Ozploitation
Encyclopedia
Ozploitation films are a type of low budget horror
, comedy
and action film
s made in Australia
after the introduction of the R rating in 1971. The year also marked the beginnings of the Australian New Wave
movement, and the Ozploitation style peaked within the same time frame (early 1970s
to late 1980s
). Ozploitation is often considered a smaller wave within the New Wave, "a time when break-neck-action, schlock-horror, ocker
comedy and frisky sex romps joined a uniquely antipodean wave in exploitation cinema".
. Quentin Tarantino
coined the phrase "Aussiesploitation", which director Mark Hartley then shortened to "Ozploitation".
(2003), Wolf Creek
(2005), Rogue
(2007), Daybreakers
(2010), Storm Warning
(2008), and Long Weekend (2008) made in the Ozploitation style. A 2008 feature film, Not Quite Hollywood
, examines the Ozploitation films made during the Australian New Wave. The film includes interviews with Quentin Tarantino
, a long time fan of Ozploitation films. Queensland University of Technology
PhD researcher Mark David Ryan, in the first in-depth study, found that Australian horror film production has trebled from less than 20 films in the 1990s to over 60 films between 2000 and 2008. In an article examining the limitations of cultural policy that attempts to develop the Australian film industry, Ryan (2009) investigates the boom in Australian horror films outside of cultural policy frameworks and public subsidy. The article suggests that 'global forces and emerging production and distribution models are challenging the ‘narrowness’ of cultural policy – a narrowness that mandates a particular film culture, circumscribes certain notions of value and limits the variety of films produced domestically. Despite their low-culture status, horror films have been well suited to the Australian film industry’s financial limitations, they are a growth strategy for producers, and a training ground for emerging filmmakers'.
Australian audiences remain ambivalent about the Ozploitation genre, as such films address themes concerning Australian society which they often find confronting, particularly in respect of masculinity (especially the Ocker
male), male attitudes towards women, attitudes towards and treatment of Indiginous Australians, violence, alcohol, and environmental exploitation and destruction. Such films are also typically given rural or outback
settings which emphasise the Australian landscape and environment as an active and almost spiritually malign force which alienates white Australians and frustrates both their personal ambitions and activities and their attempts to subdue it. This may explain why these films are sometimes categorised as horror. The Ozploitation genre stands in almost stark juxtaposition with other Australian films which attempt to define Australia as a suburban middle-class society of some sophistication, as exemplified by such films as The Getting of Wisdom
, Looking for Alibrandi
, Look Both Ways
, Lantana
, and Picnic at Hanging Rock
(which actually references some aspects of Ozploitation in its malign representation of the Australian landscape). However, there are also notable exceptions in the genre, such as the Urban Gothic
The Devil's Playground (1976), a semi-autobiographical film set behind the walls of the Roman Catholic Church, which so presciently signposts the later exposure of the sexual abuse scandals which continue to rock that church. While generally regarded as being of B movie
status, many Ozploitation films nonetheless offer comment about Australian society at some level of seriousness.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, comedy
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
and action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
s made in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
after the introduction of the R rating in 1971. The year also marked the beginnings of the Australian New Wave
Australian New Wave
The Australian New Wave was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema...
movement, and the Ozploitation style peaked within the same time frame (early 1970s
Australian films of the 1970s
-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...
to late 1980s
Australian films of the 1980s
A list of films produced in Australia by year during the 1980s, in the List of Australian films.-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...
). Ozploitation is often considered a smaller wave within the New Wave, "a time when break-neck-action, schlock-horror, ocker
Ocker
The term "ocker" is used both as a noun and adjective for an Australian who speaks and acts in an uncultured manner, using a broad Australian accent...
comedy and frisky sex romps joined a uniquely antipodean wave in exploitation cinema".
Background
The origin of the term "Ozploitation" is credited to the documentary Not Quite HollywoodNot Quite Hollywood
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! is a 2008 Australian documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and '80s low-budget cinema...
. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
coined the phrase "Aussiesploitation", which director Mark Hartley then shortened to "Ozploitation".
Notable films
Some notable films from the New Wave era include:- Alvin PurpleAlvin PurpleAlvin Purple was a 1973 Australian comedy film starring Graeme Blundell, written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall.It received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this it was a major hit with Australian audiences...
- Wake in FrightWake in FrightWake in Fright is a 1971 Australian film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence and Chips Rafferty. The screenplay was written by Evan Jones, based on Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name....
(the original film of the genre, recently restored) - Don's PartyDon's PartyDon's Party is a 1971 play by David Williamson set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The film based on the play was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
- BMX BanditsBMX Bandits (film)BMX Bandits is a 1983 Australian children's adventure film featuring one of Nicole Kidman's earliest appearances.The film follows the exploits of two young BMX experts, P.J. and Goose , and their friend Judy , also starring James Mackay as the bike mechanic, after stumbling upon a box of...
- WalkaboutWalkabout (film)Walkabout is a 1971 film set in Australia, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg and David Gulpilil. Edward Bond wrote the screenplay, which is loosely based on the novel Walkabout by James Vance Marshall...
- Howling IIIHowling IIIHowling III is a 1987 Australian horror sequel to The Howling, directed by Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch director Philippe Mora and filmed on location in and outside Sydney, Australia...
- Mad MaxMad MaxMad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
- Long Weekend
- RazorbackRazorback (film)Razorback is a 1984 Australian film, based on Peter Brennan's novel, written by Everett De Roche, and directed by Russell Mulcahy who would later make the first two of the Highlander trilogy...
- JindabyneJindabyne (film)Jindabyne is a 2006 Australian drama film by director Ray Lawrence and starring an ensemble cast including Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney, Deborra-Lee Furness and John Howard. Jindabyne was filmed entirely on location in and around the town of the same name: Jindabyne, New South Wales, situated next...
- Patrick (film)Patrick (film)Patrick is a 1978 Australian horror film directed by Richard Franklin and written by Everett De Roche. It is the pivotal movie of respected Australian director Richard Franklin's career.-Plot summary:...
- The Man from Hong KongThe Man from Hong KongThe Man from Hong Kong, known in the U.S.A. as The Dragon Flies is a 1975 action film that was the first Australian-Hong Kong co-production being filmed in both nations. The film was also the first Australian martial arts film. It was produced by Raymond Chow and John Fraser, directed by Brian...
- Dead End Drive-InDead End Drive-InDead End Drive-In is a 1986 Australian New Wave film about a teenage couple trapped in a drive-in theater which is really a concentration camp for societal rejects. The inmates, many of whom sport punk fashion, are fed a steady diet of junk food, New Wave music, drugs, and bad movies.The film was...
- Turkey ShootTurkey Shoot (film)Turkey Shoot is a 1982 Australian dystopian futurist exploitation film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith notable for its extreme violence and sadistic prison sequences...
- El Monstro Del Mar
- Arigato Baby
- Mad Dog MorganMad Dog MorganMad Dog Morgan is a 1976 Australian bushranger film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson and David Gulpilil. It is based upon the life of Dan Morgan...
- Wolf CreekWolf Creek (film)Wolf Creek is a 2005 independent Australian horror film written, co-produced and directed by Greg McLean. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive by a serial killer in the Australian outback...
- Crocodile DundeeCrocodile Dundee"Crocodile" Dundee is a 1986 Australian comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as Sue Charlton....
- Evil Angels
- Ned KellyNed Kelly (1970 film)Ned Kelly is a 1970 British adventure film. It was the second Australian feature film version of the story of 19th century Australian bushranger Ned Kelly....
- The Devil's Playground
- Fair GameFair Game (1986 film)Fair Game is a 1986 Australian action thriller film directed by Mario Andreacchio from a screenplay by Rob George.A young woman who runs a wildlife sanctuary in the Outback is menaced by three kangaroo hunters who have entered the sanctuary looking for new game....
Ozploitation today
Ozploitation is experiencing something of a revivial in recent years with films: UndeadUndead (film)
Undead is a 2003 Australian zombie horror comedy film written and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig and starring Felicity Mason, Mungo McKay and Rob Jenkins...
(2003), Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek (film)
Wolf Creek is a 2005 independent Australian horror film written, co-produced and directed by Greg McLean. The story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive by a serial killer in the Australian outback...
(2005), Rogue
Rogue (film)
War is a 2007 American action thriller film, directed by Phillip G. Atwell who makes his film debut, with fight choreography by Corey Yuen. The film was released in North America on August 24, 2007 and stars action film actors Jet Li and Jason Statham, making their second collaboration after the...
(2007), Daybreakers
Daybreakers
Daybreakers is a 2009 science-fiction horror film written and directed by Australian filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig. The film takes place in 2019, where a plague has turned most of the planet's human population into vampires. A vampiric corporation sets out to capture and farm the remaining...
(2010), Storm Warning
Storm Warning (2007 film)
Storm Warning is a 2007 Australian horror film directed by Urban Legend director Jamie Blanks.-Plot:Rob and Pia, a couple who are out for a day of sailing become lost in a heavy storm and end up on a desolate island. They come across a barn with no one home. There is a large amount of marijuana in...
(2008), and Long Weekend (2008) made in the Ozploitation style. A 2008 feature film, Not Quite Hollywood
Not Quite Hollywood
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! is a 2008 Australian documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and '80s low-budget cinema...
, examines the Ozploitation films made during the Australian New Wave. The film includes interviews with Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, a long time fan of Ozploitation films. Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
PhD researcher Mark David Ryan, in the first in-depth study, found that Australian horror film production has trebled from less than 20 films in the 1990s to over 60 films between 2000 and 2008. In an article examining the limitations of cultural policy that attempts to develop the Australian film industry, Ryan (2009) investigates the boom in Australian horror films outside of cultural policy frameworks and public subsidy. The article suggests that 'global forces and emerging production and distribution models are challenging the ‘narrowness’ of cultural policy – a narrowness that mandates a particular film culture, circumscribes certain notions of value and limits the variety of films produced domestically. Despite their low-culture status, horror films have been well suited to the Australian film industry’s financial limitations, they are a growth strategy for producers, and a training ground for emerging filmmakers'.
Australian audiences remain ambivalent about the Ozploitation genre, as such films address themes concerning Australian society which they often find confronting, particularly in respect of masculinity (especially the Ocker
Ocker
The term "ocker" is used both as a noun and adjective for an Australian who speaks and acts in an uncultured manner, using a broad Australian accent...
male), male attitudes towards women, attitudes towards and treatment of Indiginous Australians, violence, alcohol, and environmental exploitation and destruction. Such films are also typically given rural or outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
settings which emphasise the Australian landscape and environment as an active and almost spiritually malign force which alienates white Australians and frustrates both their personal ambitions and activities and their attempts to subdue it. This may explain why these films are sometimes categorised as horror. The Ozploitation genre stands in almost stark juxtaposition with other Australian films which attempt to define Australia as a suburban middle-class society of some sophistication, as exemplified by such films as The Getting of Wisdom
The Getting of Wisdom (film)
The Getting of Wisdom is a 1977 Australian film based on a novel by the same name by Henry Handel Richardson and directed by Bruce Beresford. Set in 1890s Victoria, Laura enters an exclusive Melbourne ladies' college...
, Looking for Alibrandi
Looking for Alibrandi
Looking for Alibrandi is a 1999 Australian film written by Melina Marchetta based on the novel of the same name. The film sets in the 1990s Sydney, New South Wales and starring Australian actors, including Pia Miranda as Josephine Alibrandi, the film's main character, Anthony LaPaglia as her...
, Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways is a 2005 Australian independent film, written and directed by Sarah Watt, starring an ensemble cast, which was released on 18 August 2005. The film was supported by the Adelaide Film Festival fund and opened the 2005 festival. It won four AFI Awards, including Best Film and Best...
, Lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
, and Picnic at Hanging Rock
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1967 drama and mystery novel by Australian author Joan Lindsay. She wrote it over a four-week period at her home Mulberry Hill in Baxter, on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. It was first published in 1967 in Australia by Cheshire Publishing and was released in...
(which actually references some aspects of Ozploitation in its malign representation of the Australian landscape). However, there are also notable exceptions in the genre, such as the Urban Gothic
Urban Gothic
Urban Gothic was a horror based series of short stories shown on Five running for two series between May 2000 and December 2001. Filmed on a comparatively low budget, it nonetheless acquired a cult following despite its late air time and the patchy coverage of Five...
The Devil's Playground (1976), a semi-autobiographical film set behind the walls of the Roman Catholic Church, which so presciently signposts the later exposure of the sexual abuse scandals which continue to rock that church. While generally regarded as being of B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
status, many Ozploitation films nonetheless offer comment about Australian society at some level of seriousness.
Nomenclature
Having been identified and defined, there has been some suggestion in recent times that the Ozploitation genre should be renamed Australian Gothic.External links
- Ozploitation article @ THE DEUCE: Grindhouse Cinema Database