Long Weekend (1978)

Director:

Colin Eggleston

Writer:

Everett De Roche (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Their crime was against nature...Nature found them guilty. [DVD Australia]

Plot:

When a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood. |

Plot Keywords:

Camping | Dugong | Unhappy Marriage | Female Masturbation | Wedgetailed Eagle

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

John Hargreaves	...	Peter
Briony Behets	...	Marcia
Mike McEwen	...	Truck Driver
Roy Day	...	Old Man
Michael Aitkens	...	Bartender
Sue Kiss von Soly	...	City girl

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Bega, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Trivia:

Cinematographer Vincent Monton said that the weather conditions while shooting the film were eerily co-operative. He said when the script would call for a scene with sunny skies the weather would be beautiful, but as the intensity and strangeness of the script grew the weather conditions would change to match the moody atmosphere of the scenes being filmed. Throughout the shoot the weather always seemed to change to suit the scene that was being made!

Goofs:

Errors in geography: There are a couple of shots of a Tasmanian Devil shortly after the couple arrive at the campsite. As the name suggests, Tassie Devils live only in Tasmania. Yet the beach/camping scenes were filmed in Bega, NSW, which is a long way away, and separated by a large stretch of ocean.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Eerie Australian flick

Long Weekend is sort of like "Day of the Animals" as done by Peter Weir (think "Last Wave" and "Picnic At Hanging Rock". But this is NOT a Peter Weir film, just so you understand that. A young couple heads to a seaside campsite to sort things out as their marriage isn't doing so well, and they're a couple of non-nature types, trees are there to be chopped down for no reason, critters to be run over or shot or sprayed with insecticide, etc. And there's other strange things going on like things in the water (but not a shark) and eerie sounds at night, and there appeared to be other folks camped down the beach but while their stuff is still there where did they go? It seems like animals are turning against people and while these two are not the only ones, they are the focus of this film. Like the films of Peter Weir, this has an atmosphere of anxiety and anticipation instead of cheap scares, and creates discomfort from practically nothing. This is well done and well worth seeing, highly recommended. 8 out of 10.