Jimmy Jack

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Jimmy The Exploder holds the Crystal Bear prize at the 2008 Berlinale.
This article is about the Australian filmmaker and writer. For the song by the White Stripes, see The White Stripes (album).

Jimmy Jack
Born
Daniel Houghton

1978
OccupationScreenwriter
Years active2006 - 2008
Notable work
The Black Balloon
Criminal charge(s)Deprivation of liberty, breaching protective bail conditions, disorderly behaviour in public, obstructing public officers, common assault in circumstances of aggravation or racial aggravation
Criminal penalty18-month jail term (suspended)

Jimmy Jack, born 1978 (age 42–43), also credited as Jimmy the Exploder, is the nom de plume of screenwriter Daniel Houghton,[1] known for his work as co-writer of the 2008 film The Black Balloon. In 2019 he was given an 18-month suspended jail term for assaulting a former girlfriend, breaching bail conditions and obstructing police.[2][3]

The Black Balloon[]

Jack (as Jimmy The Exploder) co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay for the Australian feature film The Black Balloon with director Elissa Down. The pair recruited Strictly Ballroom producer Tristram Miall to produce the film. The narrative is semi-autobiographical, mostly drawn from Down's childhood experiences, but she asked Jack to join her in writing the screenplay.[4][5]

Jack and Down won Best Original Screenplay for the script at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards.[6] Jack caused a minor controversy when accepting his award he read out a negative review of the film and declared "Fuck You" to the critic, for which he received a standing ovation.[7][8]

Jack also shared with Down the 2007 Western Australian Premier's Book Award[9] and the 2008 Australian Writer's Guild AWGIE Award[10] for the screenplay.

Other Film work[]

In 2009 it was reported that international model Gemma Ward (who acted in The Black Balloon) would be starring in Jack's next feature film Sex, Brains & Rock 'n' Roll.[11] Jack described it as a 'zombie rockumentary' and told reporters that he was looking at Macaulay Culkin to play the other lead role.[11]

In 2010 Jack uploaded material onto a YouTube channel 'EXPLODERVISION'. The channel featured obscure videos starring himself performing mundane tasks.[12]

Writing[]

Jack (as Jimmy The Exploder) has contributed to publications including The Guardian. His more notable publications have been social commentary on his hometown of Perth,[13] and an obituary for his friend artist Matt Doust.[14]

Exhibition and Distribution[]

In 2010 Jack curated the John Hughes Retrospective at the Northbridge Piazza, funded by the City of Perth.[15]

In 2013 Jack founded the film sales and distribution company Video Archives. The company was named after the video store Quentin Tarantino worked at in Los Angeles before his career took off.[16]

Jack was one of the founders of the Perth Underground Film Festival (PUFF) which was part of the Perth Fringe Festival in 2015.[17]

Henry Saw and the Museum of Perth[]

In 2015 Jack worked together with a group of prominent Western Australians to found the Museum of Perth. Jack owned Henry Saw cafe which was neighbours with the museum and named after the grocer who first roasted coffee beans in Perth.[18]

Babooshka[]

Jack owned Babooshka cafe in Northbridge, Western Australia. In 2015 the cafe launched a series of 'freakshakes' that went viral and received international press.[19][20]

Criminal convictions[]

In December 2018 Jack appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on five charges including two counts of breaching protective bail conditions, disorderly behaviour in public, obstructing public officers and common assault in circumstances of aggravation or racial aggravation. Jack was convicted on all counts.[21][22]

Jack was also convicted after a 2018 District Court trial of one count of deprivation of liberty - an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. In March 2019, Judge Ronald Birmingham sentenced Houghton to 18 months in jail, citing that Houghton, then 39, had violently and forcefully detained a vulnerable young woman - his then 21-year-old girlfriend - who was terrified by his "frightening and irrational" behaviour.[22][23] The judge found that after the victim confronted Houghton about text messages from other women and said she wanted to leave the relationship, Houghton thwarted the victim's repeated attempts to leave the house, slamming her against the wall twice and pushing her against the bed.[2][24]

During the trial, Houghton "attempted to cast the victim in a bad light" including making "humiliating accusations" against her.[2] Judge Birmingham said Houghton terrified his victim, who in a victim impact statement said she felt "incredibly sad" she allowed someone to manipulate her, and that her former boyfriend took away her happiness and youth.[2]

Houghton is now subject to lifetime violence restraining order preventing him from contacting the woman in any way. He was also fined a total of $5,000 of which $3,500 will be paid to his former girlfriend as compensation.[25][3]

In popular culture[]

Jack was spoofed by Australian filmmakers Henry and Aaron in Henry & Aaron's 7 Steps to Superstardom[26], The Ballad of Danny Danielson[27] and Henry & Aaron’s ABC2 Xmas Quickie. Their main character Danny "The Dynamite" Danielson was based on Jack's pseudonym Jimmy The Exploder, and their experiences working with him. Perth actor James Helm plays Danny Danielson.[28]

References[]

  1. ^ "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Perth screenwriter avoids jail over violent incident". The West Australian. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Menagh, Joanna (29 March 2019). "Award-winning Australian filmmaker walks free after 'terrifying, deplorable' treatment of girlfriend". ABC News. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  4. ^ "INTERVIEW: JIMMY JACK". Film and Television Institute. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  5. ^ Lynden, Barber (26 January 2008). "Mirth and melancholy". The Australian. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  6. ^ "Past Awards". www.aacta.org. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. ^ Maddox, Emily Dunn and Garry (8 December 2008). "I'd just like to spank my critics". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. ^ Jimmy The Exploder banned AFI speech, retrieved 17 March 2020
  9. ^ "Leake, George, (1856–24 June 1902), Premier and Attorney-General of Western Australia", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u188069
  10. ^ "In the Underbelly of the AWGIEs". IF Magazine. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Pepper, Daile (12 May 2009). "Gemma Ward set to star in Jack's zombie movie". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. ^ How to make Mi Goreng, retrieved 18 March 2020
  13. ^ Exploder, Jimmy The (4 March 2014). "Mate, Perth is not a hipster city | Jimmy The Exploder". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  14. ^ Exploder, Jimmy The (4 September 2013). "Matt Doust: a tribute". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. ^ "JOHN HUGHES RETROSPECTIVE // SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS // CUT & PASTE DVD". Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  16. ^ "Perth film distributor Video Archives to release Australian horror film Jugular". IF Magazine. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Perth film buffs get a timely dose of PUFF". WAtoday. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  18. ^ "History in making for museum". The West Australian. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  19. ^ "The Perth food Instagrammers go crazy for". PerthNow. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Extreme milkshakes with bacon, donuts and pretzels". The West Australian. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Perth filmmaker Jimmy the Exploder facing jail time". The West Australian. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Menagh, Joanna (1 February 2019). "A decade after his award-winning film The Black Balloon, Jimmy Jack faces jail for abusing girlfriend". ABC News. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  23. ^ "WA filmmaker spared jail over violent 'temper tantrum'". Community News Group. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  24. ^ "WA filmmaker spared jail over 'tantrum'". au.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Perth filmmaker 'Jimmy the Exploder' facing jail time over 'disgraceful' rampage". www.news.com.au. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  26. ^ Henry & Aaron's 7 Steps - Episode 1 - Adopt Foreign Orphans, retrieved 18 March 2020
  27. ^ The Ballad of Danny Danielson - PART 1, retrieved 18 March 2020
  28. ^ "WA comic duo Henry and Aaron celebrate Xmas Quickie". The West Australian. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

External links[]

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