Wolf Creek
Just saw Wolf Creek. Shwoar… I don’t normally watch horror films, and if it wasn’t an Australian movie I wouldn’t have subjected myself to that. Goes to show how much I love Aussie cinema. Two things leap to mind. Firstly, it was actually much closer to American Psycho (the book) than the bizarre, aesthetically conscious movie, American Psycho (that was a pathetic effort). Secondly, I remember hearing a lot about Ivan Milat and his crimes when I was in high school, but I never really imagined them. That has now changed. Right now I’m reliving a traumatic moment. (Roger Ebert, by all reports, should steer clear of that one.) There’s a social meaning for this genre’s existence: it’s to not let you think that the fantasy is a fantasy.
Update: Pete called it, “the best Australian horror movie ever made:”
John Jarrat is unrecognisable from the friendly dude who used to accompany his ex-wife, Noni Hazlehurst, on Play School in the 80’s. Apparently, in order to bring as much realism to the role and to heighten the tension, while the film was being shot, he deliberately did not meet the three young actors who played the back-packers, prior to the start of filming. He gave them short shrift on the set, even to the extent of disappearing into his caravan after each day’s shoot, sinking copious Bundies and being thoroughly unsociable. So much so that the other cast members were actually very intimidated by him.
Bryce liked it too.