The Bazura Project
| Company type | Television series, Podcast |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Media |
| Founded | 7 December 2006 |
| Founder | Shannon Marinko, Lee Zachariah |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Television series, Podcast |
| Website | www |
The Bazura Project is a comedic series focusing on film history, developed and presented by Shannon Marinko alongside Lee Zachariah. Initially broadcast on Australian community television between 2006 and 2008, it later appeared on ABC2 in 2011.
Broadcast on Australian Community Television
The program premiered on various community channels (Channel 31 Melbourne, 31 Brisbane, Television Sydney, C31 Adelaide) starting 7 December 2006, completing three seasons by December 2008.
Throughout its run, it received several Antenna Awards, including Best Comedy Program and Best Director in 2007, as well as Best Arts Program in both 2007 and 2008.
Each episode opened with a sequence featuring Marinko and Zachariah reenacting memorable scenes from cinema history before the title. This was followed by news segments, an in-depth feature story that was either humorous or educational, interviews with prominent film personalities, and critiques of recent movie releases.
Opening Scene Reenactments
These introductions were crafted to closely emulate iconic cinematic moments rather than serve as straightforward parodies. Notable examples include the season one finale with The Graduate, which incorporated characters from earlier openings; the second season’s On the Town sequence that integrated lyrics referencing the Melbourne International Film Festival; the season two finale Back to the Future Part II, which revisited previous opening scenes; Plan 9 from Outer Space, featuring Australian actor Bud Tingwell; Full Metal Jacket, showcasing an on-screen head shaving; and the concluding episode’s full-length reenactment of Fight Club.
Episode 1.01 (7 December 2006) – The Sixth Sense
Episode 1.02 (14 December 2006) – Clerks
Episode 1.03 (21 December 2006) – It's a Wonderful Life
Episode 1.04 (4 January 2007) – Say Anything...
Episode 1.05 (11 January 2007) – Apocalypse Now
Episode 1.06 (18 January 2007) – Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Episode 1.07 (25 January 2007) – The Usual Suspects
Episode 1.08 (1 February 2007) – Goodfellas
Episode 1.09 (8 February 2007) – Manhattan
Episode 1.10 (15 February 2007) – American Psycho
Episode 1.11 (22 February 2007) – The Graduate
Episode 2.01 (7 June 2007) – The Blues Brothers
Episode 2.02 (14 June 2007) – Trainspotting
Episode 2.03 (21 June 2007) – Faster Pussycat Kill Kill
Episode 2.04 (28 June 2007) – Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Episode 2.05 (5 July 2007) – Pulp Fiction
Episode 2.06 (12 July 2007) – Donnie Darko
Episode 2.07 (19 July 2007) – Adaptation
Episode 2.08 (26 July 2007) – The Untouchables
Episode 2.09 (2 August 2007) – On the Town
Episode 2.10 (9 August 2007) – Midnight Cowboy
Episode 2.11 (16 August 2007) – A Clockwork Orange
Episode 2.12 (23 August 2007) – King Kong
Episode 2.13 (30 August 2007) – Back to the Future Part II
Episode 3.01 (9 October 2008) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Episode 3.02 (16 October 2008) – Lolita
Episode 3.03 (23 October 2008) – Plan 9 from Outer Space
Episode 3.04 (30 October 2008) – On The Waterfront
Episode 3.05 (6 November 2008) – The Shining
Episode 3.06 (13 November 2008) – Singin' in the Rain
Episode 3.07 (20 November 2008) – Goldfinger
Episode 3.08 (27 November 2008) – Blade Runner
Episode 3.09 (4 December 2008) – Psycho
Episode 3.10 (11 December 2008) – Full Metal Jacket
Episode 3.11 (18 December 2008) – Fight Club
Interviews
The community television version presented conversations with prominent figures from the film industry, including George Miller (producer), Melanie Coombs, Anthony Lucas, Sarah Watt, Chris Noonan, Everett De Roche, Jack Sargeant, Danny Boyle, Geoffrey Wright, Pixar's Jerome Ranft and Paul Topolos, Roger Donaldson, Robert Connolly, Sue Maslin, Jonathan King, Scott Hicks, Rolf de Heer, Jason Schwartzman, Gillian Armstrong, Brian Trenchard-Smith, David Eggby, Mark Hartley, Steven Berkoff, Leigh Whannell, Bud Tingwell, Nathan Phillips, Jan Sardi, and Clara Law.
Guide To Sinema
In 2011, ABC commissioned a six-episode series for ABC2 entitled The Bazura Project's Guide To Sinema, with each installment dedicated to a particular cinematic sin: Violence, Sex, Money, Profanity, Drugs, and Fame. The series debuted on 29 September, broadcasting on Thursdays at 9 pm.
Highlights of the show included segments such as History, which examined how early cinema portrayed these sins; Forgotten Films, spotlighting rare cult movies; Lee's Therapy, where Lee explored his film-related traumas in sessions with therapist (David Stratton); the Future, featuring interactions with a robot (Shaun Micallef) analyzing science fiction’s take on sin; How To Make a Movie, offering guidance for creating a sinful film; and The Bazura Project Awards, celebrating notable scenes depicting sin.
The program featured contributions from industry figures like Kat Stewart, Tony Martin, Francis Greenslade, Julia Zemiro, John Safran, Bryan Dawe, Michael Ward, Luke Hemsworth, Abe Forsythe, Marc Fennell, and Stephanie Bendixsen.
Radio Free Cinema
In 2021, the series was revived as a six-part audio production titled The Bazura Project's Radio Free Cinema, made available on platforms including Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and Amazon.
Presented as recovered commercial radio recordings, it incorporated fabricated movie news segments, trailers for imaginary films, original musical compositions, scripted interviews often featuring comedians impersonating actors or filmmakers, and comedic sketches.
Guest appearances included well-known Australian comedians and entertainers such as Tom Ballard, Rusty Berther, Kristy Best, Robyn Butler, Rhonda Burchmore, Santo Cilauro, Marc Fennell, Tim Ferguson, Abe Forsythe, Bob Franklin (comedian), among others.
The series received nominations for Best Comedy Podcast and Best Fiction Podcast at the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards and secured Silver awards in both categories. Furthermore, its sixth episode was shortlisted for Audio - Fiction at the 55th AWGIE Awards.
Election 2007: Countdown to a Letdown
In 2007, the team expanded their focus beyond cinema with a one-hour special centered on the Australian Federal Election. This program aired on 23 November and provided an analysis of the election campaign along with voting advice and a guide to politicians. It also featured an interview with Laura Chipp of the Australian Democrats. The hosts were Marinko, Zachariah, Emma Race, and Adam Knox.
Saturday Night Cult Movie by The Bazura Project
Between 2008 and 2010, The Bazura Project broadcast a weekly Saturday night cult film series on Channel 31 Melbourne, spanning three seasons. This program featured notable titles such as 49th Parallel, Hercules Against the Moon Men, and Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women.