Review : LONG WEEKEND (1978)

Originaltitle: Long Weekend

Country : Australia

Year : 1978

Director: Colin Eggleston

Cast : John Hargreaves, Briony Behets, Mike McEwen, Roy Day a.o.

Story :

A bickering young Australian couple wants to camp on an isolated and gorgeous strip of beach.

On their way to the nature retreat , Peter had hit a kangaroo in a car accident. 

And there will be tragic consequences for their violent actions.

In the wilderness theyre just about to enter, nature is king and mankind is servant to his powers.

Allready after being there for a couple hours, Peter demonstrates how much of a threat to mother nature he is, with his irresponsible, nature-threatening behavoiur.

He gets buzzed, throws bottles into the ocean and shoots at innocent animals. 

Marcia isn't the *out-doorsy* type, opting for the life in the city around an inner circle.

She's moody and troubled and she makes the mistake of throwing an eagle's egg into a tree.

Peter and Marcia will reap what they sow. 

After Peter shot a seacow multiple times - which was supposedly "chasing" him - the downward spiral starts.

The offspring of the seacow can be heard far off seeking it's mother. 

Perhaps a manipulation of guilt in the mind(..and maybe not!), the dead sea cow seems to draw closer and closer from the beach to his camp site! 

And, Peter even gets attacked by a possum and eagle!

The local wildlife decides enough is enough - its payback time for mother nature.

Rating : 

LONG WEEKEND is a more than decent Eco-Horror Thriller from Down Under.

"Nature Revolts" is somewhat the generic term for a sub genre of Horror that was particularly huge throughout the 70's decade. 

Basically all these films are the illegal offspring of Alfred Hitchcock's legendary milestoneTHE BIRDS - released in 1963.

But the popularity only skyrocketed during the 1970's, when creative Exploitation Directors began to use all sorts of unlikely animal species as crusaders against the ongoing pollution and abuse of our planet's ecological system.

LONG WEEKEND is a peculiar but extremely worthwhile contribution to the "Nature Revolts" Sub-Genre, as it doesn't focus on one animal species in particular, but puts forward the entire Eco-system as a combatant.

Plotwise it is expectedly simple, but it is still eerie and delivers a message.

The cinematography is  brilliant and every single frame is beautiful to behold and a really creepy soundtrack adds uo to the movie's power to unsettle the viewer.

Made on an obviously low-budget, this is a deliberately-paced chiller.

Please, don't watch this flick expecting a highly exhilarating and non-stop spectacular thrill-ride. 

This film moves along at a very slow pace, but is loaded with symbolic imagery and subtle hints of the supernatural, that truly get under your skin.

LONG WEEKEND importantly never  moves away from the central couple - Australian actor John Hargreaves and English actress Briony Behets - in the lead roles.

Their acting is great and both deliver an amazing performance, to make the Peter and Marcia very unlikeable - you will get yourself caught cheering for Mother Nature while watching this movie.

The script is tight and avoids many clichés, which other animal attack flicks are lacking off.

Everett de Roche did sterling work in writing the script, but this man just knows how to write something tight and atmospheric.

Everett de Roche also was responsible for Movie Scripts like PATRICK,HARLEQUIN,RAZORBACK and ROAD GAMES.

It is an intelligent look at the relationship between the carelessness of mankind and the suffering of nature, which wil take his time in delivering justice.

Made in a country where outback dangers are never more than a short drive away, LONG WEEKEND illustrates the fragile veneer of civilisation, constantly under threat from both nature and the feral heart of man.

The end shot will make a shock-impact even though you could never really sympathize with the protagonists. 

Competently directed by Colin Eggleston and featuring some of the most plausible acting performances I've ever seen, LONG WEEKEND is another genuine Aussie horror sleeper.

8.5/10 Eagle-Eggs