Tag Archives: greg mclean

McLean On Scott

100 episodes! Not counting the pilot, which we called episode 00 because it was a guest-free test run. Still, this was episode 100 proper, and we had to find a suitable way to celebrate the occasion. So we invited Greg McLean, the writer/director of one of the most influential Australian films of all time, Wolf Creek, to join us on stage at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Greg opted to talk about the great Ridley Scott, director of Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, The Martian, and a heap more beside. Greg's story of “seeing” Alien before he saw it is as great an origin story as they come. Talking all things Ridley Scott in front of a live audience with Greg was a thrill, and we reckon a pretty solid way to mark the milestone.

Long-time listeners may also recognise a couple of familiar voices at the top of the show, two interlopers who weren't there for the live recording, but nevertheless had to be included. When Paul revealed he was going to be in London at roughly the same time we were on stage in Melbourne, we decided we needed a reunion of departed Hi4H hosts, so set him up So up for a meeting/recording. Based on what they sent back, they had far too much fun doing something we intended to be work. Honestly, some people.

The epic Nelson/Mayer meeting, inexplicably masking their face with what looks like Totoro slippers

A huge thanks to Greg, and to Thomas Caldwell and everyone at the Melbourne International Film Festival, as well as the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. A lot of people came together to make this happen, and we're grateful to every single one of you.

Further reading:

And here's that Ridley Scott opening video you can hear in the show:

And check out the slideshow of images from the event, with photography by Clara Kosasih:

Outro music: score from Blade Runner, composed by Vangelis

The latest episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates, featuring Greg McLean talking the films of Ridley Scott, can be heard on Stitcher Smart Radio, subscribed to on iTunes, or downloaded/streamed directly from our website.

Hell Is For Hyphenates – September 2018

Greg McLean joins us to talk the films of Ridley Scott!

It’s episode 100 of Hell Is For Hyphenates! After an introduction from former hosts Paul Anthony Nelson and So Mayer, Rochelle and Lee are joined by filmmaker Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, Jungle, The Belko Experiment) in front of a live audience at this year’s Melbourne Melbourne International Film Festival.

They look at the films of Greg’s filmmaker of the month, the legendary Ridley Scott. From Scott’s debut The Duellists to game-changing science fiction films Alien and Blade Runner, his films have left an indelible mark on pop culture. Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and The Martian have also been seared onto the public consciousness, and the masterful way in which he skirted the near-fatal controversies of All the Money in the World proves that after more than four decades of directing, Ridley Scott is still a force to be reckoned with.

The Ridley Scott Cheat Sheet

Want to become an instant expert in our filmmaker of the month without committing yourself to an entire filmography? Then you need the Hell Is For Hyphenates Cheat Sheet: we program you a double feature that will not only make for a great evening's viewing, but will bring you suitably up-to-speed before our next episode lands…

ALIEN (1979) and PROMETHEUS (2012)

There aren't many filmmakers who have provided us with such perfect before and after shots. Sure, Hitchcock did two versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much and Michael Haneke remade his own Funny Games, but these films weren't quite the career bookends that Ridley's duelling Alien films are. His second feature, Alien, remains one of cinema's most ensuring masterclasses in How To Get Everything Perfectly Right. Character, tension, dialogue, horror, pacing… no element has been shortchanged in favour of any other, and it all seems so damn effortless, like an observational documentary gone awry. Even after decades of influence and numerous pretenders, its impact remains remarkably intact. So when Scott returned to the universe for prequel Prometheus, he tried to recreate the feeling of a clean slate. The film was not promoted as an Alien prequel, but rather its own fresh thing, with familiar images slowly cluing the audience in as the film progressed. Prometheus has its defenders and its detractors, but no matter of your feelings for it, there's no better way to compare the tastes, interests, sensibilities and evolution of a filmmaker than by watching him make essentially the same film at the start of his career and then again at the end.

Substitutions: If you can't get or have already seen Alien, seek out Blade Runner (1982). If this film has somehow managed to elude you, then use our show as an excuse to correct that grave error. There are numerous editions, and good arguments for each one, but if you're after guidance then you can't go wrong with the 1991 “Director's Cut”. If you can't get or have already seen Prometheus, get your hands on All the Money in the World (2017) (and you thought we were going to say Alien: Covenant, right?). If you've been disillusioned by some of Ridley's recent films and think his best work is behind him, then prepare to be shaken by the sheer energy, pace and confidence behind the direction of this brilliant work.

The Hidden Gem: Want to see something off the beaten path, a title rarely mentioned when people talk about the films of Ridley Scott? Then you should track down The Duellists (1977). It's weird that Scott's lush, epic debut feature should have fallen into the cracks of semi-obscurity, but when your subsequent films alter pop culture forever, a demotion is understandable. Nevertheless, Scott's first film is a confident, stunning work of tension, with every shot an oil painting. Do not miss this one.

The 100th episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates, featuring Greg McLean talking the films of Ridley Scott, will be released on 30 September 2018.

100th Episode Live!

Have you been keeping a close eye on the file names of the podcast episodes? If so, you're a deeply strange person. But you'll also have noticed that we're climbing into the high 90s, and we're only a few shows away from the magic 100. And who can resist the lure of a big round number?

We certainly can't, so we've decided to scratch the itch by putting on a big live show!

In association with the Melbourne International Film Festival, we'll be performing a live recording of our 100th episode at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne's Federation Square. We could have just said ACMI, but we wanted it to sound momentous.

We'll be joined by special guest Greg McLean, the groundbreaking director behind Wolf Creek, Rogue, The Belko Experiment, Jungle and more. We'll be chatting with Greg about the films of Sir Ridley Scott, also no stranger to the breaking of ground. We won't bother listing Sir Ridley's films; if you know who he is, you need to see our show. And if you don't know who he is, you also need to see our show.

11 August 2018, The Cube @ ACMI

Tickets are free, but you'll need to book via the MIFF website.

And if you can't make it, stress less: the show will be released into your podcast feed on September 30.