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Not Quite Hollywood
[Magnet]
2008; color
Directed by Mark Hartley
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Last year we were sent a copy of a relatively obscure Aussie made biker flick, Stone. In my review I mentioned not being aware of the continent having an association with exploitation film and also pointed out if I was wrong, or just plain ignorant, in my assumption someone would likely step up and let me know. (It's certainly been my experience that people hardly ever go out of their way to say you were right about something but are always quick to comment, very eloquently in some cases, when it comes to telling you how wrong you are.) That didn't happen but the Kommandant happened across this DVD during a recent trip to ye olde TLA Video and I am now here to tell you, I was in fact totally ignorant to Australian drive-in culture in general and their contribution to exploitation filmmaking specifically. Shame on me! Aptly subtitled The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation, Not Quite Hollywood serves to clear up any such misconceptions by shining a light upon the down under, if you will. In some ways it feels like a feature length advertisement for a bunch of drive-in era movies you've never heard of but totally would have wanted to see if you did. I know I've got a mental list of films I'd like to track down since watching this. Although I am still going to try and avoid watching Stunt Rock and / or Mad Dog Morgan for as long as possible. Or at least until the BMB comes back from our holiday break. But I digress. Essentially NQH is broken down into three sections: "Ockers, Knockers, Pubes & Tubes" - a look at the sex comedies and other bawdy bits; "Comatose Killers and Outback Chillers" - a look at the horror genre (which, much like a discussion of horror movies from other countries, touches on a few different sub-genres); and "High Octane Disasters and Kung Fu Masters" a look at action movies & the like, including what would likely be considered the continent's most famous "cult" film, Mad Max. In addition to lots of entertaining clips, the viewer is treated to equally entertaining interview footage of assorted Aussie directors, Aussie actors, American actors who worked in Aussie films and, of course, Quentin Tarantino; who admits to ripping off at least one Ozploitation film, Patrick, during one or both of his Kill Bill movies. (I haven't seen either but will take his word for it.) Recommended for anyone who - like me - enjoys documentary film, drive-in cinema, and Australian accents.
—Bunny
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