THE FLICK
Exploitation cinema refers to a film genre which cashes in on some sort of lurid, perhaps sexy, element. Blaxploitation may be the most well known iteration of this genre with films like Superfly, Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song and Blacula. These films don't rely on a "name" star or special effects to draw in the crowds; rather, they use over-the-top marketing techniques and outrageous statements to generate ticket sales. Slasher films, like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, can be considered exploitation films with their small budgets and and graphic kills. However, no one ever mentions Ozploitation, a group of films written, shot and released in Australia by Australian filmmakers. These films were largely created after the introduction of the R certificate (similar to the "R" MPAA rating in the United States) in 1971 and feature gratuitous nudity, sex and violence. Not Quite Hollywood traces the evolution of the genre, as well as its major cinematic entries, for the uninitiated.
Mark Hartley's film takes a no-holds-barred approach to the material, demanding the audience follow along without being pandered to. That isn't as much a problem as the fact most Americans will be unfamiliar with the names and films being talked about. Yes, film can usually transcend languages, countries and culture, but when the subject matter deals with obscure productions, it needs to slow down just a bit to frame the narrative properly. There are moments when Hartley does a spectacular job using the interviews and film clips to create a picture of a nascent Australian film industry and its relative success over the decades, though Not Quite Hollywood is squarely aimed at audiences with a working knowledge of film history.
As an example, late in the production, one-time James Bond actor George Lazenby is brought on to speak about The Man from Hong Kong, a 1975 film starring Yu Wang. While hardcore filmgoers will know Lazenby's claim to fame is portraying 007, Hartley makes no mention of the background. Any number of other films are name dropped, including Jaws, Piranha and Psycho...but not On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Lazenby's only stab at the character)? Did MGM require a clearance or license fee to use the name or did Harley assume the audience would know who he was? The actor also burned his hand during filming and, while footage of the stunt from the film is shown, there is no accompanying insert shot of the hand. Regardless of whether or not it has healed completely, it would have added to the story.
Roughly broken down into four divisions (sex, action, monsters and martial arts), Hollywood almost giddily revels in it's B-movie subject matter. Be warned, this doc isn't for the faint of heart or easily offended with a plethora of naked breasts, full frontal nudity (male and female), generous discussion about "boobies" and "titties," cursing, misogyny and violence. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Because there was no Australian film industry, the films which went into production had very low budgets, reducing the overall quality of the work. Each director laments this inevitability, though none of them really apologize for their films. In every interview, there is an overriding sense these men reinvigorated the profession and took it back from foreigners who were making films about Australia without knowing the land. Funnily enough, when Aussies began to use their country as it was, audiences began mortified, afraid the rest of the world would believe it really was a desolate wasteland like Mad Max or full of bimbo's and sex-starved citizens.
Throughout the dozens of interviews, participants and film clips, one thing Hartley is unable to do is place the Ozploitation films within historical context. Surely other Aussies were making higher quality, mainstream films at the same time these B-movie, bargain basement flicks were on the screen. What were they? How did the other films incorporate the R certificate? Was there an audience backlash against the nudity and profanity? (Critics has issues with both of these things, but the audiences are rarely spoken about.) See, nothing occurs in a vacuum; there is always cause and effect, a push and pull. Hartley's sole focus is on the films which make up this sub-genre to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Surely someone was influenced by these stories and made their own homage. An unauthorized Italian sequel to Patrick doesn't really count. Where are those anecdotes?
It's funny, in a way, that few of the people involved with the Ozploitation era comes off as embarrassed or apologetic for their work. This is despite knowing the production values are relatively poor, behind-the-scenes issues or the general reaction to the film itself. Even when the shooting schedule and budget were severely slashed (as in Roadgames and Turkey Shoot), there is a sense both films deserve awards. If anything, there's a hubris to the creative talent which is unable to see the forest for the trees. Perplexing to be sure and just slightly dishonest.
What can not be questioned is the depth and breadth of the information presented in Not Quite Hollywood, especially the inclusion of Quentin Tarantino. An uber-film buff if there ever was one, Tarantino is the marquee interviewee (though both Lazenby and Jamie Lee Curtis make appearances) displaying unbridled, wide-eyed enthusiasm for each and every film mentioned. To see him almost jump up and down in his seat while discussing Dead-End Drive Inn or Roadgames is nearly worth the price of admission on its own.
THE LOOK
Like any other documentary, Not Quite Hollywood's visual performance is largely at the mercy of the footage it uses. On the whole, the film looks incredibly good with shifting aspect ratios, stock footage mixed with new interviews and even some black and white film. The film is mainly presented in anamorphic widescreen format without any major problems. Fleshtones of interview participants tend to be a touch bright from time to time, though the blacks are generally spot on. The new footage is otherwise clean of blemishes or other problems. It's the movie clips and vintage interviews which pose a problem. They sport all manner of defects from pops and wear lines to downright blurriness and general picture softness. This shouldn't be held against the disc, considering the state of Australian cinema when they were produced.
THE SOUND
Normally, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Magnolia Home Entertainment provides both an English 2.0 and 5.1 mix on the disc. What's wrong with that, you might ask? Well, this is a documentary, a dialogue-driven film by definition. There isn't much to gain by pumping audio through five speakers instead of two. In most cases, creating a surround sound mix hampers the film by stretching the available audio information too broadly. Here, though, both versions work equally well in bringing the dialogue across without distortion. Naturally, the 5.1 mix has more bass throughout, especially as cars or buildings begin exploding in film clips. There aren't many directional sound effects and both options can be more than a bit forceful at times. The only real issue is the lack of English subtitles; Spanish subs are provided.
THE STUFF
Not Quite Hollywood comes in a regular black keepcase with no inserts. Upon start up, trailers for Ong Bak 2, The Canyon, World's Greatest Dad and the HDNet network play (they are also available under the Special Features menu). The film itself is broken down into a dozen chapters.
Director Mark Hartley moderates a spliced together commentary track featuring many of the directors and personalities seen in the film itself. These men-whether in the recording booth or by phone-seem more open and free to discuss the Australian film industry. In particular, they're more than happy to discuss being pigeonholed as the "sex director" or perhaps being too happy in pushing the new R certificate. Some films (Turkey Shoot, for example) find themselves defended-this was a flick with a slashed budget and shooting schedule many cast members disowned during production-while none of the filmmakers have a love for critics.
Hartley collects deleted and extended scenes on the disc. In fact, there's 21 separate pieces, ranging in run time from under a minute to over five. (A play all option is included.) It's really a shame these cuts had to be made for unspecified reasons. Among the films profiled, 1986's Sky Pirates is among the most intriguing. A near rip off of Indiana Jones, writer John Lamond apparently had a running feud with Steven Spielberg over box office success. Suffice to say, Sky Pirates didn't do as well as the Indy flicks. Interestingly, a segment about E.T. alum Henry Thomas' film Frog Dreaming is completely cut.
Quention Tarantino and director Brian Trenchard-Smith hang out in a movie theater and talk about each other. Tarantino's personality is larger than life, completely overshadowing Trenchard-Smith because of his exuberant love of film. The piece is billed as Tarantino interviewing Trenchard-Smith but it comes off as being a conversation among friends. Topics range from the intentional similarities between Patrick and Psycho and a brief mention of a combined cut of Kill Bill. Tarantino returns, this time with John D. Lamond, in two funding pitches for this film-essentially asking investors to put money up for the film.
An audio interview with director Richard Franklin (22:47) is also included, adding even more trivia and information to the film. Here, he's able to talk more about catching former Bond George Lazenby on fire and the issues with the Jamie Lee Curtis/Stacey Keach film Roadgames. The audio volume is a bit low, but extremely serviceable. An image gallery running for over five minutes and the theatrical trailer are also included.