Crackers | |
---|---|
Directed by | David Swann |
Written by | David Swann |
Produced by | Chris Warner |
Starring | Daniel Kellie Warren Mitchell Susan Lyons Peter Rowsthorn |
Cinematography | Lazlo Baranyai |
Edited by | Ken Sallows |
Music by | Ricky Edwards |
Production company | Sharmill Films |
Distributed by | Beyond Films Hollywood Pictures Home Video (VHS) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Box office | A$1,263,230 (Australia) |
Crackers is a 1998 Australian Christmas-themed comedy film directed and written by David Swann. The film stars Daniel Kellie, Susan Lyons, and Peter Rowsthorn, and follows the story of Hilary Dredge (Lyons) and her son Joey (Kellie) as they travel to the suburbs to spend Christmas with Joey's grandparents. They are joined by Hilary's boyfriend Bruno (Rowsthorn) and his son Angus (Christopher Chapman), leading to tensions and rivalries, particularly between Joey and Angus. Crackers was released on July 9, 1998, in Australia by Beyond Films, and grossed over $1.26 million at the box office. [1] [2]
During the Christmas holidays, Hilary Dredge (Susan Lyons) and her son, Joey (Daniel Kellie), travel into the suburbs to spend Christmas with Joey's grandparents. Accompanying them on the trip are Hilary's boyfriend Bruno (Peter Rowsthorn) and his son Angus (Christopher Chapman). Joey does not like Bruno because of his relationship with his mother. Joey and Angus have a violent rivalry with each other because of this, as Angus is unimpressed when Joey shows disrespect to his father.
Crackers was written and directed by David Swann, who had previously gained recognition with his successful short film Bonza. The film was produced by Chris Warner under the production company Sharmill Films. It was shot in Melbourne, Australia, and distributed by Beyond Films. The film's cinematography was handled by Lazlo Baranyai, and it was edited by Ken Sallows. Ricky Edwards composed the music for the film. The film is notable for exploring the clash of personalities and relationships that often arise when families come together during the Christmas holidays. [3]
Crackers was released in Australia on July 9, 1998, and grossed $1,263,230 at the Australian box office. While it wasn't a major commercial success, it garnered attention for its quirky approach to holiday family conflicts. The film was later re-released on DVD in November 2010, expanding its audience beyond the theater. Despite being relatively modest in terms of box office performance, the film is appreciated by some for its comedic take on the complexities of family relationships and the holiday season. [4]
My Family is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadcast from 2002 onwards. My Family was voted 24th in the BBC's "Britain's Best Sitcom" in 2004 and was the most watched sitcom in the United Kingdom in 2008. As of 2011, it is one of only twelve British sitcoms to pass the 100-episode mark. In April 2020, BBC One began airing the series from the first episode in an 8 pm slot on Friday nights; along with this all 11 series were made available on BBC iPlayer.
Let the Blood Run Free was an anarchic Australian spoof soap opera set in St Christopher's Hospital and created by comedy collective, The Blood Group. It ran from August 1990 until January 1994.
Ladies of Letters is a comedy series that ran for 13 years on BBC Radio 4; based on the series of books of the same name written by Carole Hayman and Lou Wakefield, and starring Patricia Routledge and Prunella Scales. Routledge stars as Vera Small and Scales as Irene Spencer, two elderly ladies who share a sometimes rocky relationship conducted by correspondence.
The Holiday is a 2006 romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. Coproduced by Bruce A. Block, it was filmed in both California and England and stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as Iris and Amanda, two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who arrange a home exchange to escape heartbreak during the Christmas and holiday season. Jude Law and Jack Black were cast as the film's leading men Graham and Miles, with Eli Wallach, Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, and Rufus Sewell playing supporting roles.
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wicks family watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after her on-screen father Kevin quit. Carly is characterised as a tomboy who enjoys an active sex life. One scene sparked complaints from viewers who felt it inappropriate. She is also portrayed as having a dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Shirley Carter.
Susan Lyons is an Australian actress.
The Seeker is a 2007 American family drama-fantasy film, a very loose film adaptation of the children's fantasy novel The Dark Is Rising (1973) by Susan Cooper. The film is directed by David L. Cunningham and stars Ian McShane, Alexander Ludwig, Frances Conroy, Gregory Smith, and Christopher Eccleston as the Rider. The film centers on Will Stanton (Ludwig), when on his 14th birthday, he finds out that he is the last of a group of warriors – The Light – who have spent their lives fighting against evil – The Dark. Will travels through time to track down the signs that will enable him to confront the evil forces. The Dark is personified by The Rider (Eccleston).
Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film directed by Mark Robson and produced by David Weisbart, based on Jacqueline Susann's 1966 novel. The film stars Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, and Sharon Tate as three young women who become friends as they struggle to forge careers in the entertainment industry. As their careers take different paths, all three descend into barbiturate addiction. Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, and Lee Grant co-star.
Walking on Water is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Tony Ayres. The film explores the grief, tenderness, stupidity and humour that arises from death.
This Christmas is a 2007 American Christmas comedy drama film produced by Rainforest Films and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced, and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmas-time story that centers on the Whitfield family, whose eldest has come home for the first time in four years. The film is named after the 1970 Donny Hathaway song of the same name, which Chris Brown covers in the film. The Whitfield family overcomes many trials and obstacles during the Christmas season.The film was released in theaters November 21, 2007.
Four Christmases is a 2008 American Christmas comedy-drama film starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon with Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Voight, and Sissy Spacek in supporting roles. The film is director Seth Gordon's first studio feature film. It tells the story of a couple who must travel to four family parties after their vacation plans get canceled due to dense fog. The film was produced by New Line Cinema and Spyglass Entertainment and released by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 26, 2008.
The Huggetts are a fictional family who appear in a series of British films which were released in the late 1940s by Gainsborough Pictures. The films centre on the character of Joe Huggett, played by Jack Warner, the head of a working class London family. Along with the Gainsborough melodramas, the Huggett films proved popular and lucrative for the studio. All four films were directed by Ken Annakin and produced by Betty E. Box.
Holiday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Flora Robson, Jack Warner, Dennis Price, and Hazel Court, and also features Kathleen Harrison and Jimmy Hanley. It is set at one of the then-popular holiday camps. It resonated with post-war audiences and was very successful. It was the first film to feature the Huggett family, who went on to star in "The Huggetts" film series.
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1994 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Les Mayfield and produced and co-written by John Hughes. The film stars Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J. T. Walsh, James Remar, Mara Wilson, and Robert Prosky. It is the first theatrical remake of the original 1947 film. Like the original, this film was released by 20th Century Fox.
Natale a Rio is a 2008 Italian Christmas comedy film directed by Neri Parenti with Christian De Sica. It is the third film starring De Sica without mate Massimo Boldi, his shoulder of honor in these films that make up the saga of Italian "cinepanettoni". In fact, in 2006 they were separated in film roles following a dispute.
Kath & Kimderella is a 2012 Australian film. It is a spin-off of the television series Kath & Kim, created by Gina Riley and Jane Turner. It was written by and stars Riley, Turner and Magda Szubanski.
Krampus is a 2015 Christmas black comedy folk horror film based on the eponymous character from Austro-Bavarian folklore, directed by Michael Dougherty, who co-wrote with Todd Casey and Zach Shields. The film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania LaVie Owen, with Krista Stadler, and introducing Lolo Owen, Queenie Samuel, Maverick Flack, and Sage Hunefeld. In the film, a dysfunctional family squabbling causes a young boy (Max) to lose his festive spirit. Doing so unleashes the wrath of Krampus, a fearsome, horned demonic beast in ancient European folklore who punishes naughty children at Christmas time. As Krampus lays siege to the neighborhood, the family must band together to save one another from a monstrous fate.
The Man Who Invented Christmas is a 2017 Christmas biographical comedy-drama film about Charles Dickens directed by Bharat Nalluri and written by Susan Coyne. Based on Les Standiford's 2008 non-fiction book of the same name, the joint Canadian and Irish production stars Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, and Jonathan Pryce, and follows Dickens (Stevens) as he conceives and writes his 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.
A Bad Moms Christmas is a 2017 American Christmas comedy film written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is a sequel to the 2016 film Bad Moms. The plot follows the three moms from the first film dealing with their own mothers visiting during the Christmas holiday.
Whispers is a 1990 Canadian horror film directed by Douglas Jackson and starring Victoria Tennant, Jean LeClerc, Chris Sarandon, Peter MacNeill, and Linda Sorenson. It follows a writer who, after killing her stalker, finds that he seems to have returned from beyond the grave. It is based on the 1980 novel by American suspense author Dean Koontz.