For reasons I now forget, I queued up "Alvin Purple" on my Quickflix list, and it turned up the other day. It may have been the Tim Burstall connection, as I had watched "Stork" again not so long ago, which in turn was inspired by "Oz", and I won't bore you further about that chain-of-command.
Now, I saw AP first many years ago, probably at the cinema, and then again ... what ... 10, 15 years ago? Whatever, the only scenes I could remember were the opening, on the tram heading down, I would now say, Royal Parade (which before I would have bet was St Kilda Rd), and he confronts our own Abigail. I still think of, and use, the "Jeez you've got nice tits", line to this day.
And the second is when he rides his bicycle into the garage door at the (Nth Balwyn?) home of his teacher, whose wife is committing almost-but-not-quite statutory rape on the schoolboy Alvin.
The film was and is notorious for many reasons, not for its Brian Cadd soundtrack but more for the full-frontal nudity that was exceptional for its time in mainstream cinema, (In the interviews Jacki Weaver talks about her nude scene with nostalgic coyness), and possibly for its conceits that a) women not only enjoy sex but b) go after it.
Of course, we all know some guys who are "lookers", in that they have that certain, special something that attracts women. Invariably we shake our heads in wonder.
After watching the film, I see that there are some extras, so I have a look and there is a contemporary "making of .." documentary, which is truly fascinating, and some much later interviews with the main people that you can miss no worries.
So I watched the "making of" and then so educated, I soberly watched the movie again, just now.
It's terrific. Ok, it's a piece of Aussie junk but it has a good story; good script (written by Aussie playwright and actor); and chock full of nostalgic icons like Crest Lager, Chrysler Chargers, and footage of Melbourne in the good old days.
I highly recommend it for a fun night in. If the Catholic Church got upset by "Life of Brian", one can only gleefully imagine their apoplexy at the idea of nuns getting hot for Alvin as he keeps the convent's garden.
Note the soundtrack at this point: "Gingerman" in an early Cadd arrangement.
