(aka 'Celia - Child of Terror')

Directed by Ann Turner
Australia 1989

Celia (also known as Celia: Child of Terror) is a 1988 Australian drama film written and directed by Ann Turner. Set in rural Australia in the 1950s amidst the Red Scare and a rabbit plague, it stars Rebecca Smart as troubled nine year old Celia as the movie follows her descent into madness. Turner won the Grand Prix award at the 1989 Créteil International Women's Film Festival and for her part as Alice Tanner, Victoria Longley won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award from the Australian Film Institute.

Excerpt from Wickipedia HERE

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Set in mid 1950s Australia, with the fear of communism in the air and the country's farmlands overrun by a plague of rabbits, the film depicts a long hot summer seen through the eyes and over-active imagination of nine year old Celia.

Shaken by the death of her beloved Grandmother, Celia finds herself adrift between the cruel games and rituals of childhood and the incomprehensible world of grown-ups. With monstrous creatures stalking her dreams by night, those imagined terrors blur by day with the banal brutality of the adult world and lead to tragic and shocking consequences.

Ann Turner's refreshingly unsentimental debut feature is a dark fable of childhood's end. An enthralling film to rank alongside Lord of the Flies, The 400 Blows and Stand By Me.

Excerpt from theSecondRunDVD.com located HERE

 

  Poster

Theatrical Release: May 18th, 1989

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DVD Review: Second Run - Region 0 - PAL

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Distribution Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL
Runtime 1:38:42 
Video 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.97 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) 
Subtitles  None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Second Run DVD

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1

Edition Details:

• Interview with Anne Turner (13:40)
• Photo Gallery
• 16-page liner notes booklet with photos and essay by Michael Brooke + Joy Damousi

DVD Release Date: March 30th, 2009

Transparent Keep Case
Chapters: 12

 

Comments:

The dual-layered, anamorphic and progressively transferred effort from Second Run looks quite strong. We can thank them again for another clandestine and desirable film - this one took me by surprise as a quasi-masterpiece with a creepy aura and political underpinnings - extremely enjoyable.

The transfer, obviously representative of the source material is one of the better from Second Run - detail is strong - noise minimal and there is even some grain visible. I had no issues with the 1.78 framed image. 

The 2.0 channel audio is unremarkable and the Aussie accents are not overpowering so the lack of optional subtitles isn't fatal for most.

Supplements include a decent 13-minute interview with director Ann Turner, a superfluous photo gallery and some keen-o liner notes with interesting essays by Michael Brooke and Joy Damousi.

This is a very cool film - one I am so glad to have watched. It's another great choice by Second Run and we hope they continue to bring us these formidable gems. Surely recommended! 

Gary W. Tooze

 

 



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DVD Box Cover

   

CLICK to order from:

Distribution Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL




 

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