Razorback [DVD]

I ORIGINALLY HAD THIS FILM ON LASERDISC(REMEMBER THEM)AND WAS ONE OF MY VERY FAVOURITE FILMS.AS ITS NOW 40 YEARS OLD,IT WAS A REAL THRILL TO OBTAIN RAZORBACK ON FABULOUS BLU RAY.BOTH THE SOUND AND FILM PRINT ARE EXCELLENT, ESPECIALLY SO WHEN THE SOUNDS AND COLOURS OF THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK ARE PRESENT.A STELLAR CAST REALLY BRING ALL THEIR ACTING ABILITIES TO THE FORE,AND IM LEFT WONDERING HOW DAVID ARGUE IS NOT BETTER KNOWN,AS HE (ALMOST)STEALS THE SHOW WITH HIS PORTRAYAL OF DICKO BAKER.ALSO ,SADLY,IM REMINDED OF THE SAD CIRCUMSTANCES OF ARKIE WHITELEY(SARAH CAMERON IN THE FILM)WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2001 AT THE AGE OF 37,WHO I THINK WOULD HAVE GONE ON TO EVEN GREATER THINGS.THE EXTRAS INCUDE A PLUS ONE HOUR DOCUMENTARY ON THE MAKING,AND CASTING OF THE CHARACTERS,AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAZORBACK.ALL THIS ,AND MORE,FOR ABOUT A TENNER... FANTASTIC

A great film to watch, full of action and suspense,

This film has weathered amazingly, looking visually excellent on DVD despite the movie being released in 1984. When a crusading animal rights journalist goes to Australia to film a report on Kangaroo hunting, she winds up getting on the wrong side of the locals, and disappearing in an isolated backwater town in the Outback. Her husband flies in to find her, and it's not long before he's run across a trail of suspicious circumstances and teamed up with a bitter, 'razorback' hating hunter and his friend who have a bizarre theory about what happened to his wife. With its tone set by a brutal mystery killing at the start, this is an Aussie horror-thriller with a very distinctive style. For starters, there's plenty of pig in it. The titular 'Razorback' is a massive, killer wild boar with a very nasty temper and a hunger for human flesh. Fast, heavy, brutally strong and hugely intimidating, it's a brilliant villain, and we get to see a lot of tantalising half-glimpses of it. Mulcahy is clever with his camera placement - always letting us catch just enough of a view to be impressed, but just quickly or obliquely enough to keep us wanting more. But he's also not daft. Knowing that this would just be a 'Jaws' knock off if it were just the pig, he throws in some appalling scumbag local brothers, the most distinctive being an outstandingly twisted and shock-haired lunatic played by David Argue. The film has a nasty edge in places, unafraid to go for bitter cruelty and reinforce the harshness of its characters against the desolate harshness of their outback middle-of-nowhere surroundings. Mulcahy's filming is beautiful as well, the film a lush and surprising collection of very striking images and colours in between the more ordinary scenes. The special effects have really stood the test of time as well. The creature looks terrific whether in close up or distance shot, and you really wouldn't want to get caught in those teeth. The ending may be faintly gore-light for those wanting it to live up to the brutality of what's gone before, but it's highly tense, hugely atmospheric, and satisfying. It's a standout horror. Don't be afraid to give it a try just because of its age. With its distinctive Aussie outback setting, the hairstyles, clothes and vehicles all seem timeless, and the landscapes look terrific.

In the Australian outback, an old man is blamed for death of his grandson. Nobody will believe his story about a wild boar the size of a white rhino. But a few years later it strikes again, this time killing a woman reporter who has come from America to do a report on animal cruelty. Her husband soon shows up, finds the grandfather (brilliantly played by Bill Kerr, who should be familiar to fans of Galton & Simpson's comedy) has become an Ahab-like figure determined to find the razorback and avenge his grandson's death. This is an intelligent, well-made and gripping film from the excellently atmospheric outback to the extraordinary nightmare sequences to the little touches of social satire. The suspense has you on the edge of your seat and the razorback itself is a terrifying monster. Who needs Jaws when you can have Gnaws?

Review of 'Umbrella edition(2005).This Autralian film from'84 is a confident debut from director Russell Mulchay.(best known for 'Highlander'). The cinematic look of the film,including some very good night shots filled with atmosphere & with good use of the available scenery(from future Oscar winner Dean Semler)more than make up for its moderate budget. The DVD (All regions suitable) contains an excellent 70min 'making of' documentary- ( 'Pigs on Trotters'!) that's almost as entertaining as the main feature, an Audio interview with actor Gregory Harrison,and a selection of some gorier scenes edited from the final cut ,a gallery with stills & posters, and various trailers. Together with a good looking widescreen print in '2.35:1' ratio and a good 5.1 audio (& 2.0) Dolby sound, make this a worthwhile creature feature/horror/social study thriller, that balances violence,humour and a mix of serious and off the wall characters + a fearsome beast with some very good FX,that follows the 'Jaws style' of not showing too much,too soon & at an hour and a half gets its running time just right.

I saw this on VHS back when it was initially released on Video in the UK in the 80s and thought it was pretty good if a little weird. Watching it again 30 years later I didn't know what to expect but suffice to say it is a great movie. It still has its weird qualities like the 2 dudes that live in the mine and wouldn't look out of place in a Mad Max movie and the dream / hallucination sequence but it also has some great scenery and photography. I especially like the scene where the Hunter guy first gets a glimpse of Razorback by the other normal size hogs and you get an idea of how massive he is. Similar to Alien in that the creature isn't spoiled or given away - you just see enough to know this thing is a terror! Well worth a view....

This a man versus nature type of horror piece, with much of the threat unseen for large periods of time, like 'Jaws' made 8 years earlier. However, it is shot with a very 'Mad Max' photographic style that is extremely well done, very interesting, and highly suited to the purpose of heightening the threat and consequent tension. It is not as good as some of the best horror films, or general films that might be associated with this genre, but equally it is nowhere near as bad as many of the type, even those with a much bigger budget. In sum, there are worse ways to while away 91 minutes of your life if you are at a loose end than watching this.

A fantastic early feature film from the director of Highlander, this movie takes the basic plot of JAWS and transplants it to the Australian outback. The version I purchased is a French language edition distributed by Carlotta Films / SPHE with slimline case featuring a new cover art and a new HD master. Picture quality is good and the Blu-ray also includes an early work print ‘vhs’ version of the film with different scenes, a director’s commentary and some deleted scenes. A great movie for any cult movie fans out there.