I'm sure everyone's already seen the latest "Clash of the Titans" and "Iron Man 2" trailers so I want to highlight a film you may never have heard of: "Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!" This 2008 documentary chronicles exploitation cinema from Down Under.
Written and directed by Mark Hartley, "Not Quite Hollywood" is a riveting, boisterous, outrageous, and wildly fun documentary about genre filmmaking in Australia. Quentin Tarantino appears as the biggest cheerleader of "Ozploitation" and shares his memories of such films as "Fair Game" and "Mad Max." But Hartley assembles just about everyone who's still alive to talk about censorship, and the rough and tumble filmmaking of the 70s. There are the kings of exploitation like Brian Trenchard-Smith and Antony I. Ginnane as well as art house directors like Fred Schepisi and Bruce Beresford. They talk about filmmaking in Australia, the popularity of exploitation cinema, the wild shoots and crazy stunts, and the new rise in genre filmmaking down under.
Hartley also assembles some of the most audacious clips from films such as "Next of Kin," "Marsupials," "Dead in Drive-In," "Turkey Shoot," and "Stunt Rock." Now I've heard of films such as "Razorback," "Patrick," "Road Games," and "Mad Max" but so many of these titles were ones I never heard of (I always love discovering films) and some looked like films I might never want to see. But the energy level of all the filmmaking is inspiring! Plus Hartley assembles this documentary in a smart, irreverent style. Interviews are well cut to play off each other with clips and animation well integrated for maximum effect. So not only do the films being highlighted rock but so too does the documentary about them.
So kudos to Hartley for highlighting an overlooked and often maligned genre of films. After seeing this documentary you too will be making a must-see list of Australian exploitation cinema.
