Because the cinematic panorama, significantly in America, modified drastically via the early Nineteen Seventies, the onset of exploitation movies turned an inexpensive and schlocky but unusually entertaining and stylistic various for a lot of viewers. All through that very same interval, the Australian movie business skilled one thing of a excessive level by way of worldwide curiosity, propped up by such successes as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Walkabout.
These two tendencies would collide to see Australia create a new wave of exploitation films, affectionately dubbed “Ozploitation” within the 2008 documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! Rife with thick accents, style flare, and a peculiar urge for food for violent biker gangs, these movies signify simply a few of the best of Australia’s exploitation movies over time, capturing a specific time and place with distinctive and unrestrained aptitude.
10 ‘Truthful Sport’ (1986)
Directed by Mario Andreacchio
A crazed outback thriller of revenge and violence, Truthful Sport has a snarling tenacity to it even because it amplifies its extra confronting scenes to a ridiculous stage to melt the viewing expertise. Jessica (Cassandra Delaney) runs a wildlife sanctuary that turns into the goal of three sadistic kangaroo hunters whose seek for new sport sees them terrorize her as they kill the animals. Incensed, Jessica units out to take vengeance on the lads and produce their cackling, psychotic joyride to an finish.
Truthful Sport has its justifiable share of shortcomings, together with some content material that has not aged in any respect effectively. Nonetheless, as a trashy ’80s thriller that provides a rewarding story of comeuppance, it’s simple to take pleasure in. It served as a serious affect on Quentin Tarantino’s ode to exploitation movies, Death Proof, turning into a quiet grindhouse stunner that encapsulates the aura and depth of low-budget Aussie thrillers.
9 ‘Alvin Purple’ (1973)
Directed by Tim Burstall
It will be troublesome to debate exploitation cinema with out addressing the sex comedies that ran rampant during the ’70s and ’80s. Australia had its justifiable share of these all through, however none as effectively generally known as 1973’s Alvin Purple. It follows a Melbournian door-to-door waterbed salesman who girls discover irresistible. Along with his relentless intercourse life taking its toll on him, Alvin (Graeme Blundell) seeks medical assist to provide you with an answer, but it surely solely lands him in additional hassle when he’s accused of working a brothel.
Regardless of being made on a measly price range, the movie turned a big field workplace hit, significantly within the context of Australian cinema. It may be seen as one thing of a godfather for the intercourse comedy style, even when it does not obtain half the eye of others. With its raunchy comedy proving profitable, Alvin Purple obtained two sequels on its option to turning into an icon of Ozploitation cinema and a gem of ’70s intercourse comedies in its personal proper.
8 ‘Stone’ (1974)
Directed by Sandy Harbutt
Movies about outlaw biker gangs had been a defining staple of a lot of Australia’s exploitation efforts of the ’70s and ’80s. No matter whether or not they had been surrealist, post-apocalyptic hellscapes or pulsating and grounded thrillers set in up to date instances, “bikies” (as they’re generally recognized in Aus) make for excellent villainous hordes. Nevertheless, 1974’s Stone flips that on its head, specializing in a biker gang that’s focused by a serial killer after one in every of its members witnesses a political assassination.
A stylistic punch of advanced morality,
Stone
has a powerful identification that makes it a placing gem of Ozploitation movie.
With a vicious resolve to throw intercourse, medicine, and violence on the display with a roaring, raspy horsepower, Stone is one-of-a-kind, even by Ozploitations requirements. It enthralls audiences within the dilemma confronted by Detective Stone (Ken Shorter) – an undercover cop working with the GraveDiggers to resolve the murders – as he’s compelled to decide on between his task and his newfound loyalty to the gang. A stylistic punch of advanced morality, Stone has a powerful identification that makes it a placing gem of Ozploitation movie.
7 ‘The Return of Captain Invincible’ (1983)
Directed by Phillippe Mora
For all of the style’s achievements in current many years, superhero cinema has by no means seen one other film fairly like The Return of Captain Invincible. An Australian musical comedy, it focuses on Captain Invincible (Alan Arkin), an American superhero via the Nineteen Twenties, ’30s, and ’40s who’s compelled into retirement when he faces political persecution. Relocating to Australia, he loiters as an alcoholic till the return of his arch nemesis, Mr. Midnight (Christopher Lee), prompts the U.S. authorities to beg for his return, presenting a chance for redemption.
To name the film ridiculous can be an understatement. Nevertheless, it’s unbelievable how, after greater than 40 years and the domination of superhero films in recent times, The Return of Captain Invincible nonetheless feels vibrant and refreshing. The comedic musical numbers work an absolute deal with, as does its wacky story, making it a cherished cult traditional of Aussie cinema with a pleasant, if not considerably dated, exploitation streak besides.
6 ‘The Man from Hong Kong’ (1975)
Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Laid again Aussie allure meets the full breadth of martial arts mayhem on this co-production between China and Australia that’s pure motion from begin to end. When Australian police seize a Chinese language drug supplier, Hong Kong’s Inspector Fang Sing Leng (Jimmy Wang Yu) is dispatched to translate and assist their investigation. As he pursues extra leads, Fang finds the involvement of highly effective businessman Jack Wilton (George Lazenby) and vows to convey the enterprising prison down regardless of others telling him Wilton is untouchable.
The Man from Hong Kong
is proof that the martial arts style can shine in each nook of the world.
Whereas there’s a tacky and schlocky sense of so-bad-it’s-good enjoyable that presides over a lot of the movie, The Man from Hong Kong does conjure up some unbelievable thrills courtesy of its sturdy stunt work and spectacular battle sequences. It additionally marks the characteristic movie debut of director Brian Trenchard-Smith, whose work in Australian cinema would turn into essential to the Ozploitation motion and low-budget Australian movie generally. A conflict of two worlds, The Man from Hong Kong is proof that the martial arts style can shine in each nook of the world.
5 ‘Subsequent of Kin’ (1982)
Directed by Tony Williams
Psychological terror abounds on this early ’80s horror thriller flick that has turn into one thing of a cult traditional as a result of its intense atmospheric dread, meticulous pacing, and the reward heaped upon it. After the demise of her estranged mom, Linda Stevens (Jacki Kerin) inherits a rural property that she discovers is a retirement village. Unusual issues begin taking place when she begins studying her mom’s diary and senses an ominous presence round her.
Whereas its low-budget origins are plain to see, Subsequent of Kin nonetheless runs with a chilling sense of suspense as Linda’s investigation into her household historical past and the deaths within the retirement village is imbued with a harrowing darkness. Complemented by placing visuals and loads of revealing twists, it’s one of Australia’s most underrated horror movies that defines the nation’s excellence within the style throughout the Ozploitation increase.
4 ‘Lengthy Weekend’ (1978)
Directed by Colin Eggleston
Australia’s nature and wildlife are a defining pillar of the nation’s identification, be it the coarse fantastic thing about the nation’s sun-scorched landscapes or the near-mythic popularity of its famously lethal animals. Lengthy Weekend performs with that fabled and ferocious fragment of Australian tradition. A married couple nearing divorce goes on a tenting journey in an try and rekindle their dwindling romance. Whereas initially harmful of the encircling setting, the couple quickly finds themselves on the receiving finish of Mom Nature’s wrath.
Filling up to date and fashionable viewers with a renewed concern of Aussie animals,
Lengthy Weekend
marks one in every of Australia’s most partaking thrillers of the Nineteen Seventies.
Lengthy Weekend is a direct and enraged parable concerning the penalties of abusing nature. It makes use of Everett de Roche’s taut, minimalist screenplay and savvy directing by Colin Eggleston to conjure up arresting rigidity and a man vs. nature narrative that challenges and enthralls audiences. Additionally filling up to date and fashionable viewers with a renewed concern of Aussie animals, Lengthy Weekend marks one in every of Australia’s most partaking thrillers of the Nineteen Seventies.
3 ‘Highway Video games’ (1981)
Directed by Richard Franklin
A charming street thriller of serial killer intrigue and mounting suspense, Road Games thrives as a grounded and intense viewing experience. Whereas set within the outback, it doesn’t succumb to the urge to give attention to it on the expense of the story. It follows Pat Quid (Stacy Keach), a truck driver hauling a load to Perth who begins to suspect a person driving a inexperienced van is a serial killer focusing on hitchhiking girls.
Working at 101 minutes – which is definitely fairly lengthy for Ozploitation cinema – Highway Video games weaves a layered story of suspicions and thriller that is still taut and contained. Its plotting is tidy, its thrills considerable and efficient, and its lead performances from Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis give the movie a pure comedic core that elevates the image to be among the many better of Australia’s ’80s B-movies. In Not Fairly Hollywood, Tarantino lists it amongst his favourite movies, whereas it additionally served as a key inspiration for the 2005 Aussie horror hit Wolf Creek.
2 ‘Mad Max’ (1979) & ‘Mad Max 2: The Highway Warrior’ (1981)
Directed by George Miller
Undeniably essentially the most well-known title to return from Ozploitation cinema, Mad Max gave delivery to a brand new wave of motion films. Happening in a dystopian near-future the place Australia is on the cusp of whole societal collapse, the 1979 unique focuses on a lone cop who vows to take down the brutal biker gang that murdered his household. Imbued with stylistic grit and astonishing motion sequences, the movie is a bonafide traditional of Australian cinema.
Nevertheless, Mad Max 2: The Highway Warrior presents a fair larger motion spectacle, dialing up the depth and bombast because it follows Max’s efforts to defend a gaggle of survivors from a ruthless gang of bandits. The Mad Max saga has evolved over the years, with the current reboots re-affirming Mad Max as one of many best titles in motion film historical past. Nevertheless, for pure Ozploitation brilliance, it’s onerous to go previous the unique two films.
Mad Max
- Launch Date
- Could 12, 1979
- Runtime
- 82 Minutes
- Writers
- George Miller , James McCausland , Byron Kennedy
1 ‘Wake in Fright’ (1971)
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
Wake in Fright was launched on the very starting of the Ozploitation motion, but it stays the best, most commanding movie the wave of cinematic expression ever noticed. Troublesome to quantify by way of style, it follows a schoolteacher making an attempt to get again to Sydney from his distant station, discovering himself stranded in a mining city when a playing spree leaves him broke. Regardless of his greatest efforts, he begins to succumb to the maniacal, drunk, and violent way of life of these round him.
Above all else, Wake in Fright has a haunting quality that’s troublesome to pinpoint the reason for. Its menacing ambiguity in such a method solely makes it extra intimidating, marking a queasy and disconcerting deep dive into rural Australian sub-culture at its darkest. Martin Scorsese has long championed the film for this unnerving impact, even deciding on it as a Cannes Traditional on the illustrious pageant, making it one in every of solely two films ever to have been screened twice on the occasion.
Wake in Fright
- Launch Date
- July 21, 1971
- Solid
- Donald Pleasence , Gary Bond , Chips Rafferty , Sylvia Kay , Jack Thompson , Peter Whittle
- Runtime
- 109 Minutes
- Writers
- Kenneth Prepare dinner , Evan Jones , Ted Kotcheff
