-thumb-80x80-31030.jpg)
As anyone who has been paying any sort of attention can tell you, Australia is undergoing a major boom in film production right now - particularly smart, high concept genre film. And the most visible leaders of this wave are the young talents behind Blue Tongue Films, the collective that includes Nash and Joel Edgerton, David Michod and Spenser Susser, all of whom have made huge international waves in the past few years.
Susser became a huge favorite in these parts thanks to his brilliant zombie short I Love Sarah Jane - a film I personally, and very happily, programmed at a fistful of festivals after it took a bow at Sundance. Susser proved with that film that he is a truly unique voice, one capable of neatly balancing out character and genre concerns to create something fresh. And now he's making a feature.
Titled Hesher the film boasts a cast of Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Rainn Wilson and is now in post. Story?
TJ Forney is 13-years-old. Two months ago his mother was killed in an accident, so he and his broken dad, Paul, move in with TJ's grandmother to pick up the pieces. Hesher is a loner. He hates the world and everyone in it. He has long greasy hair, a baby moustache, a Metallica t-shirt and homemade tattoos. He is malnourished and smokes a lot of cigarettes. He likes to get into fights, start fires and blow things up. He lives in his van...until he meets TJ. HESHER is the story of a family struggling to deal with a loss and the anarchist head banger who helps them do it.
Take a look at I Love Sarah Jane below to see why this is a big deal!
Video
More from Hesher
- Reviews: HESHER Blu-ray Review
- News: [UPDATE: PULP FICTION, JACKIE BROWN Added] Lionsgate Home Video Kicks Into Overdrive For Fall: HESHER, THE CROW, MIMIC, TRAINSPOTTING Blu-rays Coming Up
- News: Joseph Gordon Levitt Lets His Hair And Tattoos Do The Talking In This Clip From HESHER
- News: Sundance 2010: HESHER Has A Home. SPLICE To Follow?
- News: Sundance 2010: First HESHER Footage Online!
- News: Sundance 2010: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Goes Pyro In The First Stills From HESHER
- Galleries: Hesher
I had heard about Hesher months back, but besides the well rounded cast wasn't too enthused by the info out there. I was not familiar with Susser's work but had heard of Blue Tongue. Watching "I Love Sarah Jane" has me convinced and converted. As always, glad you brought this to our attention, Todd.
Yeah, man. Susser's pretty awesome. The whole Blue Tongue group is really busy right now ... Nash Edgerton released his debut feature last year (The Square), Susser's got this going and David Michod is in post on Animal Kingdom ... the Aussie wave isn't anywhere CLOSE to slowing down ...
I Love Sarah Jane was amazing and monumental in restoring my faith in short films. I can't wait to see what happens with the demented tenderness Susser will bring with HESHER.