Trailer Cache: Australia

The new trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Austrailia has us a little dumbfounded. The film, Mr. Luhrmann's first since striking the fancy of Oscar voters seven years ago with his multiple nominated revisionist musical Moulin Rouge!, features so many references to other movies that it's actually hard to keep up. Mostly Australia culls from African Queen; Hugh Jackman actually appears to be wearing Humprhey Bogart's wardrobe from the John Huston film, while Nicole Kidman seems to be reading Katherine Hepburn's dialogue. But there are also bows towards Casablanca, especially when the film kicks into World War II mode with massive aerial combat scenes and Mr. Jackman costumed in a white tuxedo. We could go on naming other films referenced here too. The English Patient. Titanic. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Pearl Harbor. Sky Captain and the... [read full story]