Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale
Encyclopedia
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (stylised on posters and titles as Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale) is a 1986
New Zealand
animated film, based on cartoonist Murray Ball
's popular comic strip, Footrot Flats
. It was New Zealand's first feature-length animated film.
) and Cooch Windgrass (Peter Hayden) are shearing sheep on Wal's farm. Cheeky Hobson (Fiona Samuel), Wal's girlfriend, is driving on the highway when she is driven off the road by the Murphy brothers, Spit (Brian Sergent) and Hunk (Marshall Napier), flying in a helicopter. The Murphys then terrorise Wal's property, leaving Dog (Peter Rowley) to drown in a sheep pit. As he is in the water, he has a flashback of when he was a little pup: how he was united with Wal for the first time, a gift from Aunt Dolly (Dorothy McKegg), and how he met Jess, who was nearly drowned by Spit and Hunk. Soon, Wal wakes Dog and Cooch and the dogs manage to foil the Murphys, who were in the process of capturing Cooch's deer.
Later, Wal finds Rangi Jones (Rawiri Paratene) and Pongo Footrot (Fiona Samuel) playing catch with a rugby ball, and so he joins in to coach them. After a while, Rangi and Pongo tell Wal about an All Blacks selector coming to watch an upcoming rugby match, and Wal daydreams about being an All Black. Over the next few days, Wal works out and goes on a date with Cheeky. Wal takes her to a caravan restaurant selling fast food, run by Pawai (Billy T. James
). Dog bursts in on them, thinking that Cheeky is trying to poison Wal, but ends up ruining the dinner after Cheeky vows never to see Wal ever again.
Wal leaves Dog tied up outside as punishment, and Dog is later attacked by rats but is rescued by the resident stray cat, Horse. It begins to rain heavily, and Jess is knocked out of her box and is lost somewhere near the Murphy's. Meanwhile the Murphys, under the direction of Irish (Peter Hayden), steal Cooch's stag under the cover of darkness. While Wal tries to move the bull, Wal's goose tries to bite Wal on the butt (a running gag
) and Rangi and Dog try to move the sheep, Rangi notices that Jess is gone. He tries to get help from Wal who refuses, his only concern being to play in the rugby game. Rangi and Dog decide to go looking for Jess themselves but are later separated. Rangi decides to go and get help from Wal, while Dog goes and looks for Jess, literally following in her footsteps. As the storm starts dying down, Cooch goes to feed his deer, but notices his stag is missing.
The next day, Rangi still tries to get help from Wal, but Wal wants "His Big Chance" to become an All Black, and so drives to the local rugby pitch with both Rangi and Pongo. During both the drive and the game, Rangi tries to come up with a plan to get Wal to the Murphys'. When one of Wal's players are sent to the hospital wing, Rangi chooses to play with Wal in order to steal the ball and get Wal to follow him. When Rangi grabs the ball and runs off, Wal follows him, but only because Pongo mentioned that the Murphys stole Cooch's stag, after eavesdropping on their conversation.
Meanwhile, Dog finds Jess under attack by rats, led by their leader, Vernon the Vermin. Soon, while running from the Murphy's dogs, Dog kills Vernon with a log. Rangi hitches a ride on the top of the Murphy's van and later arrives at the Murphy's farm. Rangi is captured by Irish Murphy and locked in a shed. Irish decides to kill Dog, Jess and Horse by following them to the river with a gun. Wal and Pongo arrive. Pongo goes to help Rangi, while Wal chases after Irish and Wal's goose
chases after Wal. Spit Murphy tries to help by taking the helicopter, but it's destroyed and Spit is captured by Pongo and Rangi. Irish manages to shoot Horse, while Wal swings in to get Murphy. First he falls in a mud pit, then he saves Irish from drowning and then finally ends up getting bitten "on the freckle" by his goose.
Dog saves Jess from crocopigs, with the unconscious Horse on the raft. Later, they float to a bridge, where Wal, Pongo and Rangi attempt to bring them up. Fortunately, Rangi manages to get a hold of Jess, but misses Dog and Horse. They pick up Cooch and decide to try down the beach, but no luck. They all leave, with the exception of Jess. After they leave, Jess starts barking, so Wal, Cooch, Pongo and Rangi turn back. Dog and Horse, now recovered, are still alive and arrive at shore.
The movie ends with Dog and Jess walking past Major, Wal's pig dog, with puppies in tow.
, the Footrot Flats soundtrack spawned two singles: "You Oughta Be in Love", and "Slice of Heaven
" (featuring Herbs
), which was popular in both New Zealand
and Australia
.
1986 in film
-Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee....
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
animated film, based on cartoonist Murray Ball
Murray Ball
Murray Hone Ball ONZM , a New Zealand-born cartoonist, has become known for his Stanley the Palaeolithic Hero , Bruce the Barbarian, All the King's Comrades and the long-running Footrot Flats comic series...
's popular comic strip, Footrot Flats
Footrot Flats
Footrot Flats was a comic strip written by New Zealand cartoonist Murray Ball. It ran from 1975 until 1994 in newspapers around the world, though the unpublished strips continued to be released in book form until 2000...
. It was New Zealand's first feature-length animated film.
Plot
Wal Footrot (John ClarkeJohn Clarke (satirist)
John Morrison Clarke is a New Zealand-born Australian comedian, writer, and satirist. He was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and has lived in Australia since the late 1970s...
) and Cooch Windgrass (Peter Hayden) are shearing sheep on Wal's farm. Cheeky Hobson (Fiona Samuel), Wal's girlfriend, is driving on the highway when she is driven off the road by the Murphy brothers, Spit (Brian Sergent) and Hunk (Marshall Napier), flying in a helicopter. The Murphys then terrorise Wal's property, leaving Dog (Peter Rowley) to drown in a sheep pit. As he is in the water, he has a flashback of when he was a little pup: how he was united with Wal for the first time, a gift from Aunt Dolly (Dorothy McKegg), and how he met Jess, who was nearly drowned by Spit and Hunk. Soon, Wal wakes Dog and Cooch and the dogs manage to foil the Murphys, who were in the process of capturing Cooch's deer.
Later, Wal finds Rangi Jones (Rawiri Paratene) and Pongo Footrot (Fiona Samuel) playing catch with a rugby ball, and so he joins in to coach them. After a while, Rangi and Pongo tell Wal about an All Blacks selector coming to watch an upcoming rugby match, and Wal daydreams about being an All Black. Over the next few days, Wal works out and goes on a date with Cheeky. Wal takes her to a caravan restaurant selling fast food, run by Pawai (Billy T. James
Billy T. James
Billy T James, , born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian and actor. He starred in numerous TV shows and variety programmes and performed on stage and in motion pictures.-Career:...
). Dog bursts in on them, thinking that Cheeky is trying to poison Wal, but ends up ruining the dinner after Cheeky vows never to see Wal ever again.
Wal leaves Dog tied up outside as punishment, and Dog is later attacked by rats but is rescued by the resident stray cat, Horse. It begins to rain heavily, and Jess is knocked out of her box and is lost somewhere near the Murphy's. Meanwhile the Murphys, under the direction of Irish (Peter Hayden), steal Cooch's stag under the cover of darkness. While Wal tries to move the bull, Wal's goose tries to bite Wal on the butt (a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
) and Rangi and Dog try to move the sheep, Rangi notices that Jess is gone. He tries to get help from Wal who refuses, his only concern being to play in the rugby game. Rangi and Dog decide to go looking for Jess themselves but are later separated. Rangi decides to go and get help from Wal, while Dog goes and looks for Jess, literally following in her footsteps. As the storm starts dying down, Cooch goes to feed his deer, but notices his stag is missing.
The next day, Rangi still tries to get help from Wal, but Wal wants "His Big Chance" to become an All Black, and so drives to the local rugby pitch with both Rangi and Pongo. During both the drive and the game, Rangi tries to come up with a plan to get Wal to the Murphys'. When one of Wal's players are sent to the hospital wing, Rangi chooses to play with Wal in order to steal the ball and get Wal to follow him. When Rangi grabs the ball and runs off, Wal follows him, but only because Pongo mentioned that the Murphys stole Cooch's stag, after eavesdropping on their conversation.
Meanwhile, Dog finds Jess under attack by rats, led by their leader, Vernon the Vermin. Soon, while running from the Murphy's dogs, Dog kills Vernon with a log. Rangi hitches a ride on the top of the Murphy's van and later arrives at the Murphy's farm. Rangi is captured by Irish Murphy and locked in a shed. Irish decides to kill Dog, Jess and Horse by following them to the river with a gun. Wal and Pongo arrive. Pongo goes to help Rangi, while Wal chases after Irish and Wal's goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
chases after Wal. Spit Murphy tries to help by taking the helicopter, but it's destroyed and Spit is captured by Pongo and Rangi. Irish manages to shoot Horse, while Wal swings in to get Murphy. First he falls in a mud pit, then he saves Irish from drowning and then finally ends up getting bitten "on the freckle" by his goose.
Dog saves Jess from crocopigs, with the unconscious Horse on the raft. Later, they float to a bridge, where Wal, Pongo and Rangi attempt to bring them up. Fortunately, Rangi manages to get a hold of Jess, but misses Dog and Horse. They pick up Cooch and decide to try down the beach, but no luck. They all leave, with the exception of Jess. After they leave, Jess starts barking, so Wal, Cooch, Pongo and Rangi turn back. Dog and Horse, now recovered, are still alive and arrive at shore.
The movie ends with Dog and Jess walking past Major, Wal's pig dog, with puppies in tow.
Cast
- John ClarkeJohn Clarke (satirist)John Morrison Clarke is a New Zealand-born Australian comedian, writer, and satirist. He was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and has lived in Australia since the late 1970s...
- Wal - Peter Rowley - Dog
- Rawiri ParateneRawiri Paratene-Biography:Born in Hokianga, Paratene is from the Maori iwi of Nga Puhi. Paratene has appeared in a large number of television, stage and film roles. He is also a theatrical director and writer for film, television and theatre...
- Rangi - Fiona Samuel - Cheeky Hobson / Pongo
- Peter Hayden - Irish Murphy
- Dorothy McKegg - Aunt Dolly
- Billy T. JamesBilly T. JamesBilly T James, , born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian and actor. He starred in numerous TV shows and variety programmes and performed on stage and in motion pictures.-Career:...
- Pawai - Brian SergentBrian SergentBrian Sergent is an actor born and based in Wellington, New Zealand. He has appeared in some of New Zealand’s television series, commercial advertisements, and is well known in theatre and his voice is recognized for his voice-overs and radio presentations...
- Spit Murphy - Marshall NapierMarshall NapierMarshall James Napier is a New Zealand-born actor. He is the father of actress Jessica Napier and the uncle of actor James Napier.Before becoming an actor, Napier worked variously as an art student, factory worker and truck driver...
- Hunk Murphy - Michael Haigh - Rugby Commentator
Soundtrack
Featuring songs and music by New Zealand musician Dave DobbynDave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn, ONZM is an award-winning New Zealand musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash...
, the Footrot Flats soundtrack spawned two singles: "You Oughta Be in Love", and "Slice of Heaven
Slice of Heaven
"Slice of Heaven" is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn with the band Herbs, released in 1986 on the soundtrack of the animated motion picture, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale. The single charted at No. 1 in New Zealand...
" (featuring Herbs
Herbs (band)
Herbs are a New Zealand reggae vocal group formed in 1979 once described as "New Zealand's most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice". It has been said their debut EP Whats' Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".-History:Herbs...
), which was popular in both New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Reception
When screened in Los Angeles, California in 1987, Charles Solomon gave Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale two and a half stars out of four. "The raunchy humour," he said, "may surprise American audiences accustomed to the sanitized jokes of Saturday-morning kidvid."Box Office
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale grossed $4,317,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $8,677,170 in 2009.See also
- Cinema of New ZealandCinema of New ZealandNew Zealand cinema, can refer to films made by New Zealand-based production companies in New Zealand. However, it may also refer to films made about New Zealand by filmmakers from other countries...
- Cinema of AustraliaCinema of AustraliaCinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
- List of animated feature-length films