Razorback (film)
| Razorback | |
|---|---|
 Razorback poster | |
| Directed by | Russell Mulcahy |
| Produced by | Hal McElroy |
| Written by | Everett De Roche |
| Based on | novel by Peter Brennan |
| Starring |
Gregory Harrison Arkie Whiteley Bill Kerr Judy Morris |
| Music by | Iva Davies |
| Cinematography | Dean Semler |
| Editing by | William M. Anderson |
| Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Umbrella Entertainment (Australia) |
| Release dates | 2 November 1984 |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$5.5 million[1] |
| Box office | A$801,000 (Australia) |
Razorback is a 1984 Australian film, based on Peter Brennan's novel, written by Everett De Roche, and directed by Russell Mulcahy who would later make the first two of the Highlander trilogy. The film revolves around the exploits of a gigantic wild boar terrorizing the Australian outback, killing and devouring people.[2]
Plot
Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr) lives with his grandson in the Australian outback when a massive razorback boar attacks him, destroying his house and killing his grandson. He is accused of murdering the child but is acquitted due to lack of evidence. However his dignity is destroyed.
Two years later, a wildlife reporter, Beth Winters, journeys to the outback to document the hunting of Australian wildlife to be used as animal food, processed in a large factory, but she is attacked by two deranged locals, Benny and Dicko, who leave her to be killed by the beast. She tries to hide in her car, but the hog rips open the door and kills her by lacerating her groin. Her husband, Carl, goes in search of her, and aids Jake Cullen and his young associate, Sarah Cameron, in hunting for the razorback responsible for her death.
As they search for the creature, Benny and Dicko worry that they may be associated with the murder of Beth Winters, so they attack Cullen and leave him to be killed by the boar. Vowing revenge for his wife and his friend, Carl finds Benny and lowers him into a mineshaft, presumably killing him, and finds Dicko in the factory. Before he can kill him, the razorback surges and mauls Dicko to death before chasing after Carl and Sarah, where they face off inside the processing factory. Carl lures the boar (having speared it with a pole) into pursuing him down a conveyor belt, at the end of which is a large industrial fan. Not able to stop itself, the boar falls to its demise onto the blades of the fan, while Carl rescues Sarah.
Cast
- Gregory Harrison as Carl Winters
- Arkie Whiteley as Sarah Cameron
- Bill Kerr as Jake Cullen
- Chris Haywood as Benny Baker
- David Argue as Dicko Baker
- Judy Morris as Beth Winters
- John Howard as Danny
- John Ewart as Turner
- Don Smith as Wallace
- Mervyn Drake as Andy
- Redmond Phillips as the Magistrate
- Alan Becher as Counsel (as Alan Beecher)
- Peter Schwarz as Lawyer (as Peter Schwartz)
- Beth Child as Louise Cullen
- Rick Kennedy as Farmer
Production
By the early 1980s Australian Russell Mulchay had established himself as one of the leading music video directors in the world. He wanted to make features but at that point had only been offered musicals - a sequel to Flashdance that was never made and Space Riders - which he did not want to do. He was offered Razorback in August 1982 and accepted the job. The movie was mostly shot in Broken Hill.[3][1]
Release
Razorback grossed $801,000 at the box office in Australia.[4]
The film was given a limited release theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. in November 1984. It grossed $150,140 at the box office.[5]
The film was released in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment on 21 September 2005. It was presented in 2.40:1 Widescreen, and included a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack and the original 2.0 Soundtrack. Special Features include a 70 minute featurette "Jaws On Trotters", an audio featurette interview with actor Gregory Harrison, four deleted scenes from the VHS release with extra gore, a gallery, an original theatrical trailer, plus two extra trailers for Roadgames and The Chain Reaction.
The UK release contains a 5.1 DTS track, biographies, a still gallery and a 25 minute featurette that contains interviews with several production crew.
Razorback was released in the United States by Warner Home Video in 2009 as part of the Warner Archive Collection.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jim Schembri, "Russell Mulcahy", Cinema Papers', July 1984 p139-141
- ↑ David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p302
- ↑ Jim Schembri, "Russell Mulcahy", Senses of Cinema, 12 July 2008 accessed 26 October 2012
- ↑ Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
- ↑ "Razorback". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- ↑ "Razorback (DVD)". wbshop.com. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
External links
- Razorback at the Internet Movie Database
- Razorback at the National Film and Sound Archive
- Razorback at allmovie
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