Long Weekend (1978)

If we treat ourselves and everything around us with ignorance and contempt and throw money at our inadequacies, we can hardly be surprised when a possum chews our fingers off.

Long Weekend is beautiful, ugly and horrific in equal measure.

The Blu-Ray from Synapse is the best I've seen this film. Even the new 5.1 mix works really well and enhances the subtle sound design rather than smashing you in the face with surround-sound gimmickry. The original stereo soundtrack is also available on the disc.



"What've you been doing to the tree?"
"Chopping it down"
"Why?"
"Why not?"

Letterboxd Review

White Settlers (2014)

If we take the title "White Settlers" as I assume, it's intended then this film is the equivalent of a pre-revisionist, c-grade, 1940s western. A couple of pioneering English city-types move to rural Scotland and are terrorised by the natives. Happens all the time down here as well.

What could have been a really interesting portrayal of the disintegration of a relationship because of paranoia, isolation and distrust is quickly shat down the drain in favour of one of the most obvious storylines I've seen in recent years (the identity of the "natives" is given out in the first ten minutes).

Animal masks... again? Really?

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Wasn't really expecting much at all and was nicely surprised. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Michelle is up there with Ellen Ripley.

Letterboxd Review

High Lane (2009)

A group of friends decide to climb a via ferrata (a type of protected climbing) route in Croatia and end up in a dangerous situation that they could never have anticipated.

These sort of survival horror films are incredibly common nowadays but High Life is one of the better attempts being short, full of tension, nicely shot, well paced and with likeable characters including two very strong female leads.

Even the small amount of proper climbing is well technically correct with a the leader of the group using a munter hitch to belay the rest up a face to the start of the via ferrata route (his belaying leaves a lot to be desired though).

Very enjoyable!

Original letterboxd review