Kiwi actor, winemaker, dinosaur hunter and man about town Sam Neill is in Australia for the announcement that short film festival Tropfest will move to Parramatta in 2017, and he had some choice words for Sydney.
He used his time at the podium to slam two Liberal policies: the lockout laws and the greyhound racing ban. We can’t in good conscience agree with him on the doggies, but what he said about the lockout laws rings true.
“Sydney (in the 1970s) seemed to me to be the most vibrant place in the world and I think a lot of that vibrancy has been sucked out of the place,” Neill said.
“I particularly lament this lockout which has taken the guts out of the nightlife of Sydney. And Sydney without nightlife is kind of a pointless place. I don’t really want to see Adelaide being a place to go for a good weekend.”
Harsh sledge on Adelaide, but given that he runs a vineyard these days, maybe it’s actually a compliment. I dunno. South Australia, you do you. Neill said that Kings Cross is like London‘s Soho – sure, conservatives might consider it a den of iniquity and sin, but its the beating heart of city culture and people need it. “Instead of making the streets safe, they’ve just stopped the streets.”
He went on to critique the greyhound racing ban. “I really think that just shutting down the dogs is a crime. It’s a very valuable part of working class culture,” he said. We’re way less onboard with that one. Keep talking about the Cross, my man.
You hear that, Baird? The dinosaur dude thinks you’re naff.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Jurassic Park.
