The most enjoyable documentary I’ve seen in ages has the worst title imaginable.
Worst than “Quantum of Solace.” More lame than “The Phantom Menace.”
“Not Quite Hollywood,” which played last night at the Starz Denver Film Festival, explores the vibrant Aussie exploitation scene of the 1970s and ’80s.
Didn’t know Australia cranked out the genre pics during that time? Me neither. The new doc serves as a striking corrective, a slam-bang assortment of film clips and tasty interviews that will have you scrambling to rearrange your Netflix queue.
“Hollywood” starts with Australia’s near-nonexistent film industry in the late 1960s. The cultural turbulence which rumbled over America during the decade also hit Down Under, and those forces fueled the birth of the nation’s movie movement.
That’s probably why those early film were so keen on smashing societal taboos. It was all boobies, all the time, and while censors clipped out the naughtiest parts, eventually the Aussies adopted a ratings standard that let the breasts fall where they may.
But the Ozploitation Era was about more than naked bodies. It also gave us gore-filled horror movies, martial arts flicks and car chase epics.
The documentary could have been edited down a bit – there’s only so many gratuitous shots a man can stand. But it’s so feverishly researched, so brimming with colorful anecdotes from most of the key players from the era, it plays out like an extended love letter to an unlovable genre.
And then there’s Quentin Tarantino. Mr. Grindhouse himself can’t stop raving about his favorite Aussie flicks here, and his non-stop chatter puts these films into their proper perspective.
Yet he’s far from the best talking head tapped for “Hollywood.” We meet the cheeky directors, producers and actors responsible for these outrageous films. They’re a vibrant bunch, eager to spill about their cast members – we learn Dennis Hopper was a drunken mess while shooting 1976’s “Mad Dog Morgan,” for example.
If only every DVD commentary track were filled with such tantalizing tidbits – and insider movie information.
“Not Quite Hollywood” is sloppy, silly and stuffed with trivia about movies you’re too embarrassed to admit you’ve seen. But there’s no shame in falling hard for this affection ode to a unfairly forgotten film era.
(Photo: A scene from “Not Quite Hollywood,” a docu-ramp honoring the great exploitation films from Australia in the late 1970s and ’80s.)
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I remember as a kid in the 80’s visiting my family in Mexico – my cousins took me to watch a few of these films in the theatre. I think I was too ignorant to realize they were Australia films, but the actors sure as hell weren’t American and I guess I knew enough to know they weren’t from England either! It was like they were from some weird alternate universe.
Funny story — yeah, when I was younger I couldn’t tell an Aussie accent from a British one. Thank goodness for Croc Dundee and his cultural awareness tour