Celluloid Junkies Film Podcast

Celluloid Junkies Film Podcast


Episode 27 – Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

July 09, 2019

SPECIAL GUESTS: Actress Karen Robson, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Author Helen Goltz, "No Picnic at Hanging Rock"
This month we're embarking on a school excursion to check out a cinematic marvel - Peter Weir's hypnotic 1975 mystery Picnic at Hanging Rock. We return sharply at 8 o'clock, so don't wander too far from the group and we're sure nothing will go wrong...

This podcast is non-profit and has been broadcast for educational purposes. Excerpts from the following material has been included to enhance the listener experience:

FILMPicnic at Hanging Rock (1975) dir. Peter Weir, AustraliaRazorback (1984) dir. Russell Mulcahy, AustraliaWolf Creek (2005) dir. Greg McLean, Australia

MUSIC“Picnic at Hanging Rock” [Score] (1975)
--
Our special guests this month include actress Karen Robson, who portrayed returning girl Irma in Picnic at Hanging Rock. Karen left acting soon after her role as Irma, and is a partner in law firm Pryor Cashman LLP based in Los Angeles, working primarily in film finance. She was kind enough to give us some of her time for a very informative and entertaining interview.
Our other special guest is author Helen Goltz, who wrote the 2017 non-fiction account of the film's production, "No Picnic at Hanging Rock". Helen is also the author of nine fiction novels and a further six non-fiction books, which are all available through her publisher, Atlas Productions. Helen was kind enough to join us and give insights into the production of the film, as well as famous myths surrounding the project.
If you only check out one resource regarding Picnic at Hanging Rock, make sure it's the online collection from the National Film and Sound Archive. There is some truly stunning memorabilia from the film displayed in the collection, which is accessible - for free - to anybody interested.
Fifty years after the book was published, Australia's Sydney Morning Herald took a look back at the story of its writing. It's an interesting read that gives you some background into the life and creative process of Joan Lindsay.
Little White Lies continues to set itself apart from the competition by covering little-known and forgotten films. Go with them on a crazy journey as they look at the original ending to the novel - complete with crab creatures and black holes.
Want to visit Hanging Rock or Appleyard College and check for yourself if there's anything out of the ordinary? Check out the real shooting locations used in the film.
Check out Keith Connelly's 1981 article about the Australian New Wave written for The New York Times. It's an enlightening look at how the country valued its output, possibly being proud of its cinema for the first time in its history.


If you want to follow us on Letterboxd, we’re always logging and rating films we’ve been watching and occasionally Luke will do some pretty in-depth reviews, too.
Luke Kane: http://www.letterboxd.com/kanemutiny/Damien Heath: http://www.letterboxd.com/jedikaos/

You can find Celluloid Junkies on