The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (M) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (M, 1972) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

Barry McKenzie (Barry Crosby) is an uncouth, beer-swilling Australian sent to London to collect an inheritance from his Aunt Edna (Dame Edna Everage, played by Barry Humphries). Armed with little more than an insatiable appetite for beer, a complete disregard for British propriety, and a vocabulary of colorful Australian slang, Barry sets out to experience the delights of London. His journey through the city becomes a clash of cultures as this loud, obnoxious Australian stumbles through museums, fancy restaurants, and high society events, leaving chaos and offense in his wake. Along the way, Barry pursues women with crude persistence, gets into fights with various authority figures, and demonstrates a talent for creating the most awkward social situations imaginable. His reckless adventures attract the attention of his Aunt Edna, who attempts to civilize him while secretly encouraging his most outrageous behavior, all while Barry's relentless pursuit of hedonism and his unapologetic Australian identity challenge British sensibilities.

Director Bruce Beresford brings anarchic energy to this 1972 Australian comedy based on Barry Humphries' comic strip character. The film celebrates Australian irreverence and working-class culture with gleeful abandon, treating Barry's crude behavior not as shameful but as authentically Australian. Barry Crosby commits fully to the title character's obnoxious charm, making Barry simultaneously unlikable and oddly endearing through sheer confidence. Barry Humphries' performance as Aunt Edna provides sophisticated counterpoint to Barry's vulgarity, creating comedy through contrast. The film's British settings and characters provide targets for Australian cultural satire—prim, repressed British society versus uninhibited Australian hedonism. The dialogue, thick with Australian slang, captures the distinctiveness of Australian vernacular. The film's willingness to offend and its anarchic humor made it a cultural phenomenon in Australia while remaining little-known internationally. It's a time capsule of 1970s Australian identity and attitude, celebrating a specifically Australian brand of irreverent masculinity.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Thursday, July 16th at 7:20PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (The content is moderate in impact)