Distributor:
Roadshow Home Entertainment Certificate: R18+ | 2
Disc Set
Director: Timothy
Burstall Rent or Buy Release Date: 5 August 2004
Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Graeme Blundell, Eli McClure, Lynette Curran, Abigail,
Jacki Weaver
WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
ALVIN PURPLE – Made in 1973 Alvin (Graeme Blundell) is
pretty much your average Joe
with the bonus of being
irresistible to women, the movie
moving from one sexual situation
to another; ALVIN RIDES AGAIN
made the following year sees
Alvin still a stud muffin but
with a plot twist in Alvin
having to impersonate notorious
gangster Balls McGee who
coincidentally happens to be
Alvin’s double.
SO
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Alvin Purple was one of the biggest hits of 1970’s
Australian cinema – a sex comedy that certainly kickstarted a whole
rash of similarly themed movies, however director Tim Burstall
apparently saw the movie as more about our obsession with sex and also a
look at the sex therapists then popping up all over the place – it’s
also very funny.
Alvin Rides Again is a different kettle of fish, still
focused on the sex aspect but looking more of a cash in, the big problem
being Alvin himself is not in it enough although it does feature Abigail
in the nude.
Judged against some of the outrageous fare we are subjected
to these days Alvin probably doesn’t
need to have an R18+ rating, it sure is goog though to see vintage
Aussie classics getting a release and it’s good to know that Roadshow
will be releasing more classics in the coming months.
Both Alvin Purple and Alvin Rides Again are more than worth
a look and not just for the parade of famous Australian actresses
getting nakie but also as a reminder of an era when to be an Australian
man wasn’t a bad thing.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
Both discs have a solid batch of extras. ALVIN PURPLE
includes a very fascinating 50 minute original documentary from 1973
directed by the infamous Brian Trenchard-Smith which features loads of
behind the scenes footage and interviews, there are also contemporary
interviews with cast and crew on both discs as well as cast and crew
filmographies, photo galleries and the original cinema trailers. ALVIN
RIDES AGAIN also features a short (12 minute) movie called Six Days
Straight directed by Michael Duigan from the Australian Film and
Television school.
HEXAGON PICTURES
Hexagon Pictures who made both Alvin movies was put together by Village Roadshow,
director Tim Burstall and producersDavid Bilcock and Robin Copping. Following Burstall’s death
earlier this year Roadshow are releasing much of the Hexagon archive on
DVD, after Alvin, on October 7th comes Stork, Last of
the Knucklemen, Eliza Fraser, Endplay, High Rolling and Petersen. These
will be released individually and as a box set that also features the Alvin movies.
