Episodes

  • Episode 396 - The History of Australian Film Censorship Part 2

    Episode 396 - The History of Australian Film Censorship Part 2
    Feb 9 2026
    For decades, Australian audiences were told what they could and couldn’t watch — often with scissors, black ink, and outright bans. From silent films and imported reels to grindhouse classics and modern cinema, Australia developed a reputation as one of the most restrictive film-censoring countries in the Western world.

    Join Holly & Matthew as they trace the history of Australian film censorship, from early morality laws and customs seizures to the creation of classification boards and the long fight over violence, sex, and “community standards”. Along the way, we'll examine infamous bans, bizarre edits, and the cultural anxieties that shaped what Australians were allowed to see on screen.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 395 - The History of Australian Film Censorship Part 1

    Episode 395 - The History of Australian Film Censorship Part 1
    Feb 2 2026
    For decades, Australian audiences were told what they could and couldn’t watch — often with scissors, black ink, and outright bans. From silent films and imported reels to grindhouse classics and modern cinema, Australia developed a reputation as one of the most restrictive film-censoring countries in the Western world.

    Join Holly & Matthew as they trace the history of Australian film censorship, from early morality laws and customs seizures to the creation of classification boards and the long fight over violence, sex, and “community standards”. Along the way, we'll examine infamous bans, bizarre edits, and the cultural anxieties that shaped what Australians were allowed to see on screen.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Weird Crap Movie Commentary 5 - Wolf Creek (2005)

    Weird Crap Movie Commentary 5 - Wolf Creek (2005)
    Jan 26 2026
    Yes… we’re doing it again.

    Holly & Matthew return to Wolf Creek for a full watch-along commentary, folding in everything they learned while researching Episode 272 — the trivia, the controversies, the odd little production quirks, and the lingering weirdness that’s cropped up since.

    If you’ve ever wanted to watch the film armed with far too much context (and a healthy sense of unease), this one’s for you. Hit play, sync up, and come suffer joyfully alongside us.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    1 hr and 54 mins
  • Episode 394 - The Truro Murders Part 2

    Episode 394 - The Truro Murders Part 2
    Jan 19 2026
    In the late 1970s, a string of disappearances around Adelaide quietly escalated into one of South Australia’s most disturbing serial crime cases. Young women vanished after accepting lifts, their movements barely noticed until the pattern became impossible to ignore. What followed would expose a trail of violence, manipulation, and institutional blind spots that still haunt the case today.

    Join Holly & Matthew as they unravel the timeline of the Truro Murders — the victims, the offenders, the police investigation, and the failures that allowed the crimes to continue for so long. They examine how early warning signs were missed, how survivor testimony reshaped the case, and why this remains one of the most confronting chapters in Australian true crime.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    54 mins
  • Episode 393 - The Truro Murders Part 1

    Episode 393 - The Truro Murders Part 1
    Jan 12 2026
    In the late 1970s, a string of disappearances around Adelaide quietly escalated into one of South Australia’s most disturbing serial crime cases. Young women vanished after accepting lifts, their movements barely noticed until the pattern became impossible to ignore. What followed would expose a trail of violence, manipulation, and institutional blind spots that still haunt the case today.

    Join Holly & Matthew as they unravel the timeline of the Truro Murders — the victims, the offenders, the police investigation, and the failures that allowed the crimes to continue for so long. They examine how early warning signs were missed, how survivor testimony reshaped the case, and why this remains one of the most confronting chapters in Australian true crime.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    57 mins
  • Episode 392 - Dot and the Kangaroo

    Episode 392 - Dot and the Kangaroo
    Jan 5 2026
    Long before the animated adaptation unsettled generations of children, Dot and the Kangaroo began life as an 1898 children’s book by Ethel C. Pedley — a purely Australian story that reflects how we once taught our youngest readers about nature, danger, and survival Down Under.

    Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the beginnings of Australian identity, the birth of a franchise, and one of the only surviving examples of an extinct animation style — all while riding through the bush on the back of a kangaroo.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    49 mins
  • Episode 391 - The Ben Hall Gang Part 2

    Episode 391 - The Ben Hall Gang Part 2
    Dec 29 2025
    In the mid-1860s, the goldfields and bush tracks of New South Wales were ruled by one of Australia’s most notorious outlaw groups: the Ben Hall Gang. Led by the charismatic and deeply divisive Ben Hall, the gang carried out a daring string of robberies that humiliated police, terrified settlers, and turned bushranging into front-page news. But this was no romantic Robin Hood tale. As pressure mounted and the government introduced brutal new laws to crush the outlaws, the violence escalated. Betrayals followed, loyalties fractured, and the line between legend and reality blurred beyond recognition.

    In this episode, we trace the rise and fall of the Ben Hall Gang — the robberies, the manhunts, the myths, and the bloody end that cemented their place in Australian history. It’s a story of mateship, desperation, and a colony determined to make an example of its most famous criminals.


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    59 mins
  • Weird Crap Movie Commentary 4 - Around the World with Dot (1981)

    Weird Crap Movie Commentary 4 - Around the World with Dot (1981)
    Dec 22 2025
    This week, we sit down with Around the World with Dot — the animated adventure that whisked an Australian bush child across continents in a strange blend of live-action backdrops, talking animals, and Cold War-era messaging.

    From the peculiar pacing to the international diplomacy-through-cartoon logic, we explore how this film tried to reimagine Dot’s bushland origins on a global stage — and how the hybrid animation style both charmed and bewildered audiences. Was it a heartfelt plea for unity, an ambitious creative experiment, or a fever dream that only Australian children’s cinema could produce? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.

    But really? We mostly talk about our Christmases.

    So cue up the film, settle in, and watch along as we dissect, laugh, and marvel at one of the more unusual entries in Australia's animation history.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.
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    1 hr and 30 mins