Midnite Spares

1983 / Director. Quentin Masters.

Bruce Spence, David Argue, Max Cullen, Terry Camilleri, Graeme Blundell and Tony Barry... now if those names appearing in the same movie aren't a drawcard then you might want to scrub up on your Aussie movie knowledge. Add to the cast Gia Carides (making her debut) and Jono Coleman and you get a weird, chaotic and uniquely Australian film. All of these players are great and the look of the film, with it's seedy criminal element & politically incorrect ethnic stereotypes, is wonderful. Set amongst the world of dogey panel beaters and speedway racing, it tells the story of a young man who returns to his home suburb in search of his father. Everyone seems to know something about his dad's disappearance but no one wants to talk about it... and so he sets upon finding out. Almost every character in the film is shady. They're all filthy and about as bogan as you get. It's darkly comical and the ensemble cast makes it a really fun watch. My only criticism is that's it's too disorderly and chaotic. The actual story gets lost in it's frantic penchant for car chases, crashes and explosions. It's really dark, too. Most of the action takes place at night and I am baffled as to why all of the mechanics and panel beaters operate in dimly lit workshops. All the same, it's another gem from the classic era of Ozploitation filmmaking. 

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