February 16 2010
Nice One Stu!
posted by Ana Samways at 1:07 pm
NZ On Screen – New Zealand’s online showcase of TV, film and music video is the best place to discover programmes from the good old days, especially those which wouldn’t be made in these politically correct times. Kids haven’t seen anything like Stu Dennison or educational films that play out like thrillers… Check them out below:
1. I’m trying to remember the appeal of Nice One Stu (thumbs up), the five minutes of TV watched straight after school by a generation … maybe it was the fact a grown man with a beard was so at home in an un-tucked school uniform? Or maybe it was because he was naughty. In the later part of this clip, Stu drags on a fag like it’s a joint, recites a violent poem and makes a gently homophobic gag. Fantastic!
2. Rugby and classic music are not often seen as complementary but in this short film sports footage from the French 1979 rugby tour of New Zealand is slowed down and edited to a Tchaikovsky score. Score (1980) is a simple, yet fantastic idea and a way of looking at something with fresh eyes. It’s a wonder some ad-guy hasn’t re-hashed this for the next big beer ad.
3. Stupid Way to Die is an educational film about the dangers of being ill-prepared for the New Zealand bush. What makes it wonderful is the heavy-handed, voice of doom narrator and the way the film dramatisation tells you right from the outset, that by tomorrow night one of them will be dead. A whole generation before Blair Witch! Keep an eye out for a young Ray Henwood (yes, Dai’s dad) who explains the science bits.