Not Quite Hollywood

Director - Mark Hartley (Electric Boogaloo, Machete Maidens Unleashed)

Starring - Phillip Adams (Dallas Doll, Road to Nhill), Glory Annen (Felicity, Prey), and Christine Amor (Chopper Squad, Cop Shop)

Release Date - 2008

Genre - Documentary

Tagline - "The wild, untold story of ozploitation"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I never realized ozploitation was a thing until a few years back when I became friends with the fine folks over at Umbrella Entertainment.  I had seen several Australian horror films over the years with my favorite being Razorback but I never realized how different and unique filming in Australia was.  When I saw that Umbrella was releasing the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood on blu I was extremely curious.  I love documentaries so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send over a review copy.  Thanks guys!

     The documentary  is a comprehensive look at the history of Australia cinema, aka ozploitation, going from the early films before moving into more sexually explicate cinema, to comedies, and the popular horror titles that came out of there from the late 70s until today.

     I went into this looking to learn a lot and god damn did I.  I had no idea how deep the Australian cinematic history was until I spun this one.  I, also, wasn't aware that Americans were hated.  Regardless, this was a very informative and enjoyable documentary that I wish I would have seen when it was originally released.  The interviews in this one go deep with producers, cast members, and long-time fan Quintin Tarantino.  They go into great detail with all the struggles, dangers, and trends of the times while giving those unfamiliar with the films a lot of basic information that was new to me.  The topics discussed are in chronological order which makes it easy for the viewer to see the whole picture.  For someone who is not too familiar with the history of ozploitation like myself I found myself really enjoying the approach each topic was discussed and how it pertained to a specific year or film from their history.  Finally, the editing and transitioning in this one is great.  We move from topic to topic and person to person very smoothly while still keeping the important information in focus.  Overall, Not Quite Hollywood is a fantastic documentary that not only covers Australia's important horror films but many other films that most of us love.  It's a great look at the history of their cinema and why many of us love these films so much.  I highly recommend snagging this blu from Umbrella Entertainment.