Booze, bongs, bombs and Melbourne underground music in an apocalyptic setting. What’s not to like?
Despite having a reputation as a grungy cult classic, the 1988 Ozploitation movie Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em was once considered a ‘long lost Australian film’. Monster Pictures came along a few years ago and gave it a proper DVD release.
According to the official description, the film is a “nuke and puke masterpiece for the post-punk crowd.” According to Classic Cinemas, it is “the drunk radiated mutant cousin of Richard Lowenstein’s Dogs In Space.”
The good news is that this nuke and puke, Dogs in Space mutant is now available to stream on the Australian streaming platform Ozflix.
Here’s the plot, as described by Monster:
“In the smouldering devastation of post nuclear bomb-blasted Melbourne, a periscope protruding from a pile of rubble leads three desperate scavengers to a subterranean fall-out shelter. They muscle their way in, only to discover a raging party in a converted wine cellar, celebrating the Big Meltdown. There’s a band, booze, sex, drugs and a horde of sweat-soaked revellers partying like there is no tomorrow… which for these poor radiation-drenched end-of-the-worlders there isn’t. What choice do the scroungers have but to join in?”
There are many things that Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em unusual, including its running time. At 48 minutes, the film is either a really short feature or a really long short.
The central setting is a post-nuclear fall-out shelter, where teens party like there’s no tomorrow (because there isn’t). Look out for the sight of Kenny and Brothers’ Nest director Clayton Jacobson banging away on the drums.
Never seen it before? Perhaps it’s time to jump into the shelter, slam down a few drinks and party on.
Watch Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em on Ozflix
