Mulcahy also gives the film a bit of an edge, a bit more aggression than some other films of the era when it comes to the action sequences. While as other films of the day do have good action and well shot, stands as film that captures a hard, aggressive feel to the stylized and the film moves hard, giving the viewer long enough to know what is going on, but not long enough to really think over it before another hit comes and presses onward. While Mulcahy does incorporate some quick cutting, unlike the music video directors who follow him into the feature film world, and more specifically, horror…he doesn t make the whole action sequences a series of quick frames that boggle the mind and make one nauseous like some music video directors do nowadays.
Taking a music video director and giving them the seat of a feature film is a hit and miss affair sometimes. You might get someone who not only has a keen visual eye, but also can tell a story and keep it moving along…some might have a visual eye but are bad at telling a good story. Russell Mulcahy is thankfully of the former and as one of the very first to move from video to film, he sets a bar with and I think others should watch it.
Just to show you don t have to make a 90minute music video and how to move a story along for a film. Mulcahy handles the film well, moving the story along and very importantly, actually drawing you into it and keeping you hooked to the seat throughout the run. After a very exciting opening, the film does slow down a bit when we are introduced to Carl and his wife Beth as well as Beth s arrival in Gamulla.
But, after that the film picks up its pace again and moves with relative little interruption. The acting for the film is wonderful and each actor has their own distinct style to their acting. No two actors are moving at the same speed or energy and it s some of the best acting in animal films I have seen.
Two polar opposite examples are David Argue (who plays Dicko Baker in the film, some might recognize him as Snowy from ) and Bill Kerr (who plays Jake Cullen). Argue has a more frenetic, laid back and off kilt style to him while Kerr has a very determined, old fashion style to it. This does give the film an interesting dynamic unlike some films where you have two types of acting of have the old man who knows a lot and then everyone else as a clump with maybe one or two minor things to tell the difference.
Gregory Harrison plays Carl Winters, the man looking for his missing wife in the wilds of the Outback. is good in the role as he was able to stand out from the Australian cast, not only the accent difference, but also he looks different from the rest. has a very clean cut look, while the rest of the men in the cast have a very rough and dirty look to them.
s others plus is that he can pull some good emotions of anger and some fear, but they don t seem to be what one might expect from someone if you saw a 900lbs boar charging you and ready to eat you. Though he is able to pull through on some scenes, in others he lacks. David Argue and Chris Haywood play the Baker Brothers, Dicko and Benny respectfully.
Both have a good chemistry and bounce off each other, working perfectly together. Out of the pair, Argue is more out of control and chews up the scenery when he is on. Haywood, while he does go a bit wacko sometimes (his laugh is really unique and a bit creepy), he is the effective anchor to Argue and keeps him grounded from going off the handle completely.
Both are superb actors, ranging in emotion and able to pull off scenes flawlessly and to where you don t question they are a pair of Outback rednecks. Bill Kerr as Jake Cullen is the old man who knows all as well as the one who is in his own private war with the razorback. Kerr is the weight of the film, much like a lot of films might net a single named actor to fill a role to bring some credibility to it, and Kerr is that.
Though instead of a robotic delivery and waiting for the paycheck, Kerr brings life and energy to the character and with a sense of passion and commitment to revenge that really sells it. The two female roles, that of Beth Winters played by Judy Morris and that of Sarah Cameron, played by Arkie Whiteley are fairly small compared to the men. Though Whiteley is in the film longer than Morris is for obvious reasons.
For the brief time she is on screen, Morris plays well and as a great sense of unease being in rural Australia Whiteley though plays as Sarah, a friend of Cullen and one who helps Carl in his search for his wife. Though she seems very young, she is about the right age of where the book had her character. Though, unlike most of the other actors in the film, Whiteley plays her character by the numbers and doesn t inject her with much personality.
Moving from the human actors to the star of the show…the Razorback itself. Created by Bob McCarron the razorback is actually several animatronics and creatures for the film. The pigs are well built and thankfully are not shot in full light, spare for the watering hole scene where you see the pig in all its full glory.
While as the film has a stylized edge to it, the razorback however does not, or at least very much. Its tusks are insanely long (I don t think Hogzilla had tusks this size) and it looks a bit gnarled and worn, but nothing to make it look overly nasty. The pigs appear in short bursts during the attack scenes, but the attacks are brutal and vicious.
And most importantly of all, it looks damn scary and like it s gonna eat ya. Now, there is a question for some of the blood content. Sorry to disappoint the gorehounds here but doesn t have much in the way of the red stuff.
Most of that was cut out of the film to get the M rating, which is the Australian version of the USA So if you were looking for a very wet film, look somewhere else. Now, the most important part of any horror film. During the time the film was made, John Carpenter was tearing up the tracks with his iconic tempos and sounds that set moods for whole films and are probably some of the best ever written.
Iva Davies score is an interesting blend of orchestral instruments, mixed with keyboard and synthesizers to create a very modern, at the right moment s aggressive and unique blend. I haven t heard of a score that such a blend of the old and new. For those of you who love the music of genre films or just love to compose your own stuff…and interesting history lesson.
is also one of the very first films to use a sampler in creating the score. Overall, a very solid and well built score. is a minor classic in the genre as well as a piece of cinematic history for the two points I pointed out in my review.
It s a very strong, directorial debut by Russell Mulcahy and shows that you can take someone from the music videos and have them make a solid film. It is a very enjoyable film and something I can watch over and over again, certainly gonna go down as one of my favorite films. Problem is however, that the film has yet to receive a DVD distribution in the United States , so if you have a multi-region DVD player, there is the Australian DVD (which I have) and the UK DVD.
If you don t have a multi-region DVD and want to see it, you ll have to hunt down a VHS copy. Something I am going to do differently this time is review the DVD itself. This one is the Australian Collector s Edition.
The disc contains a 70minute behind the scenes documentary called , which has interviews with Mulcahy, McElroy, McCarron, Morris, Davies, and Haywood. Also included is an audio interview with Gregory Harrison, the film s trailer, deleted scenes, still gallery and various other trailers. is the center piece of the disc and very nice and in depth about the production of the film ranging from the origins, the cast, creation of the beast and the impact it has had.
One thing that McCarron, along with Mulcahy and McElroy say is that they did not have much money to make the film with. Well, combined with Mulcahy s shooting and McCarron s pigs, it certainly looks larger. It s a great thing to watch and gives one a good look behind the scenes of the film.
Though, I did hope for maybe some more still photos from the set and maybe (if it was shot) some footage. s interview covers his involvement in the project and is pretty interesting. The Deleted Scenes are actually alternate deaths for the characters, which by that I mean more blood and gore is in them.
Everything else is pretty much standard fair that you find on most discs. I was very disappointed that there was no commentary by Mulcahy and or someone else, I feel like this was a missed opportunity, but one can t have everything. dvd however, is bare bones.
Okay folks, I guess that wraps it up for me. Catch ya on the forums. Mulcahy also gives the film a bit of an edge, a bit more aggression than some other films of the era when it comes to the action sequences.
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