Thanks to Slanderer for reminding me about films made in Perth. I should have remembered, because I was involved in a few of the tax write-off stinkers made in Perth in the late 1980’s myself. Day of The Panther was made in 1988, “starring” John Stanton as a kung fu mystic. Stanton is probably best remembered for playing Malcolm Fraser in The Dismissal. He was also the TV cop Bellamy. Stanton is William Anderson, who plays Master Splinter to Jason Blade’s Ninja Turtle. The film also featured the prolific Michael Carman. I seem to remember the guy from the old John West ads was in it too. Can’t remember his name. Stanton didn’t do much high kicking himself, but I seem to remember he transferred his power by telepathy to Jason Blade the young martial artist, played by Edward Stazak. I think John Stanton had to fly home early, so he directs one big fight by mindpower, from bed. A lot of the action took place in the abandoned South Fremantle power station, which I have a picture of somewhere
I was a lighting assistant for most of the film, but unfortunately I never made it to the credits. Was great fun to work on, but unfortunately the movie gives risible a bad name. Very funny reviews at IMDB here. Well worth a look. The sequel Strike of The Panther was shot at the same time. I am not sure what action went with which movie. Other Perth locations were the Mount Hospital, “Chinatown” in Roe St, and the Chinese restaurant on Mill Point Rd near the freeway, was I think a triad lair.
I worked on another Perth movie that was frequently in the worst of all time list (and I made the credits this time). Involved zombies. Anyone can remember what it was?
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The Worst of Perth 
Zombie Brigade?
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Hey Correct Levon. I’ll put that one up separately.
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Guy from the John West ads – could you mean Bill McCluskie?
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Sorry I mean Bill McCluskey
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Was this one a hit?
And who can forget Aussie Assault? In which the “drama” of the America’s Cup win off Newport was brought to the big screen in a film shot off Fremantle – post-modern or what? I admit I never saw it, but surely it must have a scene set on Cottesloe Beach where Alan Bond shakes his fist and shouts “Dammit, we cannot give in to these bloody Yanks. I will go to Newport and win this cup for Stralia, the best bloody country in the world!”
An internet search suggests that Aussie Assault is classified as a documentary. A mate of mine played a non-specific Australia II crewperson – alongside some of the original crew – in a recreation of the victory race shot off Fremantle. Apparently they couldn’t get the rights to some of the footage or something, so the film is a mixture of real footage and later recreation, predating “Death of a President” by over two decades.
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Whats with Perth movies being about fighting?
I’ve got Aussie Park Boys somewhere, worst movie ever.
“The bouncer”
“Two Fists One Heart”
Last train to freo was good though
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Carmelo Musca was the producer, co-writer and co-director for Zombie Brigade, which staggered onto screens in 1988.
“When an amusement park is built on the grounds of an old cemetery, the dead rise to take revenge.”
A user comment on IMDb mentiuons it was a tax movie.
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That was fun to work on too.
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There was a film called Winds made in the early 90s about the America’s Cup. I met the wife of the director when I went to a crafts course once.
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The Western Australian Film Council produced some genuine swill during the late 1980s/early 1990s when John Beaton was in charge. For some reason he had a hard on for the scriptwriter Phil Elery (forgive spelling), whose short film The Swan was like Haiku without a message. After that era it became just plain difficult to sit through meaningless costume dramas – no matter how well they were shot.
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I recall Day of The Panther and it’s sequel being screened on CH 9 in the early hours of the morning around 2000-2001 or even later.
Yes it was weird and the use of old WA Police technology during the “seige” and “Drug Deal” (I’m a radio scanning nut) was laughable.
Another “WA Classic” is of course the 1971 film The Nickel Queen, which features John Laws as a “Hippie”.
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I remember Zombie Brigade. I think the extras included bikies who got paid in hash instead of cash.
BTW does anyone recall The Narcissus Factor, from about the same period.
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anyone know whwre i can get the panther filmsnetioned above on dvd in Australia?
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Fremantle power house.
Stay away from it.
Don’t go there.
Although it is one of the last remaining entrances to the maze of underground tunnels that run through freo…it is a good place to keep away from. its VERY dangerous and its private property.
I swear that place is evil.
It really is…don’t go there…apart from the fact you might get your throat slit by the derro kids that tag the place up and make sure every surface is covered in graffiti…you don’t want to get involved with the place itself…
Stay away from the abandoned power station in fremantle…permission or no permission.
I was hired to help make the place secure…but oh my….I have been to alot of freaky places…but by far that place is evil…you can get lost…fall down holes…get cut easily by the amount of crap ust lying around.
Stay right away from it.
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I didn’t want to go back there – until now.
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Worst movie what about twilight.
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I use to like The Polar Express but I saw it on a T.V at Cash Converters the other day and i never remembered it being so boring and dull i only watched it for a few minutes.
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http://www.thescrivenersfancy.com/boxhead/2011/06/15/two-panthers.aspx
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As people in the know evidently seem to peruse this page, can anyone please confirm or deny whether the arguing over a $500,000 budget (and having to raise it to $600,000) by the characters in a Chinese restaurant at the beginning of the first Panther movie was at all a low jab at the shitty budget (conspicuously also $500,000) by the new director as I would suspect?
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And redubbing Jason’s girlie voice would have dented the budget too.
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