Inside Kennedy Miller
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• • ~--------------------©AdNanceAlftd~lm------------------__ ~ The movies, mate: Part Three Inside Kennedy Miller by Barbara Samuels The conclusion 01 an exclusive three-part series, but the accidental death of Byron Ke nnedy in mid-1983 temporarily froze Cinema Canada special report on the production, and then forced a manage Sydney - July 11 : " The whole rial shuffle. George Miller now shares setup's a bit like a marriage." Australian film industry today. executive duties with writer producer Sydneysiders know it as "The Cross:' Terry Hayes and financial manager Doug and in strictly technical terms, it doesn't •_________________________________ -, Mitchell . even exist. The place where Darling As muchin tribute to Byron Kennedy hurst, Elizabeth Bay and Potts Point as anything else, the company has con come together provides the setting for tinued to function in both the television the city's red light district, but Times and feature domains. And because of Square this most decidedly is not : the Miller's status as the only first wave blend of mild-mannered hookers, inter "superstar" who's chosen to stay home esting restaurants and positively posh and keep working, whatever Kennedy hotels lends a friendly "PG" rating to the Miller turns out is subject to a great deal proceedings here. Kings Cross really of scrutiny. The praise has been plenti came into its own in the 1960s, when ful. "George Miller," says Australian American GIs on leave from Vietnam Film commissioner David Stratton, "has stopped in for some "R&R." But locals done more for the Australian film and tell me that things have changed since television industry than the Australian then, and concrete proof of that lies a Broadcasting Commission has done in literal few steps from the district's main all its years of existance." "His contribu drag. tion in television," says AFC chairman The Metro Theatre has survived Phillip Adams, "has been magnificent." several incarnations in its lifetime; But the message emanating from the at various moments a cinema, a live somewhat dilapidated Metro is very theatre and a food market, it has clear: this isn't Hollywood, and the recently shed yet another skin. And is cosmetics - either verbal or physical - still doi-ng so, from the looks of the exte are not what it's all about. rior: the favade is covered in peeling Those suspicions are reinforced in paint that reads "Food Fair - No Pets." side the building, where the faded lobby Only a small hand-lettered sign in the serves as a makeshift reception area, doorway brings the visitor up to date. and the whole place exudes a sense of In purely cosmetic terms, the Metro barely contained chaos. The back of the has probably seen better days. But its lobby is dominated by a garish, oversized current spiritual status would be hard staircase that once led to the mezza to beat. This is the headquarters of nine; now it feeds into an oblivion of Kennedy Miller Entertainment, a com corridors crammed with lumber and pany formed several years ago by a old furniture, up toward a smaller stair young medical doctor and an aspiring case and across to the only area that the movie producer, and presently the new owners have chosen to renovate. framework for what many have termed 1--===-_______________________________ ; But the executive offices still don't look the most exciting production setup in • George Miller has done more for Australian film and TV than anyone or anything like L.A.: no carpets on the walls, no the country. The world knows this bunch inlaid jacuzzis. no hint that revenues as the minds behind Mad Max: I and Il, cer of topflight domestic television purchase the Metro, pursu e their own have gone anvwhere but straight back and that fact alone has been enough to drama. interests, and control the projects from into production. turn movie moguls and cinephiles on That combination is not as strange as beginning to end. First in line w as The The erstwhile doctor is in, and quite their respective ears; what is relative ly it initially seems. When Mad Max: /I (aka Dismissal, a six-hour chronicle of the possibly more exhausted than h e' d be unknown internationally is Kennedy The Road Warrior) sent international Whitlam Labour government and its had he stuck to medicine. The company's Miller's standing as the premier produ- box-office business soaring, the race startling demise. Produced in 1982, new 10-hour miniseries Bodyline - on was on to seduce director George Miller the series was held from broadcast which Miller is executive producer - Cinema Canada contributor Barbara and producer Byron Kennedy into ex until after the 1983 elections ; finally \-vill go to air in a few days, and shooting Samuels recently toured Australia at changing their Sydney address for one aired in February last year, it created a on a third series is underway dawn the invitation of the Australian Film in Los Angeles. But the Australians res stir that has not yet entirely subsided. stairs. Over and around all this h, the Commission. pectfully declined, opting instead to The company had plans for further mania of pre-production on Mad Max: December 1984 - Cinema Canada/25 • NATIUMAL CIMEMA • Kennedy Miller was directly affected And when Mal( is wrapped and Miller riage lasts a very long time. is free again? I by the change in the 10BA legislation July 12: "George and I are just "It's basically time to take a break," he last year - "It was a little disruptive, making a film together." ,~~ because we were at the very point of says. "We've got quite a few things brew . finanCing Bodyline through 10BA" - but ing, but I haven't stopped since Mad Ma,Y ~ he is positive about the long-term II. So I'm trying not to think too far The man who brought the concept of .... ahead." He closes his eyes in mock "workshop" to Kennedy Miller is a soft effect. "I think it's great. It's tended to . make films harder to get off the ground. meditation, and then grins suddenly. spoken 50-year-old who responded to :. Miller and Hayes' request for a meeting • It' s been said a million times, but there "There is no life after Mad Max II/. " were people making films who were back in 1982 by asking "What on eartH CAdvance Australia skilled at financing, and completely do the Mad Max people want with me 7" unskilled at assessing a project. I think • Several years later, one is hard-pressed that perhaps there's half a dozen people The boss has offered a tour of the to think what they would do without Ill, set to roll a t the beginning of Sep in the world who consistantly have a premises, and as we approach the him. George Ogilvie has played a crucial tember. Miller has co-written the script, fee l for what sort of things should be former site of the actual theatre, he role in every production undertaken by and wiII co-direct the picture, a fair made ; there's hardly that many in Aus warns me that "there isn't much to see. the company since The Dismissal, and indication of the brashly unorthodox tralia. So this has hopefully stabilized \I\fe're not really a studio - there's no Cowra represents the first project he methodology that his company is now the industry by stopping the 'deal' pic soundstage down there." He indicates will not actually take a hand in directing, famous for. Mad Max III will extend to tures." the Cowra set below, now crammed although he completed an intensive feature production a formula that's paid And as the third chapter of the Max with a full-scale replica of a POW bar workshop with the cast and creative off brilliantly in television - an "ensem saga looms large, Miller senses the ' let's racks. "/t's really just an old movie team several weeks ago. At first glance, ble" approach to filmmaking in which a see-what-he-can-do-to-top-the-last-one' theatre. And one of the things we've Ogilvie's is a phenomenal mid-life turn group of writer/ directors and actors sentiment that's snaking through the always said is that if the machine starts arou nd; his directorial work 'On The first workshop a project Isometimes industry. He chooses to ignore it. dictating what we do.. if we have to Dismissal marked the first time he had with out a script) and then produce it " I hope this is lucky," he says, "but produce product just to keep it going ... ever stepped behind a camera, and a collectively. This concept originated we've never been motivated to say: 'OK then we'll close it down. The whole few weeks from now, he'll be co-piloting with The Dismissal, when Hayes and - \Vhat can we do to surpass what we setup's a bit like a marriage, I guess. It's Mad Max J1l with Miller. But his own Miller decided to guarantee a high did before 7' It always came from the only worthwhile when you can walk view of the craft and the situation turns standard of performance by hiring thea story. It aidn't OCCUl:'to us to do a Mad away from it at any time." that perception around. tre and opera director George Ogilvie - lV1a~ 11 until the story came along. In fact, This provides food for thought as we "Before 1 went into my first television until then a man with no television or quite the opposit e: the more people reach the top of those incredible stairs directing experience," he recalls, "I was film experience and now Miller's co said 'do one,' the greater my aversion to again.