In Film, It's Not Independence Day Yet

THIS is scary. I was going to discuss how Australians are becoming less like Americans - how we're finally asserting our cultural independence from the entertaining empire. That trend is obvious on television, where local drama, comedy, variety and reality pull much bigger crowds than the US product. It seemed to be happening also in cinemas, where Australians are responding to the latest blockbuster, Iron Man, with far less enthusiasm that our trans-Pacific cousins.