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Sound of Movies – Redball hosted by Ashley Wincer and Ann Pulbrook.
Redball is a 1999 film written and directed by Jon Hewitt. It’s a powerful contemporary police thriller about a few weeks in the lives of some used up city detectives from the Homicide, Vice and Drug Squad. It’s a darkly humourous drama about the psychoses of frontline police work. Press play above to listen to the podcast or press play below to watch the official Redball trailer.
Not following traditional movie making techniques, Redball is constructed as a series of snapshots of the Homicide, Vice and Drug Squad. Following the story of Detective JJ Wilson (Belinda McClory), a homicide cop struggling to keep her mind and morals intact in the face of inhumane acts and rampant police corruption.
Starring Belinda McClory , John Brumpton, Frank Magree, Peter Docker, Anthea Davis, Neil Pigot, Damien Richardson, Robert Morgan, Dan Wyllie, Sharon Leigh Stewart, Asher Keddie and Jon Hewitt.
Although this movie is quite difficult to find in your local video store or retail outlet, it can be located online for purchase. (JB-Hi Fi, Quickflix) I recommend trying to get hold of the DVD as the two commentaries are certainly worth listening to. The first commentary by Jon Hewitt is about the movie Redball. The second commentary is titled 90 minute film school, where Jon Hewitt goes on to explain how you go about making your own movie. It is quite informative and well planned out. If you are interested in creating your own movies, I would suggest getting hold of this DVD.
Ann thought the technique of the floater throughout the movie was good, helping setting the scene and feel for what your in for with the gritty cityscape or underbelly of Melbourne. Redball is a testament to the film maker, since the actors were willing to go without pay to get the job done. Redball serves as a good intermediary between Janus and Underbelly and you can see it had elements that preceded underbelly and possibly had an impact on it.
Would I add Redball to my own personal movie collection? Absolutely. I have added Redball to my own collection three times now. The first on VHS (PAL), second time I had my VHS copy copied into NTSC format for when I lived in the United States. The third time when I stumbled across the DVD in Melbourne many years later.
We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of the Sound of Movies – Redball. It was broadcast from the Gippsland FM studios on Saturday November 7th at 12pm.
If you have any questions about the Sound of Movies, please feel free to contact either Ashley Wincer or Ann Pulbrook by e-mail. You can follow the Sound of Movies on Facebook, Twitter or on iTunes. Thank-you.
