Long Weekend  (1979)
Directed by Colin Eggleston. Starring John Hargreaves , Briony Behets, Mike McEwen , Roy Day , and Micheal Aitkens.
This seldom seen Australian thriller is yet another mankind vs. nature movie , and is a lot better than most . It's all about a couple called Peter and Marcia , who's marriage is on the rocks. Peter has just spent a couple of grand on camping gear , seemingly just to annoy Marcia , who detests the passtime . Much to Marcias disgust , they are going camping at an isolated coastal area. Marcia complains to a friend on the phone that she'd rather spend the long weekend in a resort somewhere . In the background , a news story on television is reporting on Cockatoos attacking homes and causing quite a bit of damage ( something that has actually happened here in Australia from time to time) . Peter arrives home , and he's pretty pleased with himself. Not only has he bought all that camping gear , but he's just bought a brand new lever action rifle.
The two set off , and the atmosphere in their 4WD is icy to say the least. When they finally get to the camping spot , they find that they've got it all to themselves. Neither of them are exactly Greenpeace activists . Marcia spends the morning spraying every insect within a hundred metres with flyspray , while Peter chops down trees for no apparent reason , and shoots anything that moves ( and even things that don't move). This is when things start to get really strange.
First of all , their food inexplicably goes off in no time at all ( even the microbes are against them) . Then a number of our cute and fuzzy freinds begin to attack the couple..... the ones that Peter hasn't blown the piss out of , that is. They also start hearing bizarre noises . Peter shoots a Dugong ( an Australian sea mammal similar to a Manitee) which is minding its own business off the coast. This really makes all hell break loose. The Dugong washes up on the beach , and every time the couple go down there , the carcasse has moved up the beach closer , and closer to their camp. Although they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer , the couple finally realise they're in major trouble.
Being used to almost all of my favorite horror movies taking place in faroff countries , it's always great to see one set in familiar surroundings . This is a very eerie movie , a feel that is aided greatly by the soundtrack. And I do mean soundtrack as in sounds . It is mainly comprised of animal noises , and other sounds , with very little music. It helps to give it that quality that other films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , and The Hills Have Eyes acheived with a similar use of sounds. It's a very simplistic movie , with no sets , an almost exclusive bush setting , and only two characters . This aids it greatly , creating a very taut little thriller. It's the perfect recipe for a successful ultra- low budget film . It also manages to stay relatively plausible by not going overboard with the animal attacks , and keeping things subtle while maintaining a constant feeling of dread . It's a pity that this is so obscure , because it really is one of the better 'nature fighting back' movies. Well worth hunting for.
Entertainment : 4 out of 4
Watchability : 2 out of 4
Overall : 3 out of 4
Reviewed by Blake.
If you like this , you may like :
The Hills Have Eyes
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