Goodbye Pork Pie -- youngster needs clarification

**xwhatsit** · 21st September 2008, 14:43

Hello old farts,

Watched Goodbye Pork Pie with the girlie the other night. I saw it when I was a wee fulla, but I couldn't really remember much. Apart from the wickedly cool things in there, like seeing Gillies Ave offramp back in 1978 (almost the same -- except the traffic light was yellow and American-looking, and there were about FOUR CARS in total), and Mangere Bridge (the old one, now pedestrian and scooter and CB250RS territory only -- in the film you can see the current bridge being half-built in the background), there was one weird thing that I didn't get. What were the little flags about? When he fills up at the petrol station, he asks for a tank of unleaded and `two of your flags, thanks,' which he then sticks onto the aerial. What are the little pennants about?

New Zealand looks so idyllic. The whole country, even Auckland, seems to be like a quiet, relaxed weekend.

Also -- is that the same wreckers they hide in that is in Smash Palace?

**JohnnyFantastic** · 21st September 2008, 14:50

yes it is smash palace, and smash palace still exists.

**MIXONE** · 21st September 2008, 14:50

Gas stations had flags with the name of the town (and all sorts of other shit) and when you were doing a road trip you would collect the various flags to put on your aerial.Us 6 kids squashed in an old vauxall with mum and dad argued about who's turn it was to get the flag.

**Trumpess** · 21st September 2008, 14:53

Both movies - Goodbye Pork Pie and Smash Palace, are absolutely brilliant movies!

**JMemonic** · 21st September 2008, 14:59

As MIXONE said nearly all places had flags, you would collect them as souvenirs then if you were in scouts take the home and get mum to sew them onto your blanket, I used to have one with odd places on it, long gone now.

You used to see travellers, I guess you could call them back packers now, with then from various country's and places plastered all over their packs, kind of like a history of where they had been.

Were a great idea in some respects, if you didnt have the flag you had not been there.

**henry** · 21st September 2008, 15:16

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

When he fills up at the petrol station, he asks for a tank of unleaded and `two of your flags, thanks,' which he then sticks onto the aerial. What are the little pennants about?

Those were the days when the only place allowed to be open all the time were 'service' stations so they also served as souvenir shops.
Great film.

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

New Zealand looks so idyllic. The whole country, even Auckland, seems to be like a quiet, relaxed weekend.

That's because everything was shut. See above.

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

Also -- is that the same wreckers they hide in that is in Smash Palace?

Aye. Horopito.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=-...04324&t=h&z=18

**Subike** · 21st September 2008, 15:16

Flags and Pendants
I have a box of them hidden somewhere in the bowels of my waldrobe,
Flags from places that have since had name changes, pendants from holiday camps that no longer exist( Thank you DOC!).
Yeap was the thing to do way back when

**Headbanger** · 21st September 2008, 15:36

Smash Palace never existed.

Though the wreckers in Horopito they filmed at is still there.

http://www.horopitomotors.co.nz/

**banditrider** · 21st September 2008, 17:49

Been there, got the flags!

**pzkpfw** · 21st September 2008, 17:56

Re:wrecker: really???

I thought they used the one that used to be in Ohau (a bit South of Levin). The place that had the "Stalag 18" sign on the fence, by SH1.

(I see Wikipedia disagrees with me...)

**Griffin** · 21st September 2008, 19:34

AFAIA the wreckers yard most certainly exists... its just not 'called' Smash Palace... that was the name of the film.

As for the flags / pennants... gee those were the days. I had forgotten about the travels in the car with mum and dad and stopping off at servos / cafes enroute. As a kid seeing the cool flags with the areas symbol emblazoned on 'em made them 'must have' items. Seems silly now that so much worth was placed on these bits of material... were they made of felt?

**hospitalfood** · 21st September 2008, 19:38

yep, bring back the flags.
horopito is worth a look, if you live north of cold kiwi you can combine the trip.

next year

**McJim** · 21st September 2008, 19:49

Wait a minute.....you mean Goodbye Pork Pie was just a movie? I thought it was a set of instructions about what you had to do in New Zealand.

So here I am having travelled al the way to Invercargill what am I supposed to do next?

I'll go and watch that marriage guidance vid next...what was it called?....oy yes. Once Were Warriors

**Wingnut** · 21st September 2008, 19:49

Originally Posted by Headbanger

Smash Palace never existed.

Though the wreckers in Horopito they filmed at is still there.

http://www.horopitomotors.co.nz/

Correction. Smash Palace does exist, it is a car wrecking outfit in North Otago. Its been there for a couple decades or so but couldn't say whether it was named that after the movie.............

**JMemonic** · 21st September 2008, 20:52

Originally Posted by Griffin

As for the flags / pennants... gee those were the days. I had forgotten about the travels in the car with mum and dad and stopping off at servos / cafes enroute. As a kid seeing the cool flags with the areas symbol emblazoned on 'em made them 'must have' items. Seems silly now that so much worth was placed on these bits of material... were they made of felt?

Yes felt and every city/town/outhouse had its own symbol, some of them were kinda different.