Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1975


Pure Shit

Buy Pure Shit now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Pure Shit' (censored as 'Pure S') is a 1975 Australian drama film directed by Bert Deling.Beryl Donaldson & John Langer, "Bert Deling", 'Cinema Papers', April 1977 p 316-319, 377

When the film premiered at Melbournes Playbox in May 1976, the Vice Squad raided the theatre.[http://www.sbs.com.au/films/movie/3369/Pure-Shit SBS Online Article by Peter Galvin 'A junkie film whose reputation precedes it'] It was initially banned, then given an R certificate, and the title was changed from 'Pure Shit' to 'Pure S'.

The low-budget film provoked a hostile reaction from the mainstream media on its initial release. It is now considered an "underground" classic.[http://australianscreen.com.au/titles/pure-s/ Australian screen; curators notes by Paul Byrnes]

Plot summary



A young woman dies of a heroin overdose. Four junkies who knew her commandeer her car and spend 24 hours searching the streets of Melbourne for good quality heroin, and excitement.

Cast



*Gary Waddell as Lou

*Ann Hetherington as Sandy

*Carol Porter as Gerry

*John Laurie as John

*Max Gillies as Dr Wolf

*Tim Robertson as TV interviewer

*Helen Garner as Jo

*Phil Motherwell

*Russell Kirby as Shoplifter / TV Interviewee

*Greig Pickhaver as Record shop worker

*Vicki Heal as Girl on Phone

Production



The film's budget was partly provided by the Film, Radio and Television Board of the Australia Council and partly by the Buoyancy Foundation, an organisation to help drug takers. Bert Deling says he was particularly influenced by Jean Renoir and Howard Hawks.[http://blogs.crikey.com.au/cinetology/2009/06/05/interview-with-bert-deling-writerdirector-of-pure-shit/ Luke Buckmaster, 'Interview with Bert Deling', 'Crikey', 5 June 2009]. Retrieved 2 October 2012

Lead actor Garry Waddell says he helped with the script:

It was really good having Bert there because he helped me a lot. If you weren't sure of anything you could always get reassurance from him or the cameraman, Tom Cowan. It wasn't a hard movie to work on because it was so enjoyable. The relationships between people on the film were always good."Garry Waddel", 'Cinema Papers', JuneJuly 1976, p55


Writer Helen Garner has a small role as a speed-addled woman named Jo. Garner starred in the film shortly before she published 'Monkey Grip' (1977), which is set in a similar milieu of communal drug use.

Release



The Commonwealth film censors initially banned the movie but allowed it to be released with an "R" rating provided the title was changed from 'Pure Shit' to 'Pure S'. Deling later said that the film "played two weeks at Melbournes Playbox and had a short Sydney run but very few people got to see it, and we didnt make a cent from it."[http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=15726&s=interviews 'Deling, Bert - Pure Shit', 'Urban Cinefile', 14 May 2009]. Retrieved 2 October 2012 The movie was polarising, with the critic of the 'Herald' calling it "the most evil film that I've ever seen"David Stratton, 'The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p278 but others such as Bob Ellis championing it.

The film was released on DVD in 2009.

Accolades



See also



*Cinema of Australia

References



*


Buy Pure Shit now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 1975



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1102586020.