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Colin Bennett (film critic)

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Colin Bennett was an Australian film critic, best known for his long tenure at The Age newspaper. He was a critic at The Age from 1955 until 1980 and was thus very influential in cinema culture of Melbourne. Bennett played a key role in the Melbourne International Film Festival and Australian Film Institute.

Bennett took part in a famous feud with Tim Burstall where he criticed Burstall's debut feature Two Thousand Weeks.

Fellow critic David Stratton called Bennett "inflexible in his standards and makes few allowances for the specific problems of Australian film making." Anthony Ginnane called him "very much a proponent of the Sight and Sound school of English criticism which pre-dated Movie and the auteur theory." David Williamson wrote that Bennett "dislikes intensely anything vulgar, escapist, ocker or entertaining, and wishes he hadn’t been born in Australia, hoping that we’ll all transform ourselves as rapidly as possible into small-‘l’ liberals like himself so that he can cease being ashamed of his origins... There is such a strong correlation between a good Colin Bennett crit and disaster at the box-office that certain Australian film producers get very nervous if he views their product favourably."

Bennett started his career as a cadet at The Age. He worked for a number of years in England where he began reviewing films. When Bennett returned to Australia he resumed work at The Age and became its film critic.

After leaving The Age Bennett set up a riding school with his wife.

References

  1. "Vale Colin Bennett - A valued film critic at the Age in Melbourne, friend to many and a serious contributor to the development of an Australian film industry". Film Alert 101. 1 March 2022.
  2. "Remembering Colin Bennett - Peter Hourigan and I recall an eminent critic's contribution". Film Alert 101. 28 September 2016.
  3. "Remembering Colin Bennett (and Tim Burstall) - Ex-Melburnians Adrian Martin and Rod Bishop recall". Film Alert 101. 29 September 2016.
  4. Murray, Scott (1 October 2016). "Remembering Colin Bennett (and Tim Burstall) - Director, Critic and Editor Scott Murray recalls an eminent contributor to Australian film". Film Alert 101.
  5. "Remembering Colin Bennett - Veteran Cinephiles Michael Jasper and Bruce Hodsdon send in memories". Film Alert 101. 2 October 2016.
  6. "Remembering Colin Bennett - Film-makers Richard Brennan and Brian Kavanagh recall". Film Alert 101. 11 October 2016.
  7. "FILMS TRIUMPH AND DISASTER FOR AUSTRALIAN FILMS", The bulletin., Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 24 September 1977, nla.obj-1730367031, retrieved 12 January 2025 – via Trove
  8. Bennett, Colin (1980). The last new wave : the Australian film revival. p. 292.
  9. Ginnane, Antony I (2015). The unusual suspects : 104 films that made world cinema. p. 5.
  10. Kiernan, Brian (1996). David Williamson : a writer's career. p. 169.
  11. Bennett, Colin (16 November 2017). "Colin Bennett - Reflections in the Dark - Film Writings 1952-1980 - Part One". Film Alert 101.
  12. Bennett, Colin (7 November 2017). "Colin Bennett - Reflections in the Dark - Film Writings 1952-1980 - Part Two - Critical Conditions". Film Alert 101.
  13. Bennett, Colin (16 November 2017). "Colin Bennett - Reflections in the Dark - Film Writings 1952-1980 - Part Three - A Critic's Life at The Age". Film Alert 101.
  14. Bennett, Colin (29 October 2016). "A letter from Colin Bennett". Film Alert 101.
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