NOT Quite Hollywood is an exceptional home-grown film that documents the rise of the country’s most productive yet often overlooked film era.
Known as Ozploitation – and founded in the commercial boon of tax breaks and a film-proactive government of the 1970s and 1980s – the era saw an influx in the exportation of b-grade genre films as filmmakers, disillusioned by the high end art films, yet encouraged by the flow of cash towards the film industry turned their hand to horror, sex and action.
The documentary itself explores three facets of the era, the sex-driven comedy romps, the nasty home-grown horrors and the revenge-fuelled beat ‘em ups of with lovingly-gathered interviews, memoirs and footage from about 100 films. Told as a celebration, the documentary embraces the imaginative directors and writers of the time and their low brow masterpieces.
While many of the films presented may have been flawed, the documentary itself is close to perfection with candid accounts of the films, their makers and the political and social backgrounds that inspired their inception. Horror fans are sure to discover at least a few unknown gems they’ll be keen to chase up on, and with a number of these finally getting a DVD release through Madman’s Ozploitation line there has never been a better time to revisit our native past.
Not Quite Hollywood is a celebration of genre – made by genre fans, for genre fans. None of the films on offer will ever be regarded as high art, but as Ozploitation reveals that was never what it was about.
Not Quite Hollywood includes extensive DVD extras including, interviews, a Melbourne International Film Festival panel, funding pitches and trailers. It is available through Madman Entertainment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment