Barry McKenzie Holds His Own

If you ever get the chance to see this masterpiece of Australian culture, you will see what a great film this is.

The plot consists of Dame Edna being mistaken for the Queen by Count Erich Von Plasma, a transylvanian vampire and head of a Stalinist state which has no tourist industry. He hopes by kidnapping the queen he will be able to attract tourists.

Edna's nephew Barry and his chums (including a permanently intoxicated Clive James) have to travel into darkest Transylvania (on Vamp-Air) to rescue her. Once Plasma discovers she is Dame Edna and that Norm of Melbourne is not a codename for Prince Phillip, he puts her onto his patent vampometer and is rapidly building up his collection of Chateau Everage.

In the course of this film there are numerous sight gags and sub plots most of which are either racist, sexist or both. The French and the Poms are the main targets, although a scene involving a van loan of illegal immigrants and a DHSS office would not be tolerated if it were filmed today.

Throughout the film, which will make you proud to be an Australian, cans of Fosters are opened with monotonous regularity and Advance Australia Fair is played everytime Barry thinks about his beloved homeland.

This film is funny and different to anything else I've seen and as such is very difficult to describe. All I can say is whatever you do, try and see it.