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Footrot Flats - The Dog's Tale
Film (Trailer and Excerpts) – 1986
Animated movie Footrot Flats - The Dog's Tail Tale became the most successful Kiwi release of the 1980s. It also managed to win over viewers in Australia (where the animation work was handled). The adaptation of Murray Ball's beloved comic strip brought his beloved cast of animals to earthy life, alongside farmer Wal — voiced by John Clarke. Peter Rowley plays Dog. The opening clip served double duty as both movie trailer and music video for Dave Dobbyn's hook-laden 'Slice of Heaven'. It proved to be a key weapon in the film's Australian success. Tony Hiles writes about the movie's creation here.
...it's a Trans-Tasman thing. Although all the actors and all the music and all the direction and that sort of thing comes from New Zealand, the animation itself was done in Australia.– Footrot Flats director Murray Ball, in the making of documentary
Key Cast & Crew
See all 34 credits
Produced by
Magpie Productions
Acknowledgements
Made in association with Independent Newspapers Ltd, with assistance from the NZ Film Commission
Music
Closing credits song 'Slice of Heaven' written by Dave Dobbyn; performed by Dave Dobbyn, Herbs & Bruce Lynch
'You Oughta Be in Love' written by Dave Dobbyn; performed by Dave Dobbyn, Bruce Lynch & Ardijah
More Information
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Interview with co-writer Tom Scott, The Canberra Times (via Trove website), April 1987
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Obituary of Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball, The Guardian, March 2017
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Dave Dobbyn on composing the Footrot Flats soundtrack, Rip It Up, January 1987
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Dave Dobbyn on composing song 'Slice of Heaven', The Dominion Post, September 2012
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Interview with producer John Barnett, Nga Taonga, November 2023
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