Tagarchief: Ozploitation

Cult Radar: Part 8

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon is glad to explore the video trenches to find that oddball treasure between the piles of crap out there. Of Course, a treasure in this context can also be a film that’s so shockingly bad it’s worth a look, or something so bizarre that cult fans just have to see it. Join us on our quest and learn what we learn. Hopefully we’ll uncover some well-hidden cult gems.

Researched by: Jeppe Kleijngeld

Roadgames (Australia, 1981)

Directed by: Richard Franklin
Written by: Richard Franklin, Everett De Roche
Cast: Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marion Edward, Grant Page

Pat Quid (Stacy Keach) is an American ‘truckie’ in Australia, assigned to drive a load of pork from Melbourne to Perth. Along the road in the outback, he gets suspicious of a fellow driver. He suspects the man might be a wanted serial killer and shares his suspicions with hitchhiker Pamela (Jamie Lee Curtis). Then she vanishes and the deadly cat and mouse game with the killer really takes off. Roadgames is an Ozploitation flick released in 2008 by Optimum Home Entertainment, who released many other Ozploitation classics around that time following the success of Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation (2008). It is clearly inspired by Hitchcock of whom director Richard Franklin (Patrick, Psycho II) is a major fan. Although the screenplay certainly has elements of engaging mystery, an adequate dosage of tension is missing in its direction. The musical score is composed by Mad Max’s Brian May (not to be confused by Queen’s Brian May). The killer is portrayed by famous Australian stunt performer Grant Page.

The Car (USA, 1977)

Directed by: Elliot Silverstein
Written by: Michael Butler Dennis Shryack, Lane Slate
Cast: James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley

A large, black two-door sedan is killing people randomly in a small desert town, blaring its horn rhythmically whenever it makes a kill. There doesn’t appear to be a driver in the car, as if Evil itself is behind the steering wheel. Sheriff Wade Parent (James Brolin) must find a way to stop the sedan, while also protecting his beloved ones. The Car is an unusual and entertaining thriller from the director of Cat Ballou. Although the dialogues and some of the acting sucks, the pretty awesome car action, the surroundings (Utah) and some eerie moments make it a decent movie in its kind.

Patrick (Australia, 1978)

Directed by: Richard Franklin
Written by: Everett De Roche
Cast: Susan Penhaligon, Robert Thompson, Robert Helpmann

A comatose killer named Patrick uses psychokinesis to infiltrate the life of his new nurse, the attractive Kathy (Penhaligon). Low budget ozzy flick does little to shock the viewer. It is, however, stylishly directed by director Franklin, who knows some tricks to create suspense. The cinematography and editing are also pretty well done. Thompson is at times effectively scary as Patrick, but because the film is overlong and outdated, he won’t get much shock out of the contemporary viewer.

Long Weekend (Australia, 1978)

Directed by: Colin Eggleston
Written by: Everett De Roche
Cast: John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwan

‘Their crime was against nature… Nature found them guilty.’ When this is your tagline, you know you got a potential cult classic on your hands. Long Weekend is about a loathsome couple who head into nature for a camping trip. They arrive at a beautiful, abandoned beach area and start treating nature like shit. Their irreverent behavior causes repugnance from the viewer. Luckily nature feels the same way and gives them what they got coming. Hilarious when you think about it and very satisfying as well. From the writer of Patrick and Roadgames and the director of Fantasm Comes Again comes a very awesome Australian cult flick. Besides funny, Long Weekend is also effectively chilling when it needs to be. Excellent work.

Election (Hong Kong, 2005)
OT: Hak se wui

Directed by: Johnnie To
Written by: Nai-Hoi Yau, Tin-Shing Yip
Cast: Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Louis Koo

Stylish crime film by Johnnie To about the election of a new Triad boss. Two rivals, Big D and Lok, both want the position which leads to a bloody internal battle. What is always good about Johnnie To’s gangster flicks is that there is a slight absurd touch about them. Election also has this in spades. The result is a violent, comical Hong Kong movie that offers some insight into the workings of a Triad family. Followed one year later by Election 2.


Patrick

Turkey Shoot

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Written by: Jon George, Neill D. Hicks
Cast: Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig

Year / Country: 1982, Australia
Running Time: 90 mins.

If you are in the mood for some real Ozzy exploitation (ozploitation), you should definitely check out Turkey Shoot. Ridiculously bloody kills? Check. Boobs? Check. Campy humour? Check. Turkey Shoot, also known as Escape 2000, definitely scores quite high on the benchmark for exploitation value.

The screenplay for this movie was not a contender for the Academy Awards. Because of the overpopulation, society has plunged into chaos. To regain control, the government sets up tightly run camps. Whoever doesn’t conform to society’s rules is sent to one of these DEATHCAMPS (Well, that is what it comes down to anyway).

Three innocents are sent to Camp 97 for re-education and behaviour modification. Their stay there is supposed to make them ‘better assets to society’. However, the main dude (Railsback) keeps on challenging the sadistic camp chief Thatcher, so he and four others are selected for the ‘Turkey Shoot’ in which deviants are hunted by the rich and cruel in the forest surrounding the camp. Railsback’s character turns out to be quite a hard target for the hunters.

The first half of this film is a little boring, but as soon as the Turkey Shoot begins, it gets a lot better. The fun of these manhunt movies is that the hunters (real bastards of course) start out all confident and end up as scared prey. Therefore it is a shame that several of the hunted in this movie make immensely stupid and illogical decisions. Railsback for example leaves a gun behind after defeating a baddie twice!! Still some satisfying kills on both sides ensure a very entertaining second half.

Rating:

Biography: Brian Trenchard-Smith (1946, UK) is an English film and television producer, writer and director. He made a large contribution to the ozploitation era in the mid seventies and eighties. Notable examples of these contributions are BMX Bandits, Turkey Shoot, Death Cheaters and the Australian martial arts (!) movie The Man From Hong Kong. In his long career he made around 40 movies and in addition directed about 35 episodes of TV-shows. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography (a selection): The Marty Feldman Show (1972, TV), Dare Devils (1973, short), Kung Fu Killers (1974, TV doc), The Man from Hong Kong (1975), Death Cheaters (1976), Stunt Rock (1978), BMX Bandits (1983), Day of the Assassin (1979), Turkey Shoot (1982), Frog Dreaming (1986), Dead-End Drive In (1986), Day of the Panther (1988), Strike of the Panther (1988), Out of the Body (1989), The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989), Silk Stalkings (1991-92, TV episodes), Night of the Demons 2 (1994), Leprechaun 3 (1995), Flipper (1995-2000, TV episodes), Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997), Britannic (2000, TV), DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (2003, TV), Long Lost Son (2006, TV)

Rogue

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Greg McLean
Written by: Greg McLean
Cast: Radha Mitchell, Michael Vartan, Sam Worthington

Year / Country: 2007, Australia / USA
Running Time: 99 mins.

Hot and sultry climates tend to produce gigantic monsters. Northern Territory in Australia certainly fits this description. Yet, Ozzywood Horror flicks seldom make it to the mainland. Rogue did. Perhaps due to the involvement of executive producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein? It can’t be the original concept. Then again, movies about oversized creatures with a taste for human flesh will always find a market.

Truth be told: I got a thing with crocodiles. The fact that this species’ origins go way back to prehistoric times fascinates me. I have often wondered what it must be like to be snatched by this massive reptile predator. Because of this fascination, movies about killer crocs can easily do right for me.

Rogue does – be it in a little formulaic fashion – do what it is supposed to do. A group of tourists takes a cruise down a river in a modestly sized boat. Nothing too big happens in the first half hour, but it is nevertheless not boring. That is because we get treated with beautiful nature images, pretty music and some crocodile wisdom: the typical ingredients of a wicked creature flick.

The characters also get properly introduced. One of the cruisers is an American travel journalist who brags a bit too much about his work to the tour guide. Another is obviously a widower as we watch him empty an urn in the river and cry a little bit. These subtle gestures work well in acquainting the audience with these characters, so when shit hits the fan, they will actually care when somebody gets torn to shreds.

The group gets into trouble when their boat breaks down and they have to take shelter on a small island before help will arrive. The problem is the flood. Due to the rising water level, the entire island is about to disappear. In the water, a massive seven foot crocodile awaits them. So far, so good. The action that follows is not spectacular per se, but – much like the build-up – works well enough. Tourists get gruesomely killed and the American hero eventually takes on the killer croc in its own lair.

Rogue may not be an award winning film. Nor is it the best in its kind. However it still offers an enjoyable little piece of escapism. Exactly what its target audience is undoubtedly looking for.

Rating:

Biography: Greg McLean attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, where he graduated in directing. He started his career with theatre productions, including the highly acclaimed Hamlet by theatre director Neil Armfield. He then started his movie career with various shorts, television commercials and corporate videos. In 2005 he made his first feature film: Wolf Creek, and followed it with Rogue in 2007.

Filmography: ICQ (2001, short), Wolf Creek (2005), Rogue (2007)