BetaMaxBandits

Yesterday, we learned about the passing of Ted Kotcheff, director of Wake in Fright. While there is an endless celebration to be had about his versatility, especially between the brilliant but very different First Blood and Weekend at Bernie’s, we are indebted most to his vision for Wake in Fright. In 1970, the Canadian director entered the outback as an outsider to tackle an area of the Australian culture unseen on film and too close to home for many locals to stomach, in the process creating a harrowing classic. In his tribute, director Edgar Wright wrote, “Kotcheff had a way of making the ordinary feel unsettling, peeling back the layers of civilisation to expose something raw and primal underneath.” Between Ted and fellow import Nicolas Roeg (Walkabout), the Australian New Wave was able to swell and roar into the new decade, inspiring directors like Peter Weir, Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, and Fred Schepisi. The importance of Wake in Fright, and Ted Kotcheff, to our nation’s lasting and thriving cinema industry cannot be understated. We’ll crack a beer or two in his memory! Cheers, Ted 🍺