Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em is a 1988 Australian short feature about an underground party held in post-apocalyptic Melbourne. The film is a product of nuclear anxiety at the height of the Cold War, and is considered a cult classic today.[1]
| Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ray Boseley |
| Written by | Ray Boseley |
| Starring | Nique Needles |
Release date |
|
Running time | 48 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Premise
editThe city of Melbourne is destroyed in a nuclear strike. In the suburb of Elwood, three survivors chance upon the entrance to a fallout shelter. To their surprise, they are invited in by a large group of people somehow throwing a wild underground party with live rock bands and a massive supply of alcohol. Knowing they have days or hours to live, all are determined to see out the end of the world in the most decadent manner possible. The film leaves it ambiguous as to whether the events depicted are reality or a hallucination.
Cast
edit- Nique Needles
- Rob Howard
- Fred Dugina
- Danny Lillford
- Clayton Jacobson
Production
editThe film originated as a film school project at Swinburne from Ray Boseley. It was funded from a grant by the Independent Filmmakers' Fund at Film Victoria and the Creative Development Branch of the Australian Film Commission.[2]
Release
editThe film released in 1988.[3] In May 2020 the film screened at Monster Fest in Australia.[4]
Reception
editReviewing the DVD re-release The Curb wrote "When the rest of the world was making Threads, Miracle Mile and The Day After, Australia was busy making Smoke ‘Em If You’ve Got ‘Em. Writer/director Ray Boseley plugs in the amp, loads up the bong, and turns off the lights for the party to end all parties as he brings the nuclear apocalypse to the Elwood, Melbourne. This 1988 raucous punk affair runs for a brisk 48 minutes, making good on the promise that once the bombs hit, you don’t have long to live, so you best have one heck of a time while you’re going out. "[5]
According to the Oz Movies website, the film is "certainly more fun than watching other Australian post-apocalyptic movies, such as John Duigan's dull, well-meaning One Night Stand, or the wretched On the Beach, which shares Melbourne as a location, but in the Stanley Kramer way offers not a shred of nihilistic, anarchistic, Swinburnian Melburnian humour."[6]
References
edit- ^ "Ozploitation classic Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em now available to stream". Flicks. 16 June 2018.
- ^ "FILM INTERVIEW SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM -Ray Boseley Interview". Subculture Media. 5 May 2020.
- ^ "Monster Masters Launches With Post-Apocalyptic Classic SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM". ScreenAnarchy. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "VIDEO HOADERS Season Finale Headlines Final FRIDAY FRIGHT NIGHT!". Monster Fest. 2 May 2020.
- ^ Peirce, Andrew F (14 January 2019). "Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em Review". The Curb. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em - Availability". Oz Movies.
External links
edit- Film page at Oz Movies
- Film page at IMDb
- Film listing at Monster pictures
- Film page at Letterbox DVD