World Movies: Ozploitation fest
Andrew Mercado again hosts a fortnight of our best -or possibly, worst- 'Ozploitation' films.
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World Movies will again look at ‘Ozploitation’ films in July.
TV and film historian Andrew Mercado reflects on some of the best action, schlock-horror, ocker comedy and sex romps of the 70s and 80s.
“Ozploitation is such a critical part of Australia’s film history and legacy – there’s never been a better time to revisit the cult classics that’s made Australian cinema such a hit across the globe,” he said.
“The 1970s was a time of creativity and reinvention for Australian film and we’re thrilled to bring some of the best Aussie classics back to the screen.”
The two-week showcase features a cult classic each weekday at 9:30pm, followed by Saturday marathons (9 July and 16 July), from 4pm.
Monday, 4 July, 9.30pm
Razorback (1984, Australia)
A vicious wild boar terrorizes the Australian outback. The first victim is a small child who is killed. The child’s granddad is brought to trial for killing the child but acquitted. The next victim is an American TV-journalist. Her husband Carl gets there and starts to search for the truth. The local inhabitants won’t really help him, but he is joined by a hunter and a female farmer to find the beast.
Tuesday, 5 July, 9.30pm
The Man From Hong Kong (1975, Australia)
Hong Kong Inspector Fang Sing Leng travels to Australia to extradite a drug dealer. When the hood is assassinated on his way to court, everyone suspects Jack Wilton, a crime lord who the local police haven’t been able to pick up.
Wednesday, 6 July, 9.30pm
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972, Australia)
Young Australian, Barry McKenzie, travels to England with his Aunt Edna after his father dies and a request is revealed in his will.
Thursday, 7 July, 9.30pm
Long Weekend (1978, Australia)
When a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn’t in an accommodating mood.
Friday, 8 July, 9.30pm
Alvin Purple (1973, Australia)
This hilarious and controversial sex-romp follows Alvin, an ordinary Australian guy who works in a waterbed store. Remarkably, he is always pursued by over-sexed women, which constantly gets him into hot water.
Monday, 11 July, 9.30pm
Inn of the Damned (1975, Australia)
You will never be the same after you discover the secrets of the Inn of the Damned! On a lonely stretch of road, deep in an isolated Australian rain forest, lies an eerie, forgotten Inn. Few travellers stop there now, and those that do…disappear! An American bounty hunter is hired to unravel the Inn’s chilling secrets. He is soon confronted by its demented owners, obsessed with guarding the terrible truth within. Action packed with sadistic violence, bare flesh and tainted sex, Inn of the Damned is a horror classic that will shock you to the core!
Tuesday, 12 July, 9.30pm
The ABC’s of Love and Sex (1978, Australia)
A tongue-in-cheek sex education documentary covering a different subject for each letter of the alphabet, e.g. A is for Anatomy, B is for Babies, etc.
Wednesday, 13 July, 9.30pm
Les Patterson Saves the World (1987, Australia)
Fat middle aged 24/7 drunkard Les Patterson (Barry Humphries) represents Australia at the UN where his fart literally incinerates an Arab ambassador. Patterson is reassigned to the Middle East so he can be tortured to death by the country he insulted. Patterson’s arrival disrupts a coup and he is spared. At a bar Patterson meets a bioweapons scientist who’s developed a horrific disease for the KGB which plan to distribute it to the Pentagon via toilet seats. Patterson, though far too drunk to understand anything happening, teams up with Dame Edna (also Humphries) to save the world.
Thursday, 14 July, 9.30pm
Felicity (1978, Australia)
Young Felicity lives in a monastic school. The only way to live out her sexual fantasies is together with her girlfriend Jenny. But then she receives an invitation to visit her sister in Hong-Kong and can’t wait to finally do the real thing.
Friday, 15 July, 9.30pm
Alvin Rides Again (1974, Australia)
Alvin Purple, the world’s most unlikely sex symbol stumbles from woman to woman and job to job in this zany, sexy Australian comedy.
One Response
Oh man, Les Patterson Saves the World! I saw that on video in the late 80s. I still have nightmares about it.
Treasurer Paul Keating was so shocked by the badness of that movie that he changed the 10BA scheme which had up to that point been responsible for the ramp up of Australian film making in the 1970s and 80s. Keating was convinced that the whole film industry was a big scam and basically existed so that people could give their mates jobs in the industry. Of course, things are much different today.