Color, 1978, 95m. / Directed by Colin Eggleston / Starring John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwen, Roy Day / Synapse (US R1 NTSC) / WS (2.85:1) (16:9) / DD5.1, Umbrella (Australia R4 PAL) / WS (2.35:1) (16:9)
Stuck in a rapidly deteriorating marriage, Peter (Don's Party's Hargreaves) and Marcia (Behets) decide to get away to the wilderness and see if removing the stress of city life helps their relationship. Along the way they show a casual disregard for their surroundings, while around them birds and other animals begin revolting against human interlopers. Setting up camp for the weekend, they put forth little effort relating to each other; in fact, their self-absorbed attitudes prove to be their undoing
Directed by Colin Eggleston (Fantasm Comes Again), this compelling, unusual thriller plays for the most part like a staging of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? conceived by some very twisted high school kids. Though the pro-environment message is unmistakable, the film fortunately spends most of its running time working up a succession of quiet, shuddery chills rather than hammering home its message. Skillfully lensed in scope, the film is aided immeasurably by Hargreaves (one of Australia's most underrated leading men) and Behets, the director's wife, who was mostly used for supporting roles in sex comedies. Fans of the golden age of Aussie cinema will especially enjoy the effective use of the continent's unique landscapes and cinematic style applied to a horror template that could have easily turned into something hoary but instead produced a chilly little gem wo
Apart from a few lucky moviegoers, no one managed to see Lost Weekend in its original scope dimensions until the Australian DVD release, which featured a passable but unremarkable transfer. On the other hand, Synapse's fresh-from-hi-def presentation is a stunner from start to finish; the film looks so fresh it outdoes many digital presentations for films made twenty-plus years later. Audio is presented in original mono and a tasteful, effective 5.1 mix that makes especially effective use of ambient nature noises during the night scenes. Creepy stuff. Both DVDs feature a solid commentary track by exective producer Richard Brennan and cinematographer Vincent Monton, who lay out the film's production in fascinating detail and cover the bases surprisingly well. Sadly Eggleston and Hargreaves passed away before the film could reach a new audience, but the survivors have quite a few interesting stories to tell. Also included is an archival Hargreaves interview which plays out over an extensive selection of stills and promotional art. Also included are the original theatrical trailer and concise, interesting liner notes by Michael Felsher.
In 1977, legendary hack director William Girdler assaulted drive-in audiences with Day of the Animals, a delightfully absurd nature-runs-amok outing in which a bunch of litterbugging city slickers meet their comeuppance at the hands of various ticked-off critters.
Though most audiences didn't get to see it, the same idea was also used for a far spookier treatment in Australia almost simultaneously for Long Weekend, a nifty little sleeper that didn't really earn a fan following until its TV and video appearances years later.
as they're tormented by mysterious noises, menacing animals that seem resistant to death, and perhaps something worse...
rthy of discovery.
