Long Weekend (1975)

Marcia: I told you it wasn’t a shark.
Peter: No.  No it certainly isn’t a shark.
Marcia: Then what is it?
Peter: A Bunyip.
Marcia:  A what?
Peter:  It’s a Dugong. A Sea Cow. Apparently there used to be thousands of ‘em all along the coast until they were killed off for oil.
Marcia: It’s ugly.
Peter: Yeh.  She’s not very pretty out of the water, is she.

Director: Colin Eggleston Producer:  Colin Eggleston and Richard Brennan Main Cast:  John Hargreaves and Briony Behets Runtime:  95 minutes

You need a break.  Work is driving you up the wall and things are not as good at home as you had hoped, so a nice relaxing weekend away would be just what the doctor ordered.  So you pack up your camping gear and head out to a remote beach for some well-earned R & R.  While trying to relax odd things start happening, from the eerie sounds to the strange behaviour of both animal and environment.  Something is wrong…. very wrong.
This classic Australian thriller, like many older Aussie films, is not really that well known.  It got a release on DVD/Bluray overseas before it got released here but thankfully Umbrella Entertainment (based in Melbourne) have come to the party and given us Aussies a Bluray that not just gives us a great quality version of the film but also throws in a bunch of extras for good measure.  Due for release on 7th December this is classic Ozploitation cinema with some good thrills.  

Peter (John Hargreaves) and Marcia (Briony Behets) are having marriage problems so with the hope of restoring that love in their lives they go away for the long weekend to a little known beach and camp out.  Both of them are not the kindest to the environment, especially Peter, who decides to take his rifle with him with the idea that he can take a few pot shots at birds, animals and anything else that may bring some fun.  Things start ok however they begin to notice some strange things happening and discover some odd proof that someone has been there before them.  As the weekend progresses they realise that all of nature is out to treat them how they treat the land and its creatures.

My curiosity was sparked when I read about the movie.  Sure, I knew it may not have been the best movie out there but the idea that the wildlife start getting feral on them sounded really interesting and original.  Filmed around the Bega NSW area, it doesn’t really take much for an educated Aussie to realise that a Tasmanian Devil does not exist in the mainland however putting that aside you really begin to feel the fear of these two holiday makers as we see the terror on the faces of these two characters when things start going weird and the noises in the night no longer go un-noticed.  Things really start happening when Peter goes out in the surf not realising that a dark object is swimming nearby.  Briony screams out at Peter who finally picks up that something is wrong and rushes back to shore.  Back at camp a spear gun goes off without anyone touching it, almost striking his wife.  Amidst all this is the pressure building up between them as they try to work things out in their marriage.  

There are a few scenes of nudity and reasonable amount of swearing but not really excessive.  Whilst being made in the 70’s the movie slots in to the present day with ease especially for an Aussie who knows the lingo and ideas expressed in the film.  When the film was released it was a flop in Australia but was quite popular overseas and even won some awards particularly for its horror type content (nature going nuts).  
Watching the film gets you and keeps you in wondering what is happening and can get a bit freaky with the mysterious sounds and the actors reaction to them.  
Interestingly, the film inspired a remake in 2008 of which I am yet to see (yes an Australian remake) but it is apparently not as good as this version.  This is one well worth watching.

The Bluray reviewed is the Australian version released by Umbrella Entertainment who have been releasing some of the rarer Aussie films lately which is really good to see.  There is an American Bluray available but it is Region A locked and therefore cannot be played on the vast majority of Aussie players (apart from one or two budget brands).

The impressive image quality comes to us in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio that is solid, contrasty and bold in colour where it needs to be.  And the sound is in 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio format that brings out subtle sounds and handles the more robust sounds with ease.  It’s a solid offering with the following extras:

• Uncut Not Quite Hollywood Interviews
• Audio Commentary by Executive Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer Vincent Monton
• Extensive Stills Gallery accompanied by an audio interview with John Hargreaves
• Nature Found Them Guilty: Examining “Long Weekend” panel discussion
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Overall, this is a great movie with moments of good suspense and originality that doesn’t go over the top and ridiculous.  It is well worth watching if you like a good thriller and worth buying if you like this style of film.  I found it very enjoyable and freaky at times without going over the top which really added to its appeal for me. Recommended!

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