STACK #139 May 2016

FEATURE DVD & BD

KEY FIGURES

Antony I. Ginnane Described by Richard Franklin as "Australia's Roger Corman", this enterprising producer was a driving force in Ozploitation during its heyday, recognising the

potential of homegrown exploitation flicks with an eye on the foreign market. His credits include Patrick , Thirst (1979), Harlequin (1980), Dead Kids (1982), and Turkey Shoot (1982).

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Former promo director for Channel 9 and documentary maker who turned his hand to Ozploitation with the STD exposé The Love Epidemic (1975). A favourite of Quentin Tarantino, BTS has contributed classics like The Man from Hong Kong (1975), Turkey Shoot , BMX Bandits (1983) and Dead End Drive-In (1986).

declares the tagline to this genuinely creepy two-hander, which unsettles through a sense of escalating dread and eerie ambience. No introduction to Ozploitation would be complete without a look at Mad Max (1979) and its knockout sequel, Mad Max 2 (1981), which sent Australian cinema hooning down an exciting new highway. Set in futures dystopian and post-apocalypse, respectively, Dr. Miller's motorised masterpieces epitomise the maverick moviemaking synonymous with Ozploitation, and Australia's love affair with the automobile. And he's still doing it: Mad Max: Fury Road

fried, your senses assaulted, experienced a fierce surge of patriotism, or all of the above. You're ready to "take the trip" that is Stone (1974) – Sandy Harbutt's cult biker movie and

DVD & BD

drive-in perennial about an undercover cop who infiltrates a Sydney biker gang, the Grave Diggers, to catch a killer. Aussie monster movie Razorback (1984) is also required viewing. Touted as " Jaws in the outback" and shot like a music video by director Russell Mulcahy, this tale

Everett De Roche A TV writer for Crawford Productions in the early '70s before penning screenplays for some of the very best Ozploitation films: Patrick , Long Weekend , Harlequin , Road Games , and Razorback . Sadly, De Roche passed away in April 2014, aged 67.

(2015) has a massive budget and six Oscars, but it's still an Ozploitation film at heart. No Ozploitation education would be complete without Brian Trenchard-Smith's "blood and thunder shocker" Turkey Shoot (1982), which the director describes as "a genre cocktail". And it's an intoxicating brew of graphic violence, sleaze and explosive action, as

of an oversized feral boar on the rampage also features appropriately hammy performances from its human cast. " Rear Window through a truck windscreen" is one way to describe Road Games (1981), an anitipodean Hitchcock homage from Patrick 's Richard Franklin. Trucker Stacy Keach plays

amateur sleuth to catch a killer on the Nullabor in this quality thriller that transcends its exploitation pedigree. And scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis is along for the ride. Local distributor and Ozploitation specialist Umbrella Entertainment will re-release the DVD, together with a Blu-ray edition, on July 6.

Grant Page Stuntman and sometime actor, Page left an indelible imprint on Ozploitation action as stunt co-ordinator on The Man from Hong Kong , Deathcheaters (1976), Mad Max and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).

prisoners are hunted by the elite in a most dangerous game. Critics despised it and star Lynda Stoner calls it "puerile crap" – what more recommendation do you need? FURTHER VIEWING By now you should be well and truly hooked on the wild and wacky world of Ozploitation, had your brain

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