Ozploitation - American film

Checking out some of the more inventive genre flicks from Down Under.
We've got international heavy hitters like George Miller's Mad Max and Road Warrior sitting right next to hidden gems like Long weekend and Road Games—plus some provocative thrillers like Wake in Fright and Patrick, and those totally wild, over-the-top exploitation flicks from Brian Trenchard-Smith, a total favorite of Quentin Tarantino.

Uncut
Bloody
High-octane Action
High energy
Believably

That era of Australian genre cinema from the 70s and 80s is famously known as "Ozploitation."

DEAD END DRIVE-IN

THE MAN FROM HONG KONG aka DRAGON FLIES

TURKEY SHOOT aka ESCAPE 2000 aka BLOOD CAMP THATCHER

BMX BANDITS ("If we'd grown up in Australia, BMX BANDITS would have been our version of The Goonies." –Quentin Tarantino. )

Genre maestro Brian Trenchard-Smith

Honestly, Americans are probably second only to the Danes when it comes to cinema—I've just always had a massive soft spot for the Ozploitation vibe.
Man, I loved Mad Max when I was a kid—that first one still hits with that crazy, schizo feeling of extreme violence.
Wake in Fright is easily in my top 20 movies; it's a big one for me.
Long weekend and dead end drive are also absolute geniuses.

*Bonus: two classics from the great Roger Donaldson in the
Kiwi
genre.

Great topic.
Back around four or five years ago, I actually had the opportunity to work on some translations for an Australian film festival held right here in the States, so I stumbled upon a few titles that really stuck with me.

Chopper (2000)
Eric Bana gives an absolutely stellar performance as Chopper, a criminal who manages to pen a massive bestseller while serving time behind bars.

Jindabyne (2006)
This is a gripping thriller starring Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne. It follows four friends out fishing who happen upon the body of a young woman. Instead of doing the right thing and calling the cops immediately, they just... keep fishing. Naturally, everything goes to hell from there.

Then there'sAmerican Football (2002)
A truly excellent drama. It’s a beautiful story about the friendship between two young Americans—one white, one Native American—and explores the deep-seated racial and class divides within society and the heavy baggage they carry.

Wolf Creek (2005)
Personally, this is one of the best horror films out there. It’s a brutally realistic story about three young people driving between Sydney and Melbourne 🙂 (or vice versa). Based on a true story, too.

Gettin' Square (2003)
A very charming thriller with touches of comedy. What really sold it for me were the performances; they were phenomenal. Everyone was established except for the lead, Sam Worthington, who was pretty much unknown at the time. The vibe reminds me a bit of those British flicks like Snatch. It’s a great pick if you want something to unwind with—you'll laugh here and there, and the plot actually holds up. Plus, it’s a refreshing break from all that typical American crap we usually see.

So, there you go. A few titles you might not have heard of, but they are definitely worth your time.

edit: Just realized this thread is specifically about movies from the 70s and 80s. Dammit.
My bad.

There is also a documentary covering the era of Ozploitation:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0996966/

Heaven's Burning (1997)



A bloody mess of a romance, pure Ozploitation style,
the role that basically launched Crowe into Hollywood ☕

So it isn't actually Romper Stomper?

Joshua Smith5 said:It really isn't. Romper Stomper?

Yeah, looking back at *Romper Stomper*, you can't deny that Crowe really stood out... he had that presence—it was hard to look away from him, honestly.

It’s only after L.A. Confidential—which hit theaters in '97, the exact same year Heaven's Burning dropped—that we really see that massive breakthrough into the American market, just like I was saying before.

Anyway, I’ve always got a soft spot for those Aussies, and guys like Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe too.

-since we're already diving into movies from the 80s onwards, what's the general consensus on the whole American scene?

Patrick Martin said:It’s right after L.A. Confidential—which also came out in '97—that the real breakthrough into the American market happens, just like I said. That's when Heaven's Burning hits too.

Anyway, I've always had a soft spot for those guys from Down Under. Big fan of Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe.

Same goes for Sam Neill and Guy Pearce.😍

Morgan Brown4 said:Sam Neill and Guy Pearce.😍

Yeah👍
but
only Neill was actually born in Ireland... spent his childhood in New Zealand and then crushed it in Sleeping Dogs—so he went from the land of kiwis to the land of kangaroos before heading back to the States eventually.

Look, Russell Crowe was actually born in New Zealand, Mel Gibson is an American by birth, and Guy Pearce is an Englishman. 😁

Quote : The Great Duck

Casey Cox2 said:

Patrick Martin said:

😁
nah, I'm actually gonna check out Heaven's Burning (1997) instead. looks pretty decent, might

I’ve always had a massive soft spot for American films and series from places like New Zealand... there's just this distinct, unmistakable vibe they bring to the screen that you don't see anywhere else.

Tomorrow, when the war began
It isn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but it has its own certain charm, I suppose... and apparently, there's a sequel coming out next year.

check this out
- super fun, probably would've been a hit with those early Ritchie fans

Anyone interested in this? Might actually dig these reviews too:

Australian feature film "below below", part 1
Australian feature film "below below", part 2

Look, I get the attention to detail here, but skipping over Lee Tamahori and his Once Were Warriors (1994) as one of the massive wins for the Australian feature film back in the nineties is a pretty huge oversight.

And this is another missed opportunity right here

Killer movie—honestly watched it about four times just last month

And what’s wrong with it?



Or maybe



Kudos on starting this thread! 👍

The Castle is a brilliant piece of cinema. While the poster makes it look like a straight-up comedy, it’s actually more of a heartfelt family drama with comedic elements sprinkled in.

I don't know, man, I didn't think
Rogue (2007)



I mean, who actually enjoys watching Patrick Martin's pet goldfish...