oz - A Rock 'N' Roll Road Movie Trailer-Picnic At Hanging Rock, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Rating
Year Of Production	1975
Running Time	88:42 (Case: 90)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	David Baker
Studio Distributor	Stoney Creek Films Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	John Jarratt Judy Morris Kate Fitzpatrick Sandra McGregor Barry Humphries John Frawley Colin Croft Chris Haywood Colin Drake Ron Fraser Max Gillies Dennis Miller Lou Richards
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$24.95	Music	Bruce Smeaton

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, credits rolling over a long distance shot.

    The Great Macarthy is based on the popular Australian novel from the early seventies, A Salute To The Great McCarthy, by Barry Oakley. The difference in the spelling of Macarthy between the novel and the film was done deliberately to remove a possible reference people could have inferred to the late US senator, Joe McCarthy .

     The film is distinctly Australian, not only in its subject material, but in the myriad of eccentric but somewhat familiar characters it presents to us.

    The Great Macarthy was made in an era when Australian filmmakers were happy portraying and actually emphasized ockerish characters in their films. These films were never intentionally made for any audience other than that of the Australian filmgoer. The success of films like Tim Burstall's Stork and Bruce Beresford's The Adventures of Barry McKenzie helped set a unique identity that most people would cringe from today.

     The Great Macarthy, however, had something else in its favour - the country's love of Australian Rules Football, although when the film was made, this sport found very little favour in the states of New South Wales and Queensland, which favoured the game of Rugby. This factor alone set the film an even bigger task of finding success, even at a national level.

    The director of The Great Macarthy, the late David Baker was a director of excellent reputation, working on television in both Australia and the UK for the BBC. He had also directed The Family Man, which was the best and most confronting of the stories in the 1973 film, Libido. His 1973 very dark short film, Squeaker's Mate is a worthy inclusion on this DVD and shows he was indeed a director of considerable talent, despite having some idiosyncratic behaviours.

    Macarthy (John Jarratt, in his debut film role) is a young star footballer, playing for the small country town of Kyneton. Macarthy is kidnapped by strongmen from the South Melbourne Football Club, using a helicopter in an innovative manner. This surprise operation is organised by club president, Colonel Ball-Miller (Barry Humphries), who also sets Macarthy up with a job in his company. Macarthy soon adapts to his new football club and his new job, under the watchful supervision of devoted company man and boss, Mr Webster (John Frawley).

    Macarthy's life turns into a series of comedic misadventures, a failed office relationship with Vera (Sandra McGregor), then an unlikely, but committed relationship with a night school teacher, Miss Russell (Judy Morris). Throw in a mishap at a Nazi party rally, two broken legs while filming a television commercial and a quick fire marriage to Colonel Ball-Miller's daughter, Andrea (Kate Fitzpatrick) and you get some idea of the chaos in Macarthy's life.

    Of course such chaos has got to have an adverse effect on a footballer's life. Macarthy's football career soon becomes embroiled in the politics and backstabbing of the club. But, little do the club hierarchy know that Macarthy holds the winning hand.

    The Great Macarthy hosts performances from many wonderful Australian actors whom I haven't mentioned in the plot synopsis. These actors all play small, but significant and enjoyable roles in the film. The film also features performances from some Australian sporting celebrities, such as Lou Richards and Jack Dyer.

Video

    The video transfer for The Great Macarthy is reasonably good.

    The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced. I believe the film's correct aspect ratio is 1.85:1.

    The transfer exhibits a good level of sharpness and clarity throughout. Blacks were clean and clear of low-level noise, although there was some variation in intensity and depth. Shadows were consistent and held good detail.

    Colours displayed some slight fluctuation in a few scenes, but this is almost certainly a print issue rather than one of the transfer. Overall, the colours were pleasantly subtle and consistent with other Australian films of the era. I found no evidence of oversaturation in the transfer.

    There were no MPEG artefacts present. Film-to-video artefacts weren't much of an issue with this transfer and were generally well controlled, although some minor telecine wobble was evident on a couple of occasions. Film artefacts presented as the problem issue with this transfer. These were quite frequent and consisted mainly of small marks and scratches, which were more concentrated around reel changes. Reel change markings were also noticed at regular intervals, but weren't particularly problematic.

   There are no subtitles on this DVD.

   This is a single sided, dual layered disc, with the layer change undetectable throughout the film. Even the use of software did not disclose the location of the change.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio transfer is not particularly challenging, but is of good quality.

    There are two audio tracks on this DVD. The default audio track is English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s). There is also an English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) track.

    Dialogue is easily audible and clear throughout the film. I noticed a couple of slight problems with audio sync early in the film, however these were trivial.

    The musical score by respected Australian composer Bruce Smeaton is at his usually high standard. His music for The Great Macarthy combines many different styles over the course of the film. His title theme music is described by Bruce himself as a fusion of Nino Rota, Scott Joplin, Pinetop Smith and himself. In the music used for all the football scenes, he uses the soprano voice of Maggie Nesbit to brilliant effect. This wonderful soundtrack won the 1975 Australian Film Institute Award for best score.

    The surround channels were not used.

    The subwoofer supported the score and a few bass effects, but was not a major asset to the listening experience.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    The selection of extras on this DVD are all worthy of inclusion and relevant to the film.

    The menu has a very basic design, with no sound or animation. It is, however, 16x9 enhanced.

Audio Commentary - Richard Brennan (Executive Producer), Bruce Smeaton (Composer), with moderation by filmbuff, Paul Harris.

    It is very difficult to find decent information on this film, so I looked forward to listening to this commentary very much. Thankfully, the commentary was informative and interesting, with an abundance of anecdotes relevant to the production. The commentary was constant, with Paul Harris chipping in with relevant questions about the film from time to time. Richard and Bruce provided a steady stream of informative and humorous responses. This commentary is an excellent companion to the next listed featurette.

Featurette: On The Bench With The Great Macarthy (21:12)

    This excellent little featurette was obviously produced for the DVD. It features recent interviews with John Jarrett and Hal McElroy (First Assistant Director) regarding their memories of The Great Macarthy. Many interesting and humorous anecdotes from the production are imparted, including some serious discussion as well. Small scene grabs and still images from the film are incorporated with the interviews to form a very enlightening package.

Short Film - Squeakers Mate 1973 (35:10)

    Squeakers Mate is an early short film from director David Baker and was adapted from the story by Barbara Baynton. It's a dark and somewhat depressing tale set in Gippsland, Victoria in the eighteen hundreds. This particular print has extensive film artefacts and fluctuating depth of colour, but is still very watchable. However, the audio quality is quite average, with some passages of dialogue difficult to understand. All things considered, it's still a very worthy inclusion on this DVD and is certainly worth viewing.

Theatrical Trailer - The Great Macarthy (3:34)

Umbrella Trailers

• The Club (2:50)
• Oz...A Rock and Roll Road Movie (2:30)
• Picnic At Hanging Rock (4:50)
• Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1:12)

    At the time of this review, there is no R1 version of The Great Macarthy.

The Great Macarthy is an underated Aussie romp, that has many genuinely funny moments, as well as some of true cringe value. The large cast of Australian actors and sporting celebrites from the seventies, provides many memories for those old enough to remember.

    The video and audio transfers are both reasonably good.

    The selection of extras on this disc is surprisingly very good and should please any fan of the film.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Year of the Dogs (1997)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	Main Menu Audio Featurette-War Without Weapons Featurette-Football Grand Final 1968 Featurette-Introducing Australian Football Featurette-High Mark Trailer-The Club, The Great Macarthy, Don's Party, Long Weekend
Rating
Year Of Production	1997
Running Time	85:56
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (63:26)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Michael Cordell Stewart Young
Studio Distributor	Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	Alan Joyce Tony Liberatore Stephen Wallis Terry Wallace Chris Grant Pat Hodgson Jenny Hodgson Peter Gordon
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$19.95	Music	Scott Saunders

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.66:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.66:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Year Of The Dogs is not a Hong Kong-style film revolving around a year of the Chinese calendar, but is rather a warts and all look at the goings on of the battling Footscray Football Club in the Australian Football League during season 1996.

    Anyone who is familiar with football in Australia will know that from 1987, the old Victorian Football League (VFL) went through a period of expansion, embracing a national competition, and allowing several clubs from around the country to enter the soon-to-be-named AFL. These clubs included the likes of Perth's West Coast Eagles, Brisbane and two teams from Adelaide. The existing Melbourne VFL clubs were all part of this new competition, but were told they would need to remain financially viable in order to stay in the league.

    The old VFL (now AFL) teams based in Victoria can be divided into two distinct groups. There are the powerful and successful clubs, boasting huge memberships, huge sponsorships and star players. The likes of Essendon, Hawthorn and the Collingwood Magpies are among this group (though in the 'Pies case it could be argued about the success part). In the other group are the less powerful, nearly broke and not as successful clubs. The likes of St Kilda, Melbourne, Footscray and North Melbourne fall into this category (though North dispel the lack of success by having won a couple of flags in the last dozen years with almost no money and very few supporters).

    Year Of The Dogs is a docudrama about one of these struggling clubs - Footscray, or as they are now known in the league The Western Bulldogs. The Bullies haven't won a flag since 1954 and the AFL is often accused of trying to kill them off for the sake of the national competition. The film is told from the viewpoint of various people involved with the club, including the coach Alan Joyce, several of the players including Tony Liberatore and captain Stephen Wallis, the club president Peter Gordon, and two passionate fans from the western suburbs, mother and daughter pair Jenny and Pat Hodgson. They all witness the journey the club takes during 1996, from the opening bounce of the season to the final game in round 22, including the usual financial problems, a health scare for a rookie player, and one of the worst starts to a season ever recorded by the club. This poor on-field effort leads to the early resignation of the coach and the appointment of assistant Terry Wallace to the job for the remainder of the season.

    This is an honest look at a club that seems in perpetual crisis. They were almost forced to merge with fellow struggler Fitzroy in 1989 and have been on the verge of financial collapse ever since, rarely making the finals and consistently recording one of the lowest memberships of all the 16 teams in the league. Season 1996 contained plenty of lows amongst a few highs, and the cameras were there to capture it all. The club still battles on against the odds and fans of the Bulldogs will love this film, while any passionate Aussie rules fan will also find plenty here to interest them.

Video

    This transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and is not 16x9 enhanced.

    While not the sharpest of transfers, it is adequate enough, but certainly not in the category of something more modern. Shadow detail is handled well and is probably the best aspect of the transfer, as there are many scenes where this could be compromised. Grain is thankfully not an issue and there is no low level noise.

    Colours are quite good, especially on game day with the bright footy guernseys and supporter's garb on display. Skin tones hold up reasonably well.

    There are no compression artefacts, but some mild aliasing does pop up a couple of times.

    There are no subtitles available.

    This disc is dual layered with the layer change occurring at 63:26.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    There is a fairly basic audio selection on this disc. We get an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack as the only option.

    Dialogue is predominately what this soundtrack is all about with this being a documentary. This is handled well with no obvious problems. There are also no audio sync issues.

    There is a score present, and it really is a corker, with it sounding like a brass band in general and a rather large tuba in particular handling most of the rousing beat. The main theme starts at the opening credits and is played often throughout the film and really does lend itself well to the action.

    There is no surround or subwoofer use at all.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Main Menu Audio

Featurette - War Without Weapons

    This 1979 production is like a mini version of Year Of The Dogs. Running for 25:26 it follows the build up to the first game of the season for the North Melbourne Football Club and their "super coach" Ron Barassi. A good snap shot of a time when the Aussie Rules landscape was much simpler.

Featurette - Grand Final Highlights Doco

        4:53 of highlights from the 1968 VFL grand final between Richmond and Geelong.

Featurette - Introducing Australian Football

    Running for a decent 22:12, this is an excellent overview and explanation of the great Australian game, using the 1973 VFL grand final between Richmond and Carlton as the backdrop. Even though it was made in the early 70s and some of the rules and skills have changed, the basics are the same so anyone needing an introduction to the game should have a look at this.

Featurette - High Mark

    Running for 8:56, this is a newsreel style programme that shows footage from the 1947 VFL grand final between Carlton and Essendon. The narration takes a beginner's point of view and explains the game in very basic detail.

Trailer

    Trailers for the other titles in The Aussie Rules Collection, The Club (2:54) and The Great Macarthy (3:35), plus Don's Party (1:48) and Long Weekend (1:58).

    This disc is not available in Region 1.

    Year Of The Dogs is an excellent fly-on-the-wall style docudrama showing the battle faced by the Footscray Football Club both on and off the field during the 1996 AFL season. It is a must-own for any Footscray (now Western Bulldogs) fan and Aussie rules fan in general.

    The video, while not sporting an anamorphic transfer, is still quite good, while the audio is serviceable.

    The extras are not related to the actual doco, but are a good mix of Aussie rules football extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall