In the
Deadgirl post, I talked about the process of film selection for Midnight Madness and how they sometimes start with whispered tips in faraway places. Well, once again, I got a hot tip while in the land of the
currywurst, Berlin, at the
European Film Market. Back in February of 2007, while taking meetings with sales agents, screened numerous trailers and promos for films, there was one I saw that caught my attention right away -
Not Quite Hollywood. It was still in the works and not ready in time for last year's Festival, but I was persistant and snagged it for this year's Fest.
Not Quite Hollywood chronicles a history of blood, boobs, car crashes, that came from down under, with hilarious view points shifting back and forth between those in the industry, from actors, directors (including 'Ozploitation' devotee Quentin Tarantino) and producers. There are even the critics who would dismiss the sex and violence filled trash cinema, only to sheepishly admit, that without it, there would be no Australian film industry. Easily a delight for film buffs who revel in the cinema of thrills and excitement, for every film you have heard of, I am sure you will be jotting down two more you haven't heard of! It's a fast moving journey through Australian genre cinema of the '70s and early '80s - a forgotten cinematic era unashamedly packed full of pubes, boobs, tubes... and kung fu.
This film is going to look and sound great at the Ryerson, possibly making you forget some of the crappy VHS dubs of these films we were used to seeing, back in the day. When the song kicks in during the part of the NSFW trailer where QT talks about the Aussie knack for making cars look awesome, when that song is about to cue up in the movie, I will make sure the tech rep at the Ryerson is going to pay close attention to the levels of the house sound system!
Be sure to get over to the official website for Not Quite Hollywood, jam packed with tricks and treats, including an amazing trailer page with original trailers for 21 of the films featured in the doc, including: Turkey Shoot, Fantasm (NSFW!!!), Stone, The Man From Hong Kong and more!
Not Quite Hollywood recently had its debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival and check out the reviews:
***** "Forget all that "worthy" cultural torture - this is Australian cinema... As important as any history of "legitimate" Australian cinema - and 10 times the fun - it's a shot to the heart for anyone who thought Down Under was only capable of dreary, culturally relevant filmmaking." - Luke Goodsell - EMPIRE
***** "The best Australian movie in years? hilarious, jaw-dropping and important? If you?re Australian, see it. If you love movies, see it. If you?re an Australian movie lover, see it twice. If you?re a Kiwi, see it anyway? Beyond awesome." - FHM
**** "One of the most irreverent, insolent and impudent documentaries imaginable. Confident, assured and scholarly, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. Which is were it belongs, right?" - MCV
?My only criticism? It ends. Had the film been twice as long, I doubt anyone in the audience would have complained. It?s just that good. But it?s not simply entertaining. It?s essential viewing? It is a perfect film, and, regardless of your country, if you consider yourself a fan of film, you simply must see it.? - Aintitcoolnews.com
Check out this review over at In Film Australia. Maybe a little biased, but still... ; )
And if you can't get up to Toronto to see it at Midnight Madness, you can also check it out at the Austin Fantastic Festival.
Here are two trailers, the 1st is PG BUT the 2nd is NSFW!
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