Let's Get Skase

I remember seeing the trailer, and thinking this must be a funny film, but when it came to viewing, laughs ran short, but it was still entertaining if involving. Christopher Skase was scr..ing over the government, a con man of notoriety, who fled to Miyorka, his island paradise, a safe haven as you will. Here Skase, still alive, who has got a hell of a lot of Aussie folk, angry, where us folk would rather see him six feet under, is the object of a bumbling kidnap attempt, in return for a lot of moolah, he's stolen. This is headed by writer/director/and actor, Lachy Hulme (wonderful as Kerry Packer in last years, Howzat) who rounds up some eager volunteers who've had enough of Skase's games, the kind who are seeing red. Skase is played by a lookalike actor, who in the opening scene, where you don't see enough of him in this, for all you Skase hating fans, rises from a wheelchair, where we first thought he was chair bound. What an opening joke? Andrew Denton here provided a cherished moment, funny, giving his opinion on Skase, and how the majority of public hate his guts. Craig Maclachlan was funny as a personal trainer/fanatic, he was kind of an asset to this film. Alex Dimitriades was good too as one of the the team, who really has it in for Skase. The angrier he was, the better the performance, another entertaining highpoint. It was funny how this bumbling group go about their plan in snatching this man of controversy, an identity who is the arch enemy to a lot of blood boiling humans. But something came apart here or short circuited in this flick, especially in terms of comic status. Here was a good concept for a film, but I didn't get the succession of laughs I expected, although there were some good performances. I loved not just seeing Skase accidentally crashing into the pool on a wheelchair, (a humorous moment, among not many others) but also the animosity Dimitriades's girlfriend was giving Hulme, thinking of him as somewhat of a sham. Lets Get Skase is still an okay watch, but if you're seeking continual laughs, may I suggest Dags or You Can't Stop The Murders.

Getting Christopher Skase was really a big deal in Australia back in the 1990's. This film brought back quite a few memories of the public's outrage at Skase's escape from the Australians who wanted his blood. The file footage, especially the 'Denton' stuff (what a great show that was) gives "Let's Get Skase" a very solid base to start this box office under performer.

After the file footage "Let's Get Skase" goes about in a fairly predictable manner for those who have seen a few Oz comedies since "The Castle". Lots of oddball "loser" types fighting against a mightier and arrogant power. Thankfully as the film goes on one can't help but enjoy watching the determined Aussies, led by bulls@@t artist Peter Dellasandro (Lachy Hulme) and angry Danny D'Amato (Alex Dimitriades), trying to get their hands around the neck of the Oz holy grail, (that being Christopher Skase).

The acting is pretty hammy at times but suitable for the film. I loved the appearance of the slimy character Beneheim Bencini (George Shevtsov). For my money he is the creepiest looking and sounding actor in Australia (and a good one too, check out "Love Serenade").

The timing of the film's release in relation to Skase's death, as mentioned in other sources, meant that you would be seen as an out and out weirdo to see it at the time. However, at a time when funny Oz films seem to be as rare as a sweet smelling fart, it is a film definitely worth checking out.

Lets Get Skase is a great film, and for those people in the 'minority' you should remember one thing, Lets Get Skase is a work of pure fiction based on fact surrounding the events aftermath of the collapse of Quintex, Christopher Skase's empire and events that nobody has heard anything about lathered with loads of dramatic license for good measure. Lets Get Skase is a good solid Australian film, and in my mind is the best Aussie film for along. Lets Get Skase upholds the great tradition of "taking the p***" and to be honest this is all that the film has set out to achieve and it has done an exceptional job at that. Honestly who cares if Chris Skase was chased to the grave and is now dead and buried does it honestly make any difference to the plot of the movie if he is dead? Give it twenty years and nobody will be able to remember his name or why he was so hated. What makes Lets Get Skase such a great film is that it has struck a nerve with people good or bad.

LETS GET SKASE is actually a very funny very well made film. Clobbered by the sneering media upon release and sinking without a trace - or a Skase - this film had the unforgivable fault of bad timing. The real Christopher Skase of the title actually.....died. And did so unpleasantly....so did the film at the box office. Now all that aside and separated from the media clutter upon release what do we have: a great looking film with a hilarious caper mentality beautifully filmed with a fun group of well cast males. Even the Skase impersonator is astonishing. Lachy Hulme (who?) stars and writes and heads a cast with a few great surprise performances: especially the normally seriously dramatic Alex Dimitriades offering a genuinely hilarious droll turn along with handsome lifesaver/commando Craig MacLachlan. The real delight for me was the absolutely charismatic and goofy Torquil Nielsen who has one of the great faces in Australian films. He is hardly ever seen ...maybe needs a better agent to get more profile. Like the equally disastrous timing of another comedy release DIANA AND ME (Princess Di was killed) which starred Toni Collette heading to London to meet you know who SKASE is overshadowed by the real demise of the real character it was lampooning. The Title comes from the bounty idea actually proposed one night on National TV. I remember well sitting in a deserted cinema laughing uproariously and wishing there was a big crowd equally delighted at discovering what a clever and well made comedy this film is. The media of the day did their very best to off put the entire population of Australia and unfortunately they listened instead of finding out for themselves. But I did and so should you.

Rather like the guy who jumped from his hotel window into a cactus patch, making this flick must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Granted, Matthew George had no way of knowing Skase would cark it just a month before the film's release, there is now, limited humor to be derived from watching the antics of failed restaurateur and wannabe conman Peter Allessandro (played by co-writer Hulme) as in company with his inept henchman, he bungles attempts to kidnap the renowned fugitive businessman. Three of Australia's better actors, Alex Dimitriades, old stager, Bill Kerr and one-time Frank 'n furter, Craig McLachlan, playing a security fruit-loop heading up a rival team of Skasenappers, all try their best with a script from K-Mart. Skase himself (played by Wayne Hassell) doesn't even appear until two thirds of the film has passed into forgetfulness. There is something vaguely grotesque about watching these guys put the boot literally into admittedly an icon of greed and cowardice, when the family in Spain has barely settled up with the undertaker there. For a film aspiring to be an action-comedy it can barely lay claim to either.