From Trash to TreasureQUT PRESS RELEASE 28/07/11
When the home of Brisbane's biggest cult film collection shut down last year, many were left wondering "how do I get my hands on the latest underground zombie offerings now?"
This is a question QUT film and television lecturer and resident horror expert Dr Mark Ryan also pondered but thanks to the formation of a partnership between himself and Trash Video's owner, Andrew Leavold, and Alice Steiner, a QUT Creative Industries librarian, B-grade film lovers and movie boffins need go no further than the University's library.
The QUT Library's collection of Trash Videos will give access not only to students, but the community at large, to one of the country's biggest collections of Ozploitation and art house films that had been lovingly acquired by Trash Video during its 15-year lifespan.
Dr Ryan said though the collection was not usual fodder for a university library, the QUT Trash Video collection was priceless in terms of education for his film students.
"From a researcher's point of view it's awesome to be able to have a collection like this - when I did my research I almost primarily used the Trash Video collection, so it's important not to lose that,'' he said.
"The National Archive didn't necessarily keep a lot of the obscure titles and main chain stores certainly didn't stock them either.
"In the past there was definitely a tendency to write out genre and B-grade films from Australian film history and university level teachings often focused more on the likes of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Crocodile Dundee. But in recent years there has been a rediscovery of our genre heritage and a renaissance in genre movies such as Tomorrow When the War Began, Wolf Creek and Daybreakers. As a result, film courses are increasingly teaching Aussie genre and cult-titles."
Ms Steiner said the QUT Trash Video Collection, which includes titles such as 1906 silent movie The Story Of The Kelly Gang, The Last Of The Knucklemen (1979), The Peter Weir Short Film Collection, released in 2005, and Ozploitation classics such as The Adventures Of Barry McKenzie (1972), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), The Naked Bunyip (1970) and Dead End Drive-In (1986), would "hand a life-line" to obscure titles.
"It's definitely a niche market. We aren't aware of any other university to have a collection as extensive as this one," she said.
"It's all about having the cutting edge resources and being able to break the divide between high and low culture. We don't turn our nose up at any material because at the end of the day our students are learning about the entertainment industry and this is certainly entertainment."
Mr Leavold, whose collection has even attracted the likes of legendary Australian actor, the late Charles "Bud" Tingwell, said genre films were slowly being recognised as a genuine art form in their own right.
"Ten years ago 'genre' was a dirty word at the university level. Now we're at a stage where we are pioneering into forgotten film territories," he said.
"The kick for me is keeping the old, obscure, neglected, classic and forgotten titles in circulation."
QUT Staff and students can borrow the titles from the QUT Kelvin Grove Library and community members can watch them for free in the library's new media rooms or borrow them by becoming associate library members for an annual fee.
Cult Treasures Rescued From TrashStory by Katherine Feeney, July 30, 2011 - 12:45AM [Syndicated via The Age, Brisbane Times and Sydney Morning Herald]
Good news local film fans, West End's much loved alternative movie store Trash Video is back.
Sort of.
The Queensland University of Technology has acquired a hefty range of classic cult films from Andrew Leavold, the colourful cinema guru and filmmaker behind the now-closed movie library.
Over 500 zombie flicks and Ozploitation reels like Alvin Purple, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie and Mad Dog Morgan are now firmly ensconced in the university's archives at Kelvin Grove.
Mark Ryan, QUTs horror movie expert, said that the swag was a boon for students and the public who will be able to rent titles or watch for free on campus at the library's new media rooms.
Dr Ryan said many of the movies collected by Mr Leavold over his shop's 15 year history were no longer in general circulation.
"The National Archive doesn't necessarily keep a lot of the obscure titles and main chain stores certainly don't stock them either,” he said.
“From a researcher's point of view it's awesome to be able to have a collection like this.”
Mr Leavold, director of the Filipino B-film industry documentary The Search for Weng-Weng, said the acquisition was a sign academia had come to appreciate the merit of genre cinema.
"Ten years ago 'genre' was a dirty word at the university level,” he said.
“Now we're at a stage where we are pioneering into forgotten film territories.
"The kick for me is keeping the old, obscure, neglected, classic and forgotten titles in circulation."
Dr Ryan said film historians had a tendency to write off genre and B-grade films from Australian film history.
He said university level teachings often focused more on the likes of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Crocodile Dundee, though recent years witnessed a renaissance in genre movies such as Tomorrow When the War Began, Wolf Creek and Daybreakers.
“As a result, film courses are increasingly teaching Aussie genre and cult-titles," Dr Ryan said.
“When I did my research I almost primarily used the Trash Video collection, so it's important not to lose that.”
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