ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

Label: Scream Factory

Region Code: A

Rating: R

Duration: 98 Minutes

Audio: DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1) 

Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Kurt Russell, Isaac Hayes, Donald Pleasence, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau, Charles Cyphers, Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton, Lee Van Cleef, Season Hubley

In John Carpenter's Escape from New York it is established that the entire island of Manhattan has been evacuated and converted into an enormous walled prison following some sort of natural disaster. New York City has been walled-off from the rest of the world, all the waterways and bridges have been mined to prevent escape. America's criminals are incarcerated there, once you enter you do not leave ever. Inside the prison the city has become a lawless wasteland of outlaws lead by a hierarchy of criminals who rule the landscape with an iron-fist of violence. 

At the start of the movie Air Force one has been hijacked by the terrorist organization the National Liberation Front who are threatening to crash the jet and kill the president of the U.S. (Donald Pleasance). Making good on their threat a short time later the plane crashes into a skyscraper in Manhattan but the President survives after having been placed inside an escape pod. However, he falls into the hands of the Duke of New York (Isaac Hayes) who in turn demands that the inmates of Manhattan be allowed to leave the island within the next 24-hours or he will execute the president.  

With few options left the New York Police Commissioner Bob Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) offers a one-time deal to a former US Special Forces soldier turned criminal named Snake Plissken, who has just arrived at the facility for detainment following the attempted robbery of the Federal Reserve. Realizing that he's going in one way or the other Snake accepts the deal, to rescue the President and the contents of his briefcase, within the next 24-hours and receive a full pardon for his crimes. If he should fail his mission a timed explosive injected into his arteries will detonate and kill him, it seems that time is of essence. 

With that Plissken silently drops into Manhattan via a glider under the cover of darkness landing atop the world Trade Center. Afterward making his way among the labyrinth of ruins and the violent locals on his quest to rescue the President. Along the way he meets a friendly cab driver named Cabbie (Ernest Borgnine) who directs him towards Harold "Brain" Hellman (Harry Dean Stanton) and his busty lady friend Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) who help him navigate the city and secure the President. 

Carpenter does a great job of world building, the garbage-strewn streets and colorful locals make for a fun and violent trip for the duration of the film. When Snake isn't dealing with the subterranean flesh eaters known as the crazies who roam the streets at night he must fight an enormous brute named Slag (Ox Baker) to the death for the entertainment of the Duke of New York.

Kurt Russell is quite the badass, a minimal talker and consummate ass-kicker, playing an Eastwood-type character against the Lee Van Cleef warden. He's iconic with his camouflage pants, the eye-patch, long hair and grizzled face.  Plissken has an I don't care attitude that makes him one of the best on screen anti-heros in all of cinema in my opinion. Here he's channeling Clint Eastwood Man with No Name to near perfection, this is great stuff. He plays it so well it's hard to believe this was casting against type as for year Russell was a known Disney commodity in such films as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, but he pulls it off to perfection. 

Issac Hayes makes for a bit of an understated but menacing villain, with his crew of cronies including Brain, and a whacked-out character named Romero (Frank Doubleday) who has a crazy look about him and a strange penchant for hissing. The strange cast of characters and aesthetic definitely gives the film a vibe similar to The Warriors (1979), I see the two as kindred spirits of a sort.  John Carpenter made quite a damn fine film with this one, a nihilistic slice of cinema with a fantastic cast of characters and one legendary bad ass by way of Russell's Snake Plissken. 

Audio/Video: John Carpenter's Escape from New york arrives on Blu-ray with brand new 2K hi-def scan of the inter-positive, struck from the original negative and the results are very pleasing. This one is a tad brighter than the previous MGM Blu-ray and offers more detail overall, some of the night scenes are more accessible and you can see just what the hell is happening onscreen, the older Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD of the film were impenetrable at times and being able follow what's happening onscreen is an added bonus. Additionally there's looks to be a new color grading happening, which looks good, if occasionally markedly different from  previous interpretation, which is what color grading boils down to, unless it it supervised by the original cinematographer. 

Sharpness and fine detail have never been the bread and butter of this particular film, shot on '80s film stock and loaded with dim night scenes this one has some issues in that area but the new transfer and improved contrast go a long way towards improving the presentation. 

Onto audio options we have a choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 and DTS-HD MA 2.0 and both are satisfying experiences, the 2.0 will be closer to the theatrical experience but the 5.1 is pretty great with a nice dynamic range and a sense of depth that doesn't feel forced, both option make the most of the score by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth.

Scream Factory have ported over nearly all the bonus content from the previous MGM DVD except for one trailers, a montage, and the Making of John Carpenter’s Snake Plissken Chronicles and the accompanying comic book, so you might want to at least keep that comic book if you are trading-up. Carried over from the DVD are  the Audio Commentary With Director John Carpenter And Actor Kurt Russell and the Audio  Commentary With Producer Debra Hill And Production Designer Joe Alves. If you have never listened to the original original commentary with Russell/Carpenter you are missing out, they have a great camaraderie and it makes for a fantastic commentary track, the same can be said of their commentaries for Big Trouble in Little China and The Things, three of the most enjoyable commentaries ever recorded in my opinion. Also carried over are a Deleted Scene: The Original Opening Bank Robbery Sequence, the Return To Escape From New York Featurette, Theatrical Trailers and an array of Photo Galleries. 

Being a Scream Factory Collector's Edition there are loads of new extras to enjoy, beginning with a brand new commentary from actress Adrienne Barbeau and cinematographer Dean Cundey moderated by Sean Clark, offering some interesting anecdotes about the making of the film, not anywhere near the level of geek-gasm as the Carpenter/Russell track but still a good listen. 

Then onto five new featurettes produced fr this release, beginning with  Big Challenges In Little Manhattan: The Visual Effects Of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (14 Mins) featuring interview with Dennis and Robert Kotak who speak about creating the miniature in camera effects used on the film, the glider scene, working with James Cameron on Corman productions Battle Beyond the Stars and Galaxy of Terror before collaborating on Escape from New York. Scoring The Escape: A Discussion With Composer Alan Howarth (19 Mins) is conducted by Sean Clark with the composer relaying how he came to collaborate with Carpenter, how their collaborations worked in the studio and he even sits down at the synthesizer and plays a few clips of the score. Howarth and Clark also discuss various releases of the soundtrack including the original LP, expanded score CD and the more recent Death Waltz LP.

On Set With John Carpenter: The Images Of Escape from New York with Photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker (11 Mins) is an interview with the on-set photographer who shares numerous behind-the-scenes pics while discussing her role as film historians on Carpenter sets. Lots of great shot including one of Avatar director James Cameron painting a glass matte painting used in the film. 

I Am Taylor: An Interview With Actor Joe Unger (9 Mins) who was cut from the film when the original opening bank robbery scene was cut from the film, nonetheless he is here to discuss his time on the film. The last of the new extras is My Night On The Set: An Interview With Filmmaker David DeCoteau (5 Mins) HD whom relays his night on set during the making of the film when Roger Corman's team was brought onto to do some of the insert shots for the film. Lastly we have a reversible sleeve of artwork, though I prefer the original artwork featuring the decapitated statue of liberty in the background, even though it is not a scene from the film. 

Special  Features
Disc One 
- NEW 2K High Definition Scan Of The Inter-Positive, Struck From The Original Negative
- NEW Audio Commentary With Actress Adrienne Barbeau And Director Of Photography Dean Cundey
- Audio Commentary With Director John Carpenter And Actor Kurt Russell
- Audio Commentary With Producer Debra Hill And Production Designer Joe Alves
Disc Two 
- NEW Big Challenges In Little Manhattan: The Visual Effects Of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (14 Mins) HD with Dennis Skotak, Robert Skotak and more
- NEW Scoring The Escape: A Discussion With Composer Alan Howarth (19 Mins) HD
- NEW On Set With John Carpenter: The Images Of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK With Photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker (11 Mins) HD
- NEW I Am Taylor: An Interview With Actor Joe Unger (9 Mins) HD
- NEW My Night On The Set: An Interview With Filmmaker David DeCoteau (5 Mins) HD
- Deleted Scene: The Original Opening Bank Robbery Sequence (11 Mins) HD
- Return To Escape From New York Featurette (23 Mins) SD
- Theatrical Trailers (3 Mins) HD
- Photo Galleries – Behind-The-Scenes (143 Images) , Posters And Lobby Cards (49 Images) 

John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981) looks great in HD and the new Scream Factory bonus features make this the most comprehensive and definitive edition to date, a winner all the way around, easily topping the MGM Blu-ray with improved brightness and contrast, you can now see what's actually happening in a few of those darker scenes that were previously murky. Escape from New York is a badass movie and now we have a proper badass Blu-ray release of it to enjoy. 

SUMMER IS CUMMING! Impulse Pictures JUNE 2015 New Releases

42nd Street Forever: The Peep Show Collection Vol. 11 DVD

Label: Impulse Pictures
Release Date: June 9th 2015
Duration: 107 minutes
Not Rated 
Full Screen 1.33:1 
English Dolby Digital Mono 

Region 0
Production year: 1970s-80s
Director: Various
Cast: Various

Synopsis: Their place in history is undeniable. Hardcore 8mm stag films introduced explicit human sexuality to the public. Predating every other moving picture home format, these inauspicious productions provided not only a window to a whole other world, but also immediate relief for those not fortunate enough to make their fantasies into reality. Thousands of these underground movies were made between the 1960s and 1980s, and sold in the back of sex magazines or distributed to the almost 60,000 private peep show booths located in adult stores in most major cities.

Impulse Pictures is proud to present 42ND STREET FOREVER - THE PEEP SHOW COLLECTION VOL. 11, a new, continuing series of salacious 8mm shorts, re-mastered from original film prints. This collection features fifteen classic loops with titles like Girl Scout Nookies, Hi Karate, Licorice Lesbians, Cucumber Girl, After School Fun and more. Watch for adult film stars Annie Sprinkle, Linda Shaw, Maria Tortuga, and Leslie Bovee in these raunchy rarities!

Bonus Features:
- Liner Notes from Cinema Sewer Editor, Robin Bougie

Evil Ways Of Love (1972) DVD

Label: Impulse Pictures
Release Date: June 9th 2015
Duration: 64 minutes
Not Rated 
Full Screen 1.33:1 
English Dolby Digital Mono 
Region 0
Director: Unknown (Rumored to be Gerard Damiano)
Cast: Unknown

Synopsis: Off the sunny, sandy beaches of Florida, is a houseboat named “Evil Ways” captained by “Andy W.”, a man seeking pleasure with one girl after another. Cheated on by his fiancée, Andy sails the ocean in his floating lust-barge, bringing countless new women aboard to enjoy sex, pretzels, lunch meat and Schlitz beer. He is a sadist without a shirt, on mission to bang busty babes in every way possible.

This early 70’s adult oddity is shrouded in mystery. It’s a film that contains only a title card for identification. There are no opening or closing credits, and it is a very compact 64 minutes in length. Unconfirmed rumors state this is directed by the one and only Gerard Damiano, right before hitting the big time with the world-famous blockbuster adult feature, DEEP THROAT, arguably the most well-known adult film of all time.

Bonus Features:
- Chapter Selections
- Special Sneak Peek Sampler of 42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEP SHOW COLLECTION

DAY OF ANGER (1967)

DAY OF ANGER (1967)
DVD/BD Dual Format Edition 

Label: Arrow Video
Region Code: A,B/1,2

Duration: 114 Minutes, 86 Minutes
Audio: Italian/English PCM Mono with Optional english SDH Subtitles
Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Cast: Lee Van Cleef, Giuliano Gemma, Walter Rilla
Director: Tonino Valerii

Scott (Gemma) is a scum-of-the-Earth street sweeper in the dusty town of Clifton, Arizona, a bastard son of a whore consigned to a life of picking up trash and disrespect. All that changes when a merciless gunslinger named Frank Talby (Van Cleef) arrives in town in pursuit of a double-crossing former associate named Wild Jack (Al Mulock) who disappeared with $50,000 of his money a decade earlier. 

For reasons unknown Talby takes a liking to Scott and defends him from the locals who treat the street-cleaner like a human turd, much to the chagrin of the local folk. Fearing the townspeople might retaliate against him once the gunslinger leaves town Scott follows Talby when he eaves in search of Wild Jack. catching up to him Scott saves his life proving his worth to the gunslinger who takes him on as an apprentice of sorts, teaching his eight rules along the way which will serve the young would-be gunslinger well in the near future. 

Day of Anger is a good watch with a solid story that is surprisingly straight-forward without the political leanings of Companeros (1970) or A Bullet for the General (1970), this concerning an aging mentor and his young apprentice and their inevitable separation and show down, and the shady dealings of seemingly upright citizens of Clifton, Arizona. 

Lee Van Cleef is a rock, a soft-spoken but bad ass gunslinger, pretty much the same one he played in all of the Italian westerns to be honest, but when you have achieved stoic perfection why change it up. Giuliano Gemma's portrayal of the somewhat simple-minded apprentice is good stuff, his transformation from a sympathetic character into dominating and cocky quick-draw gunslinger makes for a quality viewing experience with some depth to it. 

There are some great lines from Van Cleef, while being doctored up after a wound the doc asks him why he turned their street-cleaner into a rabid wold, to which he replies, "He was born a wolf, but you made him rabid.", that's just great stuff. Visually the film is quite nice, some panoramic shots of the sweltering western vistas and some nicely staged gun play and whatnot, though perhaps not as stunning as Sergio Leone, but so few Westerns are and that's a bit unfair to say, even though director Tonino Valerii was a protege of Leone. 

The gun fights are pretty decent, the final showdown in not unexpected but is gripping just the same, and there's a good dialogue exchange that nicely caps off the film with one of the men having learned their lessons well. My favorite scene is a dual unlike any other I have scene in a Western, with both them riding towards each other on horses from a distance with front-loading rifles, definitely some fun stuff. 

The score from composer Riz Ortolani is pretty great, one of my favorites western scores outside of composer Ennio Morricone. Featuring some great '60s guitar work and a brass tinged opening theme that is fantastic. If you only know Ortolani from his eerie and gorgeous electronic score for Cannibal Holocaust I think you will be surprised by how great this western score is.

Audio/Video: Day of Anger is presented by arrow Video on Blu-ray with a brand-new high-definition restoration from the original Techniscope negative and it looks great, a sweaty and dusty spaghetti western framed in the scope aspect ratio with an appropriate amount of fine film grain. We have a pleasing amount of depth and fine detail to the image, the close-up shots of the sweaty visages reveal plenty pores and craggy facial features, textures of the period clothing are resolved with a surprising amount of detail. There are two viewing options, the longer 114-minute Italian version (with both English and Italian audio) and the shorter 89-minute International version, I could detect no discernible difference in image quality between the two. 

Audio options include both Italian and English PCM Mono 1.0 with Optional English SDH Subtitles. The English-dub is done quite decently but the Italian track seems to have more depth and fidelity, particularly concerning the Riz Ortolani (Cannibal Holocaust) score which is superb. 

Onto the extras Arrow Video do not disappoint with three viewing options to enjoy, the longer Italian cut with both original Italian and English-dub, and the shorter International version with English only audio. While the shorter version is just a re-edited version of the longer Italian version there is one scene not included on the longer cut that appears on the shorter version, which is included here as a stand-alone deleted scene. 

REVERSIBLE ARTWORK 

There are three interviews totalling over an hour, the first with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi who write not only many spaghetti westerns, such as The Grand Duel, but some classic giallo titles like Blade of the Ripper, all the Colors of the Dark and Torso. Additionally there's a previously unreleased interview with director Tonino Valerii and a new one with his biographer Roberto Curti. Bonus content is finished up with six-minutes of trailers for the film, a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist and the original poster art ad a booklet new writing on the film by Howard Hughes that is illustrated with original poster designs for the film.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
- Brand new restoration from the original 35mm Techniscope camera negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of both versions of the film: the original Italian theatrical release, and the shortened version that was screened internationally
- Original uncompressed mono audio, with English or Italian soundtracks on the longer cut and an English soundtrack on the shorter one
- Newly translated English subtitles for Italian audio and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for English audio
- Brand new interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (13 Mins)
- Brand new interview with Tonino Valerii’s biographer Roberto Curti (43 Mins)
- Previously unreleased 2008 interview with Tonino Valerii (11 Mins)
- Deleted scene (2 Mins)
-Theatrical trailers (6 Mins)
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist
- Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Howard Hughes (author of Spaghetti Westerns), illustrated with original poster designs

Great to see yet another bad ass Lee Van Cleef spaghetti Western arrive on Blu-ray

following the Grindhouse Releasing of The Big Gundown (1968). An enjoyable watch, if you love the spaghetti  westerns this is a solid entry with a fantastic score but not quite on par with the films of Sergio Leone or Sergio Corbucci in my opinion, but for a dusty shoot 'em up this is damn decent stuff. The presentation from Arrow Video is top-notch and stacked with value-added extras and worth a purchase if you're a fan of the Italian westerns. It should be noted that this is one of Arrow's first North American titles, playable in both Region A and B, the disc content is exactly the same as the UK version.

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) (Arrow Video Blu-ray Review)

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) 

Label: Arrow Video
Region Code: A,B,1,2
Rating: 18 Certificate
Duration: 89 Minutes
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: Italian/English Dolby Digital Mono and PCM with optional English SDH Subtitles
Director: Mario Bava
Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Eva Bartok, Thomas Reiner, Francesca Ungaro, Luciano Pigozzi,Claude Dantes, Mary Arden, Dante DiPaolo

Of all the releases announced by Arrow Video (US) it was Mario Bava's stylish whodunit Blood and Black Lace (1964) that most intrigued me, a  classic slice of Italian murder cinema bathed in vibrant primary colors and Euro-stylish set design with a fantastic bossanova lounge score and more than a few wonderfully staged murders. Bava set the tone for the Italian whodunit murder mysteries with the black and white The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963), a film that established many of the tropes we have come to enjoy from genre but it was Blood and Black Lace (1964) jut the year after that laid the foundation for the modern giallo with it's stylish blend of vivid set design, black-gloved murder, exotic scores, and drop-dead gorgeous women. It was a formula that would not be improved upon until Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). 

Gorgeous brunette fashion model Isabella (Francesca Ungaro) is murdered by a man in a trench coat with a faceless mask outside the the Cristian Haute Couture fashion house on a dark and windy night. Inspector Sylvester (Thomas Reiner) is assigned the case and interviews the co-managers of the salon, Max Marian (Cameron Mitchell) and the widowed Countess Cristina Como (Eva Bartok) but finds out very little about what could have lead to the murder of the fashion model. However, when it is discovered that Isabella kept a diary pretty much everyone at the fashion house begins to act like a cat caught with the bird in it's mouth. Apparently she had dirt on everyone scribbled into that book and someone is willing to murder every model in the place to get to it before the police do. 

The murderer has a classic look, a black trench coat and a faceless stocking mask with a brimmed hat, which looks quite a but like Rorschach from Watchmen without the ink blots. On his journey to recover the diary he will strangle, mangle, drown and burn his way through a series of gorgeous models, none of which are overly graphic or gory but they are certainly vicious. The killer mangles a woman's face with a clawed gauntlet, drowning one, smothering yet another and before tied-up and tortured before having her face pressed up against a red-hot furnace, and for a model I am sure that's a double negative, disfigurement and death. 

As you might expect of a film full of fashion models the women are completely glamorous and gorgeous without exception, particularly the short-cropped Tao-Li (Claude Dantes) who gets a fantastic drowning scene in a bathtub, those eyes are something special. It's worth noting that the bathtub murder would become a pretty standard Giallo trope afterward, as would the razor which the killer uses to stage her suicide after the fact.

There's no shortage of suspects in the movie, we have a police line-up featuring Max Marian (Cameron Mitchell years before his string of b-movies), a drug addled antique dealer named Franco (Dante DiPaolo) and employees of the fashion house, the pill-popping Marco (Massimo Righi) and the shifty-eyed Cesar (Luciano Pigozzi), the latter of whom reminded me just a little of the bug-eyed Peter Lorre. It could be any one of them or maybe none of them, but one thing's for sure, once the existence of that diary is revealed it becomes painfully clear that no one at the fashion house is without some damning secret of their own.

Keeping with the high visual standards we've come to expect from cinema master Mario Bava the film looks exquisite, the scenes of the killer stalking his prey in the darkness are bathed in shadow and atmospheric colored lighting, stylistically this is a visual feast and an obvious influence on the films of Dario Argento. A scene of the faceless murderer  pursuing Peggy (Mary Arden) through a shadowy antique shop is an obvious highlight, but there are loads of atmospheric scenes to enjoy.

Arrow have meticulously restored the film from the original camera negative which is presented here in its original, uncut Italian version running eighty-nine minutes.  The screenshot comparisons below speak for themselves in respect to the quality of the restoration. The screenshots are sourced from the new 2K restoration from the Arrow Video DVD (sorry, no Blu-ray drive on the PC) compared to the 2008 DVD release from VCI Entertainment. Clearly there is no comparison when it comes to image quality with the Arrow offering more detail, clarity and depth all the way around.

SCREEN GRABS

ARROW VIDEO (2015) TOP

VCI (2008) BOTTOM

THE ARROW VIDEO RESTORATION 

MENU SCREEN GRABS 

SPECIAL FEATURES 

 Panel discussion on Mario Bava featuring Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava and Steve Della Casa, recorded at the 2014 Courmayeur Film Festival (11 Mins)

 The alternative US opening titles, sourced from Joe Dante’s private print and scanned in 2K especially for this release (2 Mins)

 Original theatrical trailer (3 Mins)

 Gender and Giallo – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the giallo’s relationship with the social upheavals of the 1960s and 70s (38 Mins)

Psycho Analysis – a new documentary on Blood and Black Lace and the origins of the giallo genre featuring interviews with directors Dario Argento (Suspiria) and Lamberto Bava (Demons), screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (All the Colors of the Dark) critics Roberto Curti and Steve Della Casa, and crime novelists Sandrone Dazieri and Carlo Lucarelli (55 Mins)

  

The Sinister Image: Cameron Mitchell – an episode of David Del Valle’s television series, devoted to the star of Blood and Black Lace and presented in full (56 Mins)

An appreciation by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, the creative duo behind Amer and The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears (11 Mins)

40-Page Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Howard Hughes, author of Cinema Italiano and Mario Bava: Destination Terror, an interview with Joe Dante, David Del Valle on Cameron Mitchell and more, all illustrated with archive stills and posters

- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

Yellow – the much-acclaimed neo-giallo by Ryan Haysom and Jon Britt (Blu-ray exclusive)

Arrow Video have breathed new life into this classic slice of Italian whodunit cinema with a brand-new and gorgeous 2K restoration that is by quite a stretch the best this film has ever looked on home video. No self-respecting horror fan or Mario Bava completest should be without this on their movie shelf, an essential and seminal slice of whodunit. 

LONG WEEKEND (1978)

LONG WEEKEND (1978)

Label: Synapse Films

Release Date: April 14th 2015 

Region Code: A 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 95 minutes
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround 

Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1) 

Director: Colin Eggleston
Cast: John Hargreaves, Briony Behets

Peter (John Hargreaves, Mad Dog Morgan) and Marcia (Briony Behets, Nightmares) are a
young married couple struggling to cope with issues that have of recent plagued their relationship. In an effort to mend their broken coupling they plan a weekend trip to a deserted stretch of beach bringing the family dog Cricket along with them. Peter has bought all manner of expensive camping gear and seems anxious to get to the beach, while Marcia makes it quite clear from the beginning that she would prefer to be spoiled at an urban resort of some sort. 


The ride out to the beach proves to be problematic, fighting over the radio punctuated by long spells of ignoring each other and monosyllabic communication. As Peter grows tired he hits and kills a Kangaroo without so much as hitting the brake, which is our first hint at how little disregard the couple have for nature. The secluded beach turns out to be not so easy to find in the dark of night, the couple becoming lost in a maze of forested thickets and circular trails. They spend the night in their Jeep, haunted by strange and pained howls emanating from the night, sending chills down Marcia's spine. At sunrise they manage to find the beach and set up a campsite and begin to enjoy what nature has to offer.

The troubled travel was worth it though, the beach is a gorgeous sight with miles of sandy Australian shoreline and deep blue waters to enjoy, but Marcia seemingly wants none of it. She's content to stay at the camp and read trashy novels while occasionally blasting ants with insecticide, occasionally dropping her top to sunbathe. Peter meanwhile wanders the shoreline with his gun, casually shooting the local wildlife and tossing empty bottle of lager into the ocean before blasting them as target practice. When Marcia observes a large shadowy shape in the ocean behind Peter while he is swimming she becomes frightened, concerned it might have been a shark, she becomes unsettled and strange things begin to happen, like a speargun misfiring nearly wounding Marcia.  

The romantic trip to the beach turns out to be any but for the couple, whom are ordinary but unsympathetic people. Peter comes off as more agreeable while Marcia is painted as cold and bitchy, though some back story does explain in part her coldness and sexual indifference towards Peter, who himself becomes less sympathetic as the story unfolds. 

There's been a quiet menace about the film up to this point but things turn for the worse when an eagle which tears into Peter after he finds a bird egg, cracking a joke that perhaps they could make an omelet from it. After the bird attack Marcia smashes the eagle egg against a tree while broaching the subject of an abortion she was forced to endure. Later that same night a possum visiting the campsite takes a chunk out of Peter's hand when he gets a little too close for comfort, the wildlife don't seem to want this couple in the area. 

The next day the couple continue to argue while the creepy sounds of pained howling fill the air, which at some points seem to be figments of Marcia's imagination. Venturing further down the beach they happen upon an abandoned campsite, empty except for a snarling dog. Seeing something out in the surf they discovering a what appears to have been a tragic accident of some sort, maybe foreshadowing the butter couples own fate. As night descends the couple's sanity crumbles as they experience something more harrowing than anything they could have imagined, with nature fighting back against the couple who are a blight on the environment.

Long Weekend (1978) makes it's Blu-ray debut from Synapse Films presented with a brand-new HD transfer from original vault materials framed in the original scope aspect ratio. It's a solid transfer with a fine layer of natural film grain providing some nice depth and clarity with accurate skin tones and good contrast, the gorgeous Australian landscape looks fantastic in HD. 

Audio option include a DTS-HD MA 2.0 and a newly re-mastered DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround soundtrack created by Synapse Films which does a great job of creating creepy atmosphere and dread, enhanced in no small part by the score from composer Michael Carlos (The Odd Angry shot). 

Special features on the disc begin with an informative audio commentary from Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer Vincent Monton offering memories of making the film, it can be a little dry as they go on about achieving certain shots in the film and memories of cast and crew, but an enjoyable listen for fans of the film.

There's also an motion still gallery over which an audio Interview with Actor John Hargreaves is playing, images of behind-the-scenes shots and advertising campaigns as Hargreaves discusses his acting style and offers advice for young actors. The last extra on  the disc is the theatrical trailer for the film. Synapse have also offered a sleeve of reversible artwork, of which I preferred the b-side. 

Special Features
- Audio Commentary from Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer Vincent Monton
- Motion Still Gallery Featuring an Audio Interview with Actor John Hargreaves (5 Mins)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2 Mins) 

Long Weekend (1978) is an effective and unnerving nature gone wild entry infused with an eeriness not often associated with these sort of movies, this one is quite intense and atmospheric. The new Blu-ray transfer from Synapse Films looks fantastic and will hopefully earn this lesser known Australian gem legions of new fans.