NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF OZPLOITATION! (2008): NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD is a documentary about the "Ozploitation" films of the 1970s and beyond. I started noting down the films they mentioned, but soon realized that was hopeless. (It's something like a hundred films. The IMDb has a list under the "Connections" category for this film.)

The Ozploitation wave seemed to start with sex in films (including full frontal nudity). It isn't clear whether these films were shown in mainstream cinemas, or cinemas of the old Times Square variety. One film from this era, ALVIN PURPLE was one of these, patterned on ALFIE, but with the women chasing Alvin, rather than vice versa. It made Graeme Blundell a megastar in Australia, and made A$5,000,000 on a budget of A$200,000.

After these films kick-started the Australian film industry, "class" directors such as Peter Weir and other started making historical dramas about Australian history, but would have nothing to do with genre films. (Peter Weir did dip his toes into genre in 1978 with THE PLUMBER, though it's more arty than graphic.)

There are a lot of interviewees, including Quentin Tarantino (who was apparently one of the people who encouraged this documentary), Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dennis Hopper. Tarantino is a real enthusiast for these films, and is always colorful in his speech. (He describes LONG WEEKEND as a "Mother Nature goes apesh*t kind of movie.")

The producers and directors are also covered (producer Tony Ginnane, for example, is called "Australia's Roger Corman").

Just as WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED was the definitive documentary on folk horror in the movies, this is definitive documentary on Ozploitation. (There is apparently documentary on Filipino horror films, MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED, which I assume is definitive in the sense that it is probably the only one.)

Released theatrically 31 July 2009; available on Tubi streaming. Rating: +3 (-4 to +4), or 9/10.

Film Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0996966/reference

What others are saying: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/not_quite_hollywood

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2023 Mark R. Leeper