Not Quite Hollywood [MA]

The anti-piracy (What Are You Really Burning?) campaign says that “Australia makes great films, and it’s not just Australian saying that.” This rocket-fuelled, action-packed, nude-bursting, and gore-ridden documentary film brings a whole new truth to that statement, looking back and celebrating the cult films that came out of Australia in the 70s and 80s. Films that shocked, rocked, and pockmarked Australian and world audiences during the Land Down Under’s era of cinematic dominance in which films such as Patrick, Alvin Purple, Stork, Howling III The Marsupials, Long Weekend, The Man From Hong Kong, Stone, and of course Mad Max were keeping audiences stuck in their seats either from excitement or dried and crusted vomit and piss… or it could have been both. 

I’m writing an essay on Australian cinema for one of my uni courses and I have to say, without over praising it, that this doco has really helped me in shaping my argument and making me see the question’s scenario a bit bigger. Currently, Australian cinema has this sort of negative stereotype tacked onto it that our movies are gritty and deal with confronting themes and plots, they’re made modestly and there’s a certain primitive rawness to them because they lack the sleek shine of a Hollywood funded movie. They’re almost seen like a second-hand car that’s really done some miles: paint’s faded, interior’s in need of refurbishing, there’s a grunt when you drive it etc… BUT, this doco helped to assuage my fears that there is a crisis in Australian cinema. Although this movie is celebrating the films of the 70s and 80s, many of these caused a stir with audiences, quite often not in a good way, and it’s only through the test of time that they’re still going strong and have developed new waves of fans and appreciation. Not Quite Hollywood also looks at movies that I never realised were Australian and covers quite a few that you sadly can’t get on DVD at the moment. Wake In Fright I know was only recently released on DVD within the last 3-4 years, and I’ve never seen Patrick around, which is sad because after watching this, I really want to watch that!  

Made up of interviews and clips from the discussed movies as well as authentic footage from premieres and audience responses from the time, Not Quite Hollywood is a really interesting and entertaining documentary that’s packed with violence, blood, gore, sex, boobs, pubes, comedy, romance, drama, action, and kung fu. Featuring interviews with Graeme Blundell, Jamie Lee-Curtis, Dennis Hopper, Barry Humphries, George Lazenby, George Miller, Lynda Stoner, Quentin Tarantino, Sigrid Thornton, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Grant Page, Cheryl Rixon, John Seale, Brian Trenchard Smith, Roger Ward, David Williamson, Susannah York, and heaps more, this wild and untold story of Ozploitation is a fascinating insight, not only into Australia’s cinematic brilliance, but also our movies’ influence on other filmmakers: case in point, after watching Quentin Tarantino gush about his love of these films, you can see how his movies bare a resemblance to ours. I loved him even more by time I’d finished this doco!