5 on Friday -- Set 243

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

Now that October has arrived, it's time for my monthly feature for 5 on Friday -- The Hit Makers.

Once a month I'm going to feature the songs that launched careers. I'll be looking at different musical styles and the groups or singers from those styles who I love the best.

Here are five of my favorite Australian bands and artists, and the songs that brought them to the masses.

1 - Highway to Hell  -- AC/DC -- 1979

Ten years ago, if you had asked me whether AC/DC would be on my list of favorite bands, I would have looked at you as if you'd lost your mind.

The Supernatural soundtrack changed all of that.

2 - Who Can it Be Now -- Men at Work -- 1981

3 - Original Sin -- INXS -- 1983

Oh, how I love INXS and Michael Hutchence.

4 - Don't Dream It's Over  -- Crowded House  --  1986

As someone who loves collage, it's no wonder I was highly attracted to this mixed-media video when it first came out.

5 - Spinning Around  -- Kylie Minogue -- 2000

Although technically Kylie came to prominence with her Loco-Motion cover in 1987, her career did a bit of side-tracking for awhile. Her current dance-club music career really launched with this 2000 hit.

I'm blogging at Popculturedivas - Scroll down for Wordless Wednesday

I'm blogging at Popculturedivas today - a review of Baz Lurhmann's Australia. Just the thing for a wintery wake-up.

Through the Opera Glasses - 6 - Australia Releases on DVD Tuesday

Brad and I watched Baz Luhrmann's Australia on Sunday. My husband works at Blockbuster and brings home the new releases a week early. A big perk for us!


Both of us loved Australia. Baz Lurhmann is a favorite director of ours, even though he's only done four films so far: Strictly Ballroom (1992), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Australia (2008.)





David Gulpilil as King George













Young Brandon Walters is the film's heart as Nullah, a half-aboriginal, half-white boy trying to keep one step ahead of authorities trying to ship him off to the Mission School. He lives on the cattle station known as Faraway Downs.













Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) travels from England to Australia to sell her late husband's property. When she arrives Down Under, she discovers the neighboring cattleman, King Carney plans to absorb her station into his own. King Carney is played by one of my absolute favorite Australian actors, Bryan Brown.













The film is gorgeously shot by Mandy Walker. Look at this movie-star entrance into the film for Hugh Jackman.













Nicole Kidman gets to show some grit during a cattle drive, where Lady Ashley comes face to face with the lengths King Carney will go to maintain his cattle monopoly.

















But Australia really shines when The Drover strides onscreen. Hugh Jackman's rugged cattleman activates every feminine cell in a woman's body.


















I really enjoyed the magical realism of the boy's storyline, whose affinity for the land and its secrets is woven strongly throughout the film.


And the romance - did I mention the romance?



























How about the chaos of Japanese attacks on Australia in this WWII setting? Isn't it hard enough to realize how one feels about a love interest? Bombing raids out of nowhere really throw a wrench into the works.











Another favorite Australian actor, David Wenham plays an ambitious man who works for King Carney.

Here's the trailer for Australia. Enjoy!