WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
I think a few people are going to tell me that I have the title the wrong way around, considering that Kylie technically made her name in Neighbours as Charlene – however she didn’t make her first film until after she had released her self-titled album…so I guess it works both ways.
Cut
I wanted to find this film back when I wrote my Australian Horror article but had no such luck. However, I feel like it’s a great fit here as it’s probably the type of film no one would expect Kylie to make. It feels a little like Scream 3 if it had been made by the Aussies. Amazingly, Kylie’s character of Hilary, the director of the film Hot Blooded that is being made, doesn’t last very long – no more than the opening scene as she is murdered shortly after by one of her actors. We don’t actually see her get killed, just hear the screams from outside her hut before seeing her body splayed across the sofa and her tongue being placed on her desk after it’s cut out. I’ll admit, it made a bit of a waste of watch for only a couple of minutes, but it’s definitely being added to the watch list as the opening had me interested – sorry Kylie.
The Delinquents
To think this film was Kylie’s first role, let alone first lead role is amazing, considering she was best known for her TV work and music at the time. Even though Kylie can actually play the piano – it was hard to find out if she was playing it in the first scene we meet her. I love the fact that she reads a little bit of Romeo and Juliet to her mother considering this film follows a similar idea, as Lola and Brownie are young lovers – unable to be together because of their parents. Only Bosun, a sailor who offers Brownie a job aboard his ship, is ever on their side and in support of their love. It’s hard to believe she was 20 years old, playing a 15 year old teenager as she looks so young and has a sweet girlish giggle. You can’t help but feel sorry for her when she’s forced into having an abortion, watching her fragile figure leaving the operating room. A typical coming-of-age film would have Lola angry at Brownie for being away for so long, not looking for her, but instead she jumps into his arms – so happy to see him! Her love for him never faded. The only thing that’s hard to believe is her anger – she just comes across too sweet to lose her temper the way she does.
Street Fighter
Even though this film is called Street Fighter, it is more closely related to the Street Fighter II games – especially considering the main characters in this film, outside of Ryu and Ken, debuted primarily in Street Fighter II: World Warrior and Super Street Fighter II: New Challengers. The fact that in the games, Kylie’s character of Lieutenant Cammy White is a fighter in her own right, it’s rather hard to watch to see her sidelined as Guile’s “assistant” for much of this film. By much, I mean we barely see her in general, outside of an interaction here and there with Ming Na Wen’s character of Chun-Li and Van Damme’s Guile. In some scenes, like when Guile addresses the troops to stand down, she feels like a simple piece of set dressing. She has the smallest of fight scenes which are OK but not at all perfect. Now, what I’m going to say next is more about the film on the whole than just Kylie’s character and that is the fact that it’s rather cheesy as the film ends up with the characters to ending up in their “game” costumes – you either start with them, or don’t include them at all. Interestingly, Cammy’s outfit is a little more Sonja Blade, from Mortal Kombat,than what she actually wears in the game but then if you see what she’s supposed to wear – you’d understand why!
Honorary Mentions
Now, Neighbours wasn’t her only TV role as she also appeared in 26 episodes of The Henderson Children. However, her film career is much less impressive than her music considering she starred in only 8 films, not including The Magic Roundabout, Dougal and Back to the Outback where she is only a voice, outside of those discussed in this article and her part in Blue (whichis only a cameo).
