Beloved Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill reckons Sydney’s lockout laws are more prehistoric than the dinosaurs whose cinematic attacks he keeps miraculously surviving.
The Kiwi ledgehammer has been in town to help announce Tropfest’s new home, and used some of his time here to tear into Sydney like a proverbial T-Rex into the cowering portaloo-lawyer of life.
As Fairfax Media reports, the screen veteran used his time at the podium to — much like an angry Dilophosaurus — spit venom at the New South Wales Liberal Party’s controversial lockout laws.
“Sydney (in the 1970s) seemed to me to be the most vibrant place in the world and I think a lot of that vibrancy has been sucked out of the place,” Neill said.
“I particularly lament this lockout which has taken the guts out of the nightlife of Sydney,” he added.
“And Sydney without nightlife is kind of a pointless place. I don’t really want to see Adelaide being a place to go for a good weekend.”
Ouch. Harsh sledge on Adelaide there, but Dr. Alan Grant does — much like the horns of a majestic triceratops — raise several good points.
Basically, we’ve got these bloodthirtsy dinos running wild in the city ala Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World…
…but instead of trying to prevent dinosaur-related attacks by rounding up the actual dinosaurs, Casino Mike & co have ordered everyone else to lock their doors and stay inside (or, ya know, go to the casino).
“Instead of making the streets safe, they’ve just stopped the streets,” Neill said.
The acting legend also used the occasion to take aim at one of Premier Baird’s other policies, namely his recent ban on greyhound racing.
“I really think that just shutting down the dogs is a crime. It’s a very valuable part of working class culture,” he said.
Meanwhile, it seems Aussie singer and satirist Denis Carnahan is smelling what he’s stepping in. Old mate has just released a hilarious parody video taking the piss out of Casino Mike and his government’s policies, to the tune of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi.
Check it out below.
