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

Colour, 35 mm
Australia, 2008, 103 min
Section: Midnight Screenings: Ozploitation!

About the film

The ratings system for movie admissions came to Australia in 1971. Thus began the wild and unbelievable history of B-movie genre production oriented towards adults. The following years saw the Australian film industry revitalized by not only the internationally acclaimed Mad Max series, but also by dozens of other action films, horror flicks, ribald comedies, improper burlesque features, and exploitation movies. Peeking behind the scenes, the feature documentary Not Quite Hollywood investigates the contemporary context of productions that were spurned by the critics and specialized literature alike. Thematic chapters provide ample space for clips of the films in question, as well as for the stories of numerous actors, directors, and producers. Their reminiscences bring to life a period full of maximum creative moxie, joyful provocation, and a willingness to risk money, reputation, and their very lives for a few spectacular shots.

About the director

Mark Hartley (Australia) graduated in 1990 from the School of Film and Television at the Faculty of Design, Swinburne University. After gaining practical experience editing movies, commercials, trailers, and music videos, he began to direct his own videos, which at present number over 150. Since 2003 he has worked as a freelance director specializing in DVD bonus materials for internationally acclaimed Australian films. Thanks to his efforts, numerous Australian pulp movies have made it onto DVD. For his first feature-length title Not Quite Hollywood, he made use of his contacts with filmmakers and the information he acquired while collecting data for bonus materials. He is currently finishing up work on the documentary Machete Maidens Unleashed!, devoted to Philippine genre production of the 1970s.