He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (2001)
Medium level coarse language and adult themes
| Director: | Richard Lowenstein |
| Actors: | Noah Taylor, Romane Bohringer, Sophie Lee, Alex Menglett, Brett Stewart, Francis McMahon, Emily Hamilton, Haskel Daniels |
If hell is other people, then Danny is experiencing the torture of Hades over and over again. He has just moved into his 47th shared house, this time in Brisbane and the flatmates have not improved. One lives in a closet, another in a tent in the living room and before Danny takes off for shared house no. 48 in Melbourne, he will have endured satanic worshippers, skinheads and the perennially ubiquitous cane toad. No wonder he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. That and being a budding writer with little future is enough to drive anyone over the edge. But being the complete masochist and serial house sharer that he is, Danny is going to subject himself to it over and over again: same nightmare, different location. It isn't pretty but it is hilarious - for us, anyway.
From the acclaimed director of Dogs in Space comes this 20/30 something housemate-from-hell tale starring Noah Taylor (Almost Famous, Lara Croft) and Sophie Lee (The Castle, Bootmen). Forget Big Brother and check out life in the real world with a bunch of nutters, psychos and the occasional spunk.
| Status: | Normal |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 103mins |
| Origin: | AUSTRALIA |
| Aspect Ratio: | 1.78:1 |
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Member Reviews (28)
28 Member
Reviews
WendyS
says
Totally kooky bizarre Aussie humour, highly recommended for weird night in!
gerd
says
Weird movie, populated by weirdos. It would be excusable if it were funny, but humour is seriously lacking.
BrianM
says
Very quirky, Aussie comedy starring the brilliant Noah Taylor.. I enjoyed the first third - the Qld share house- best. The acting is great thoughout-watch for Sophie Lee in the Sydney scenes. She's great. Three and a half stars.
Barbara C
says
Totally weird.
Cam R.
says
Have lived that life, and loved the film. Ignore the prententious reviews, and check it out. It's got a good cast, and a pretty decent soundtrack to boot. I rate it. One of the better Aussie films for a while.
John A.
says
smeggers
says
I really wasn't sure what to expect with this film but I ended up loving it. Extremely quirkly, slyly funny,and uniquely Australian. If you like Aussie films then this is an absolute must-see.
Maurice S.
says
Director Richard Lowenstein exploded on the OZ film making scene as something of an enfant terrible with cutting edge music videos for Hunters & Collectors et al. His big break was the Michael Hutchence vehicle, "Dogs in Space" which was strangely about a share house of youngish people on the edge of the drug scene. "He Died..." is the same film two decades on. What he does in "He Died..." was done better in "Dogs" and much, much funnier in the English classic, "Withnail & I". Okay, but just.
Michelle A.
says
This is a great Aussie film. The story line was great and the cinematography was outstanding. I will be buying this one for my collection
Mark T.
says
A classic flick, beautifully written. Noah Taylor is sensational. The sound track is fabulous and worth seeking out (e.g. The Stranglers, Nick Cave). I loved the way the appearance of the film altered depending on location.
russell1981
says
Hilarious social comedy, loosely adapted from John Birmingham's novel, Taylor is wonderful in one of his best roles to date. The film deals with Danny's house-sharing experiences in the 47th, 48th and 49th (!!) houses he's tried to live in. You know you're in for a treat when the 47th is razed by fire after an occult ceremony goes horribly wrong. It's quick-witted and often political, and the end product is a funny look at some horrific shared-house experiences (embellished slightly, we hope!), with a delightfully Mediterranean feel, that should have everyone who's ever lived in one in stitches.
Graham H.
says
I view this film as being influenced by the book rather than a biography, hence the main character not being called "John Birminham". This is a pretty good comedy about sharehouse living and will probably like it a lot more if you haven't read the book.
David B.
says
Quite an enjoyable little quirky Aussie movie. Strictly for those who enjoy arthouse/indi films though. For those who have ever shared houses, you will probably relate to some of this movie.
John Wilkes
says
Lee Edmundson
says
Very funny, very sad - very good! Truly original film, fantastic adaptation of a great book.
Tricia Bolin
says
Anthony Stanguts
says
Great reflection on share house living.
Lisa
says
Peter Lang
says
Very different,but very enjoyable
Peter Lain
says
This type of quirky humour is almost unique to Australian films. If you enjoy this genre then this film is for you.
Ivor Morton
says
Amusing
William Workman
says
Sweet and sour story about young people struggling to find themselves in a setting of house sharing, chaotic relationships, problems with money, landlords, drugs,the police and the like.
Ivan Lai
says
The story is not attractive. Although it is a comedy, I don't find it funny.
Michelle Dewar
says
I'm sorry to say but the book was better quickflix dudes, the movie took itself a little bit too seriously. The needed to flesh out the characters a bit more. They instantly came across as a bit annoying, rather than amusingly strange. The book draws it humour so many different settings. Although I love Noah, he is just cool. Damn cool Suitably dark eyed and mysterous.
the h man
says
Quite disappointing. Some funny characters and funny scenes, but far too sketchy, which makes the whole thing boring and nearly painful. But YOU might like it!
Jude
says
this film just can't seem to work out whether it is a comedic romp or some sort of philosophical treatise on 21st century ennui. yawn yawn yawn.
Matt
says
One of the few movies I couldn't even watch to the end. Very slow, not nearly as funny as the book, in fact not funny at all. Film captures nothing of the book. Only appeal is seeing a few of the characters that have appeared in Secret Life of Us in different roles.
Will
says
Eh, it was OK. If you lived the life you may get more out of it than I did.