Pure Shit
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| Pure Shit | |
|---|---|
 DVD release cover from 2010 | |
| Directed by | Bert Deling |
| Written by | Bert Deling Anne Hetherington Alison Hill John Hooper Ricky Kallend John Laurie David Shepherd John Tulip Bob Weis |
| Produced by | Bob Weis |
| Starring | Gary Waddell Anne Hetherington Carol Porter |
| Cinematography | Tom Cowan |
| Edited by | John Scott |
| Music by | Martin Armiger Red Symons |
Production company | Apogee Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | AU$28,000[1] |
Pure Shit (censored as Pure S) is a 1975 Australian drama film directed by Bert Deling.[2]
When the film premiered at Melbourne’s Playbox in May 1976, the Vice Squad raided the theatre.[3] 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.[4]
Plot summary[edit]
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[edit]
- 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[edit]
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.[1] Bert Deling says he was particularly influenced by Jean Renoir and Howard Hawks.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
Release[edit]
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.[1] Deling later said that the film "played two weeks at Melbourne’s Playbox and had a short Sydney run … but very few people got to see it, and we didn’t make a cent from it."[8] The movie was polarising, with the critic of the Herald calling it "the most evil film that I've ever seen"[9] but others such as Bob Ellis championing it.[5]
The film was released on DVD in 2009.
Accolades[edit]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Awards (1975 AFI Awards) | Best Film | Bob Weis | Nominated |
| Best Direction | Bert Deling | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Helen Garner | Nominated |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p291
- ^ Beryl Donaldson & John Langer, "Bert Deling", Cinema Papers, April 1977 p 316-319, 377
- ^ SBS Online Article by Peter Galvin A junkie film whose reputation precedes it
- ^ Australian screen; curator’s notes by Paul Byrnes
- ^ a b Luke Buckmaster, 'Interview with Bert Deling', Crikey, 5 June 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2012
- ^ "Garry Waddel", Cinema Papers, June–July 1976, p55
- ^ "Pure S (1975) clip 1 on ASO". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ 'Deling, Bert - Pure Shit', Urban Cinefile, 14 May 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2012
- ^ David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p278
- Murray, Scott, ed. (1994). Australian Cinema. St.Leonards, NSW.: Allen & Unwin/AFC. p. 288. ISBN 1-86373-311-6.
External links[edit]
- Pure S at IMDb
- Pure Shit at the Australian screen
- Pure S at Oz Movies
- Anne Hetherington -image of Anne Hetherington at 78 Curtain St, North Carlton
