Turkey Shoot (1982)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writers:

Jon George (writer)
Neill D. Hicks (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

October 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Hunting is the national sport...and people are the prey!

Plot:

Deviants are held at a rehabilitation fortress until they're set into a deadly game of survival, in the hopes of returning to world society.

Plot Keywords:

Survival | Future | Society | Prisoner | Most Dangerous Game

Cast

Steve Railsback	...	Paul Anders
Olivia Hussey	...	Chris Walters
Michael Craig	...	Charles Thatcher
Carmen Duncan	...	Jennifer
Noel Ferrier	...	Secretary Mallory
Lynda Stoner	...	Rita Daniels
Roger Ward	...	Chief Guard Ritter
Michael Petrovitch	...	Tito
Gus Mercurio	...	Red
John Ley	...	Dodge
Bill Young	...	Griff
Steve Rackman	...	Alph
John Godden	...	Andy
Oriana Panozzo	...	Melinda

Directed by
Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jon George		writer
Neill D. Hicks		writer
David Lawrence		story
George Schenck		story
Robert Williams		story

Produced by
Brian W. Cook	....	associate producer
John Daly	....	executive producer
William Fayman	....	producer
Antony I. Ginnane	....	producer
David Hemmings	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Brian May

Cinematography by
John R. McLean

Film Editing by
Alan Lake

Production Design by
Bernard Hides

Art Direction by
Virginia Bieneman

Costume Design by
Aphrodite Kondos

Makeup Department
Bob McCarron	....	makeup artist
Bob McCarron	....	special makeup artist
Maureen Wroe-Johnson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Michael Fuller	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Jaffee	....	third assistant director
Terry Needham	....	first assistant director
John Rooke	....	second assistant director
David Hemmings	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Adrian Cannon	....	property master
Paul Dulieu	....	property master
Billy Malcolm	....	scenic artist
David Price	....	special property maker
Ted Price	....	special property maker

Sound Department
Paul Clark	....	sound recordist
Peter Fenton	....	sound mixer
Lee Smith	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
John Stears	....	special effects
Brian Cox	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Glenn Boswell	....	stunts (as Glen Boswell)
Richard Boué	....	stunts (as Richard Boue)
Zev Eleftheriou	....	stunts
Kerry Rossall	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Brostoff	....	focus puller
David Burr	....	camera operator
Ian Dewhurst	....	gaffer
Bob Hughes	....	unit cinematographer
Grahame Litchfield	....	key grip
Colin Williams	....	best boy

Editorial Department
Karen Foster	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Jennifer Barty	....	production secretary
Bill Gooley	....	lab liaison
Therese O'Leary	....	continuity

Production Companies

• FGH
• Filmco Limited
• Hemdale Film

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nelson Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Ciné Paris Distribution (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO)

Also Known As:

Blood Camp Thatcher (UK) (video title)
Escape 2000 (USA)

Runtime:

93 min | USA:80 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (cut) | New Zealand:R18 (re rating) | Australia:M | France:-16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | Norway:(Banned) (1982-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Company:

FGH

Trivia:

Michael Craig says in his memoirs that Steve Railsback method acting annoyed him greatly.

Quotes:

Charles Thatcher: One of you has been foolish enough to try to leave us before his re-education was completed. In my view this is treason, and will be treated as such. You will remember our motto: 'Freedom is obedience, obedience is work, work is life'. Well, now understand once and for all that the reverse is also true, 'Disobedience is treason, treason is a crime, crime will be punished!'

Movie Connections:

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

video nasty in all its glory

The original version of "Escape 2000" was banned in the UK (under the title "Turkey Shoot") as part of the video nasty craze back in the 80's. Well, now you can see (in the US, anyway) Turkey Shoot in all its sleazy, cheesy glory. In Australia, in the near future, "deviants" are rounded up and taken to Camp Thatcher for "re-education". Of course not many of these so called deviants agree with their fates, and some of the newest group of detainees, Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, etc., aren't real keen to stay. The sadistic warden of the camp (Michael Craig) organizes a "Most Dangerous Game" type hunt, in which 5 of the prisoners are turned loose to fight for their freedom, and all they have to do is keep from getting killed. So the prisoners are turned loose and the warden and his cronies come in hot pursuit with vehicles, guns, crossbows, and a circus freak? Yeah, really. Plenty of violence and bloodshed ensues, and it is all rather nasty. This is a pretty trashy movie, but it's sort of fun in a goofy way, because it's all taken quite seriously but you, the viewer, won't necessarily feel that way. 8 out of 10.