 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed .(December 2013) |
Boulevard Films was an Australian production company which made a number of movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s, many which were set against a background of the entertainment industry. [1]
The company was established in 1981 by Frank Howson and his partner Peter Boyle. Their first feature was Backstage although they were ultimately bought out of the project by the Burrowes Film Group. They then made Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and in 1988 they put together $24.5 million for a slate of seven films: Heaven Tonight, Sinbad, Highway Hero, Beyond My Reach, Hunting, Fallen Angel and Young Flynn. This was an impressive achievement at the time since the Australian film industry was then reeling from a reduction in the 10BA tax concessions. Five of these were made (Sinbad became What the Moon Saw ). [2] [3]
In late 1989 it was announced Boulevard would make three more films, Highway Hero, The Envoy, and Friday on My Mind. [4] They also wanted to release a soundtrack album for all of their films. Howson:
From day one when we perceive what style of film it will be, we almost decide how we'd like the poster shot. It may sound funny but it's thought out that carefully. We also incorporate the various songs we'd like to use in our scripts, so that we have a visual page of how the whole thing will end up in terms of the music component. We carefully plan the type and style of the songs that fit into various moods of the film if we haven't got anything in our publishing catalogue or access to something. [4]
A number of Boulevard's early films featured common elements, such as being written and produced by Howson, a backdrop of the entertainment industry, and recurring cast members such as Guy Pearce and Kim Gyngell.
By 1991 Boulevard had made five films but Howson claimed this had caused much resentment:
There has been a lot of animosity in the industry because we seem to be doing so much when others are doing so little. We have done a great deal to restore investors confidence in the local film industry. Strangely, or rather typically, we seem to be resented in some circles for our efforts. No doubt that's the kind of attitude that has made Australia what it is today. We've built up a strong investor base [approximately 30,000 people] at a time when a lot of investors were burnt and ran away from film. We have wooed a lot of those people back. [5]
The first Australian film ever purchased by Miramax was a Boulevard Film "What The Moon Saw".[ citation needed ] The first Australian film ever purchased by the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was a Boulevard Film "Heaven Tonight". Boulevard also sold their movies to such international distributors as Paramount, Disney, Warners, Skouras, J&M Entertainment, and Village Roadshow, amongst others. Although the company achieved much internationally and discovered such film talents as Guy Pearce, Danielle Spencer, Lachy Hulme, David Roberts, the company collapsed in the mid-1990s due to business partners Howson and Peter Boyle falling out, prompting Howson to move to Hollywood. Between 1998 and 2001 Howson served on the board of the Californian branch of the Starlight Children's Foundation.[ citation needed ]
Howson, the creative brains behind Boulevard's success, was reportedly distressed by the financial handling of the company by his business partner, Peter Boyle. [6] Howson went on to write and direct various projects in Los Angeles before returning to Australia. In 2006 Howson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.[ citation needed ] Boyle on the other hand remained in Australia and produced a David Copperfield Tour that became embroiled in litigation.[ citation needed ]
Boulevard Films produced "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (nominated for 7 AFI Awards including Best Film and winner of 2, Best Lead Actor (John Waters) and Best Supporting Actor (Kim Gyngell)), "What The Moon Saw" (winner of an AFI Award for Best Costumes), "Heaven Tonight" (nominated for AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor (Kim Gyngell)), the Frank Howson directed "Hunting" (nominated for 2 AFI Awards, Best Lead Actress (Kerry Armstrong) and Best Costume Design), "Beyond My Reach", the Howson directed "Flynn" a.k.a. in some countries as "My Forgotten Man" (nominated for an AFI Award for Best Soundtrack Music Score), "Crime Time", "A Slow Night At The Kuwaiti Café", "The Intruder", the Howson directed "The Final Stage", "A Thin Life", "Blue Roses", "The Making of Heaven Tonight", and "The Lucky Country".
Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor. Pearce started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series Neighbours. He received international attention for his breakout role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and subsequently took starring roles in Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential (1997), Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000) and Simon Wells's The Time Machine (2002). Pearce is known for his performances in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (2009), Kathryn Bigelow's war drama The Hurt Locker (2010) and Tom Hooper's historical drama The King's Speech (2010). He has appeared in Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), the Marvel action film Iron Man 3 (2013) and the historical biopic Mary Queen of Scots (2018).
Lara Flynn Boyle is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Donna Hayward in the ABC cult television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991). After portraying Stacy in Penelope Spheeris's comedy Wayne's World (1992), Boyle had a lead role in John Dahl's critically acclaimed neo-noir film Red Rock West (1993), followed by roles in Threesome (1994), Cafe Society (1995), and Happiness (1998). From 1997 to 2003, Boyle portrayed Assistant District Attorney Helen Gamble in the ABC television series The Practice for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, both locally and internationally, including the producers, directors, actors, writers, and cinematographers. It is the most prestigious awards ceremony for the Australian film and television industry. They are generally considered to be the Australian counterpart of the Academy Awards for the U.S. and the BAFTA Awards for the U.K.
Angie Milliken is an Australian actress.
Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress, producer and scriptwriter. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film, Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher in The Heartbreak Kid (1993) – the film was spun off into a TV series, Heartbreak High (1994–1999), with her character taken over by Sarah Lambert. Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.
Vincenzo Colosimo is an Australian AFI Award winning stage, television and screen actor. He has worked in both Australia and the United States. He is of Italian descent and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He was previously married to Australian actress Jane Hall.
Kym Gyngell, sometimes also credited as Kim Gyngell, is an Australian comedian and film, television and stage actor. Gyngell won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1988 for his role as Ian McKenzie in Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Michael James Rowland is an Australian film director.
David Ashley Connell is an Australian cinematographer with a career of over 25 years of cinematographic work in films and television to date.
Frank Michael Howson Melbourne) has had a career in entertainment. He directed Flynn (1996) on the early life of Errol Flynn and Hunting (1991). Howson, with Peter Boyle, helped establish Boulevard Films which produced thirteen films from Boulevard of Broken Dreams (1988) to Flynn; besides producing for Boulevard Films, Howson often wrote scripts and directed.
Backstage is a 1988 Australian film starring American singer Laura Branigan. The film was written and directed by Academy Award nominee Jonathan Hardy, who had also written Breaker Morant.
Street Hero is a 1984 Australian film directed by Michael Pattinson and starring Vince Colosimo, Sigrid Thornton, Sandy Gore, Bill Hunter and Ray Marshall. The film won an AFI award.
Grievous Bodily Harm is a 1988 Australian crime film directed by Mark Joffe starring Colin Friels and John Waters.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) is a professional organisation of film and television practitioners in Australia. The Academy's aim is "to identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television".
Hunting is a 1991 Australian drama film written and directed by Frank Howson, starring John Savage, Kerry Armstrong and Guy Pearce.
Heaven Tonight is a 1990 Australian film.
Boulevard of Broken Dreams is a 1988 Australian film. It was the first movie from Boulevard Films.
What the Moon Saw is a 1990 Australian film directed by Pino Amenta. The first of five films Boulevard Films made following the success of Boulevard of Broken Dreams (1988), it was based on Howson's memories of being a child actor in the theatre.
Flynn is an Australian film about the early life of Errol Flynn, focusing on his time in New Guinea starring Guy Pearce in the title role.
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