Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! - Review

The exploitation genre of film has always been an interesting topic to discuss, lampoon, or recreate. All of these factors have been feature in major film releases, such as GRINDHOUSE, and now it has come in the form of documentary. But the kicker is that instead of going after the usual suspects like the American independents or Italian giallo, Mark Hartley keeps the focus on his own country of Australia and how the "Ozploitation" isn't featured prominently. After seeing NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, I and other viewers now have more films to look for and put in the Netflix queue.

The only films from Australia that have often been shown to the rest of the world are largely art films, such as the works of Peter Weir and Gillian Armstrong, and the punchline-inducing Yahoo Serious movies. These films, and largely the entire Australian film industry, couldn't have been successful without the benefit of B-movies and exploitation films winning over their own continent. Hartley breaks down this immense study of the genre by simply looking at the sex romps, the horror flicks, and the over-the-top action movies that played to the minds of the Australian audiences and to the scorn of the film critics. The director also gives attention to critique the world's view of the Outback, the backlash against foreign actors being cast, and the future wave of genre filmmakers such as Greg McLean (WOLF CREEK).

The viewer gets to see a great number of films, each receiving praise and jeers from a collection of talking heads. Each film debate is no holds barred; the film critics always may come up with a witty yet venomous line but other participants bring up their hatred with a director/producer or attack the treatment of women during production and on the screen. Connecting these verbal crossfires and exciting clipped montages are many Flash-created animations, which are the biggest problem against the film. These little breaks cause the film to look ultra-gaudy and seemingly into a VH1 television production.

NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a fun ride through films of Australian past. It brings up many social/politicial issues such as nationalism and stereotyping while also partaking the spectacle and thrills of sex and violence. So, if you are sick of the usual Australian art film, with this film you can look further away from the stuffy shirts and dresses.

FINAL REVIEW: 4 / 5