We've been married for six years now and throughout that time, we've had David and Margaret by our side. There's really no way of describing what the world of film criticism in Australia will be like without their presence. You can read anywhere about the impact of their role in the Australian film industry.
For me though, it's like Roger Ebert passing away or Pauline Kael disappearing. This is a hole in Australia and sadly it won't be filled any time soon.
David Stratton has written three books - I Peed on Fellini, The Avocado Plantation and The Last New Wave - and all are must read books about film. The Last New Wave is about the rise and almost fall of Australian cinema and it should really be considered a bible for Australian film lovers. These are books that shouldn't be out of print or hard to find, but they are. They're the equivalent of Scorsese by Roger Ebert or You're Only As Good As Your Next One by Mike Medavoy. They teach whilst they entertain.
Margaret Pomeranz on the other hand has been a staunch supporter for the fight against censorship. There was the time that she tried to put on a screening of Ken Park in Sydney and had the screening shut down by police that made news headlines. Margaret is also a major advocate for Australian films and their reviews were sometimes a little more favourable to Australian films, but at least they got the word out about them (no matter what the box office results ended up being).
Above all else though, their rapport and back and forth is why they'll be missed. Their unique reviews which helped inform their audience as to what movies to see. You were either a David or a Margaret - if you leaned towards Margaret, then you'd be more likely to anticipate the next Lars von Trier film, whereas if you were a David, well, any film from Britain set in the 50's and 60's would be on your must see list.
David and Margaret's relationship has shaped Bernadette and myself's relationship with films. It's shaped how we talk about films, and even encouraged us to record a podcast about films. I hope that some day there'll be a replacement for David and Margaret - not that you actually replace such a figure, but at least having someone as an alternative at least - that one day someone else will say, 'man, listening to these people talk about films helped me find my wife or husband'.
I'm sure there are many other stories about David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz and the effect that they've had on peoples film viewing. It'll be a while before I'll be able to watch the final episode, and I may never be able to. It will be a hard thing to watch with lots of tears no doubt, but I know that I'll always be thankful for the time spent At the Movies.
Above all else though, their rapport and back and forth is why they'll be missed. Their unique reviews which helped inform their audience as to what movies to see. You were either a David or a Margaret - if you leaned towards Margaret, then you'd be more likely to anticipate the next Lars von Trier film, whereas if you were a David, well, any film from Britain set in the 50's and 60's would be on your must see list.
David and Margaret's relationship has shaped Bernadette and myself's relationship with films. It's shaped how we talk about films, and even encouraged us to record a podcast about films. I hope that some day there'll be a replacement for David and Margaret - not that you actually replace such a figure, but at least having someone as an alternative at least - that one day someone else will say, 'man, listening to these people talk about films helped me find my wife or husband'.
I'm sure there are many other stories about David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz and the effect that they've had on peoples film viewing. It'll be a while before I'll be able to watch the final episode, and I may never be able to. It will be a hard thing to watch with lots of tears no doubt, but I know that I'll always be thankful for the time spent At the Movies.
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