Long Weekend-Movie Review

Long Weekend

Director-Colin Eggleston
Australia 1978 92 min. 35mm Unrated

"It's got thrills, chills and Big Stubby spills which just goes to show that the Aussies can do it just as good as anyone." (Terror Australis.net)

"It combines the sun-drenched rugged terrain of Nic Roeg's WALKABOUT, the nagging ambiguity of Peter Weir's PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, and the unrelenting dread of Narciso Serrador's ISLAND OF THE DAMNED, into a truly unnerving experience." (Mobius Home Video Forum)

One of the best and least-seen 'nature's revenge' movies, Long Weekend is an excellent launching point for an appreciation of the largely ignored Antipodean horror film. Written by Australian genre staples Colin Eggleston (Innocent Prey) and Everett De Roche (Patrick, Razorback, Roadgames) A bickering husband and wife decide to go for a peaceful beachside camping trip.

Ever the outdoorsman, he has every camping gadget ever invented, and sets up a veritable fortress of tarps and bunson burners while she protests about the hotel amenities she would have preferred. Estranged from eachother and the environment they've just invaded with their loud, unwelcome presence, the two argue, litter, and indiscriminately chop down trees. "

A meditation on the disconnectedness and alienation of modern life...both of them fail to interact with either their environment or each other in anything but a destructive way" (Tabula Rasa). But little do they know that the forest, the ocean and all the inhabitants therein are watching...and waiting.

I'm not going to elaborate on the plot any further, but let me just say that the film is expertly paced, and builds up to a shocking climax. And a BIG thank you to Richard Brennan for allowing me access to an archival 35mm print of what I consider to be an unsung masterpiece of the genre.

Kier-La Janisse

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