Razorback |
Moviedrome Introduction
Alas, no YouTube video. But the Internet provides;
Alex Cox Text Review |
Film Details
Release Date: 1984
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Stars:
Bill Kerr as Jake Cullen
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Stars:
Bill Kerr as Jake Cullen
Gregory Harrison as Carl Winters
Plot Summary:
Carl Winters (played by Gregory Harrison), a Canadian journalist, travels to the remote Australian town of Gamulla to investigate his wife's mysterious disappearance.
The true terror begins when he encounters the monstrous boar, a giant razorback, that has been terrorizing the community for years. The townspeople believe it's the vengeful spirit of an indigenous elder seeking revenge for the murder of his grandson. Carl must confront this ferocious beast, as well as the townspeople who wish to silence him.
As the boar goes on a rampage, the film intensifies with scenes of suspense and gore, showcasing the razorback's menacing presence and sheer destructiveness. The battle for survival against this behemoth boar becomes a heart-pounding fight for Carl's life.
Personal History
Another one I have never previously heard of.
Current Review
A bonkers Australian Eco Horror. Jaws on land. The best killer pig film that you have ever seen.
A monster movie that's cross between Mad Max, Straw Dogs and Deliverance.
The film starts with a child taken from its crib by the monster pig. All very dingo. The babysitting grandfather (Bill Kerr) is arrested for the presumed death and runs the wrath of the locals, who are all demented. They either work at a pet food factory that processes kangeroos or drink in the one camel's town's only drinking hole, Garmulla. They seemingly communicate with each other through grunts, ticks and animal noises.
A New York based animal rights activist comes over to make a film. If the locals don't get her, the pig will. Her boyfriend, who it has to be said doesn't look terribly upset that she has also gone missing, comes over to investigate.
I think we can ignore the story.
The style of the film is stunning. You can tell the director was responsible for many music videos of the 80's. including Duran Duran's most famous. Obviously influential, Richard Stanley (director of Hardware) must have been a fan.
Beautiful colours |
Nightmarish landscapes |
A better than average knockabout horror with distinctive style.
Quirky Facts
- Mulchay's other direction was Highlander, a similarly distinctive film
- I'm sure Duran Duran are played on a car radio
- Bill Kerr - the pig hating granddad - was a regular on Hancock's Half Hour
Sustenance
AI didn't offer much inspiration for Australian fodder.... the best and most likely thing would have been barbecued burgers. It was Novemeber when I watched it.
I wasn't going to drink Fosters and when selecting "Australia" as the country on a popular on-line beer shop, it returned zero results.
On another day, I would have found some Australian wine.
Quotes
- Jake Cullen - "There's something about blasting the shit out of a razorback that brightens up my whole day"
Future Inspiration
Incredibly for such a silly story, it was based on a 1981 book by Peter Brennen. Poor reviews on Goodreads, so I don't think I will bother.
How you can write a book about a man-eating pig the size of a Yugo and have it be the least important thing in the story is beyond me
AI provides a list of monster movies, most of which seen and not particularly a genre I have any interest in.
More interesting is the Australian New Wave - a film movement that took place in the late 1960s through the 1980s. This movement represented a significant shift in Australian cinema, moving away from traditional, conservative, and commercially oriented filmmaking to a more experimental, bold, and often politically charged style. Directors include Peter Weir, George Millar and Phillip Noyce.
- "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (1975)
- "Mad Max" (1979)
- "Gallipoli" (1981)
- "Breaker Morant" (1980)
- "My Brilliant Career" (1979)
- "The Last Wave" (1977)
- "Newsfront" (1978)
- "Storm Boy" (1976)
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