I've got to admit, I was a little unsure Not Quite Hollywood. A documentary? At midnight? I didn't make it to Metal: A Headbanger's Journey when it screened here back in '05, but I wondered to myself if I could handle something like that on so little sleep. And then I saw the trailer. Let me tell you something. If you didn't click that link up there, your sense of fun is broken (or perhaps you're on dialup or your computer is little more than a box with 'WINDOZE' written on it in magic marker). This is the best trailer you're going to see all year. I don't care how much that builds it up, it's true. And if you disagree with me, maybe we can meet in a little place I like to call THUNDERDOME. Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz has weighed in on his Myspace blog about Not Quite Hollywood as well: "Anyone
in Oz, or at the Toronto festival simply has to check out the
incredible NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, a fascinating and hugely entertaining
documentary about Australia's B movie industry in the 70's and early
80's.
I had heard of 30 percent of the films covered and seen even less.
But my interest in STONE and THE MAN FROM HONG KONG is piqued now, even if it wasn't before.
If you're a MAD MAX fan, you must check this out. If you're a ROAD GAMES fan, ditto.
It's
fascinating to hear of the early careers of George Miller, Richard
Franklin, Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir (THE PLUMBER rules) and who knew
Simon Wincer made his fair share of slashers.
Also, finally it's
nice to hear some long overdue praise lavished on THE LONG WEEKEND.
Until I met Quentin Tarantino, I thought me and my brother were the
only people who had ever seen this great Aussie horror.
Whenever I've been to Oz and spoken to film critics - none of them could recall it.
I remember it vividly from a late night BBC showing - it completely creeped me out as a kid.
It's ace anyhow. Up there with WHO CAN KILL A CHILD for most overlooked 70's horror.
Anyway check out the trailer and run to see NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD. Brilliant stuff."
In another film-crazed corner of the internet, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News fame had this to say about NQH: "Hey
folks, Harry here... What's your favorite Ozploitation flick? For most
it would either be ROAD WARRIOR or MAD MAX, to me ROAD WARRIOR is one
of the greatest, most visceral works of cinema ever made. It's a movie
that puts your adrenal gland into sweat mode. It's great - but those
two movies were just the best known of an entire industry of awesome
ass-kicking Australian Cult Cinema that blew the minds of everyone that
watched. At this year's FANTASTIC FEST - this is the documentary that
I'm dying to see, mainly because I'm curious to see a glimpse of a
movie that perhaps I never saw, which will give me a reason to begin
hunting it down - like a kid on Easter Morning... must have bright
colored egg!!! Here's the trailer - it is NOT SAFE FOR WORK... if you
work at a place that's uncool. Edgar Wright sent me this link under the
Subject line: BEST DOCUMENTARY EVER!"
So do yourself a favour. Click the link that trailer, crank the volume as high as it will go, and get ready to wear out at least three pairs of underpants. Like the Shamwow, it sells itself. |