Woop Woop - Terra de Malucos

Director Stephan Elliott had a big hit with "Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" back in 1994. This is his 1997 followup which was a huge bomb. I like it, but it's easy to see why it failed.

A con man (Jonathan Schaech) travels to Australia to kidnap some rare exotic birds (don't ask). He is unexpectedly sexually attacked by a VERY aggressive young woman, and she knocks him out, drugs him and takes him to her hometown, Woop Woop, and proclaims he's her husband. Woop Woop is in the middle of nowhere, has a population of 50 and is definetely a strange place--Rodgers + Hammerstein songs are blasting from speakers all day (!!!), they kill kangaroos and make them into dog food and no one is ever allowed to leave the town. Schaech wants out...but can he make it?

To say this movie is bizarre is an understatement--it's VERY weird! Everyone overacts to the extreme (especially Schaech) and wear very weird, colorful costumes (I mean that in a good way). The script goes rambling all over the place, most lines make no sense and then there's the non-stop R&H songs! Still, it is very funny (if a little sick at times) and you can't take your eyes away from it.

The acting is, as I said, over the top but great. Schaech gets right in the mood of things from the beginning--he's very lighthearted, grinning continuously and gives his all to his lines. He's also handsome and hunky and has a few nude scenes. Also Rod Taylor chews the scenery again, and again, and again, and AGAIN as Daddy-O--the leader of the town.

It does lag a little at the end and it's definetely not for all tastes but totally off-beat and fun--particularly the opening in NYC and the last scene with...well, you'll know! A must-see for R&H fans.

I tell you folks, that was THE FUNNIEST line of irreverent dialogue I've ever heard! Seriously, I can somewhat understand why Aussies who have reviewed this very smart, funny and VERY whacky film are besides themselves over the stereotypes and how some of their brethren are depicted here. Now, yet another group of people understands and feels what minorities everywhere feel when the same type of satire is done to them, but to an extreme! But, hey! Loosen up a bit-just let that "Breezer" rip! It's all good! I exchange emails with several Aussie folks Down There regularly, and they seem to talk and act very much as I do. So I can watch this film knowing that what I see is "over the top" in it's characterization, and NOT indicative of all Australians. Every ethnic group has it's "lower elements" for sure. But, I'm sorry, this was some hilarious stuff! All these characters were two sandwiches shy of a picnic! I've always been a Rod Taylor fan, and he steals this flick wholeheartedly. That guy is still one of the finest actors still working, and I know he's up there in age now. These folks live in a world far removed from reality. The remarks ("beef curtains", etc) are fresh (most of us here in the US have NEVER heard these expressions) and the whole town gathering nightly for 'Rogers & Hammerstein' movies (and a LOT of beer guzzeling) as the high point of another dreary day reminded me of the Wizard Of Oz's munchkins singing. Yup, sure enough, the plot had some holes for sure, but otherwise, the performances were great, from Johnathan Saaech on down.

I flat out loved this film. It was quite a pleasant surprise and yes, I agree it has cult status written ALL over it! See it for a monster laugh! I'll be willing to bet it caused quite an uproar when released!

One of the wonderful aspects of cinema is that all the various originality of a culture can be presented, in any combination, with their indigenous visual and aural realities. The arid outback, the aussie dialect, and the Down Under idea of Wacky combine in this oh-so-funny film to bring you to tears from laughing so hard. You'll find yourself rewinding to see a great slapstick scene again, or to hear exactly what someone said. A quick take will clarify a confusing one several scenes earlier causing renewed laughter yet again. When the credits began rolling I began laughing again at remembered shots still teasing my memory. And laughter isn't all this film has to offer - bits of poignance, ire, and mystery are added to the recipe to round out its flavor. The story could only have been told in Australia by Australians to acheive so great result. So, Laugh me dead, Mate, if this wasn't a gem of a film!

Set in the Australian outback you might have thought this movie would have had more in common to the directors previous movie Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The (1994). At the London Film Festical screening director Stephan Elliot started off before the screening that this definitely wasn't the case, and telling us it was about the more obnoxious of his country folk.

This shows a side of Australia that is being rather swept under the carpet. Although raucous and rude in the first half of the movie the mood turns darker towards the end.

And don't forget to wait till after the credits end for an amusing extra.

There are some very funny scenes including Barry Humphries as a blind petrol pump attendant - which so outraged the US lead that he had to spend time recovering in his trailer - it was done fortunately in one take with Humphries ad libbing the scene. And an excellent performance by Rod Taylor as the leader of the community.

Shot in the height of the summer, due to Stephan Elliot becoming ill just before the original start date, the crew needed 36,000 gallons of water per day to survive and in one scene they had to fit the dogs in the scene with shoes to allow them to run across the set.

How can you give a bad rating to this film? This movie rocks. It is so unique and different. Just imagine that you are a grifter that a mobster is trying to kill. Oh yeah, you catch and sell cocateaus (I think that is how you spell it). So you decide to run off to Australia (you can catch some of those birds there). However, while you are in Australia you end up having sex with a lovely lady, who drugs you and marries you while you are passed out. Then she takes you to live on a compound deep in the outback that is run by her charismatic and psychotic father. Played incredibly by Rod Taylor. OK that is enough, you have to watch the rest and you will be happy that you did. This movie is eye and ear candy!