Long Weekend (1978)

4.5 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Their crime was against nature...Nature found them guilty.
Directed by: Colin Eggleston
Written by: Everett De Roche
Actors include: John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwen
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama
Length: 92 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one heck of a film and it most definitely makes it's point. It's an Australian film about a fella named Peter who wants to go camping in the wilderness...the only thing is that he's a menace to the outdoors. He's reluctantly dragging along his girlfriend Marcia who hates the outdoors. This sounds like a comedy and in a demented way it kind of is...I mean this couple does everything but burnt down the outdoors. Peter is particularly evil and cruel, even to Marcia who starts to realize something is terribly wrong. See nature isn't going to take this kind of abuse sitting down...it's going to take revenge! Strange things begin happening to the couple including animals attacking them, so Marcia takes the hint and wants to go home. Thing is Peter isn't about to let her leave, and nature isn't about to let them leave either... It's quite an interesting film, when I read the plot I knew I had to see this to see just exactly how this plays out. It's actually rather well made, nicely filmed and it more than makes it's point. Definitely recommended for those looking to see a different kind of horror film.

Availability:  On DVD

Harlequin (1980) aka Dark Forces

2.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: He'll take you to the brink of reality
Directed by: Simon Wincer
Written by: Everett De Roche
Actors include: Robert Powell, David Hemmings, Carmen Duncan
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Political, Thriller
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would, I blame it on the general fantasy thing though. See much of this required further explanation and well they just don't offer that. The plot is kind of about a boy who is dying of cancer, but is miraculously cured by a weirdo who shows up out of nowhere. The weirdo (healer...etc) sort of appears in the child's life, from time to time and he tries to teach them lessons about power corrupting (I think). I will be honest, aside from the very basics I didn't much understand this, from a horror aspect it's completely unsatisfying as well as from a story aspect. I've read this is in some way a take on the Rasputin story though I'm not really sure, it might be true. If nothing more the film appears to be well made, and it has a budget and is creative. It's just definitely not the film for me, definitely more of a fantasy Politics film more than anything else unfortunately.

Availability:  On DVD