7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
When a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood.
Starring: John Hargreaves (I), Briony Behets, Mike McEwen (I), Roy Day (I), Michael AitkensHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.42:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Maybe you thought your last vacation was bad? 1978’s “Long Weekend” is an unnerving reminder that hotels and resorts are perhaps the only way to truly relax in the big, bad world. A horror effort that invests almost completely in atmosphere, “Long Weekend” is a highly effective exercise in slow-burn terror, putting the entirety of its focus on two characters as their extraordinarily troubling camping trip to a remote Australian beach turns into a prolonged test of survival. However, it’s not poor planning that comes back to haunt the couple in question, but a karmic explosion of animal retaliation in response to human savagery, allowing the screenplay to explore a different type of suspense. The feature takes time to get where it’s going, but the reward is superb tension and unpredictable surges of intensity, with stars John Hargreaves and Briony Behets capturing utter distress as director Colin Eggleston orchestrates an unforgettable downward spiral of sanity, with villainy agreeably dimensional and the great outdoors ruined forever.
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a bright, crisp viewing experience that almost makes "Long Weekend" look brand new. Damage is minimal, with speckling detected and a few vertical scratches. Sharpness is retained, providing a clean examination of campsite particulars, animal textures, and increasingly hostile facial reactions from the lead characters. Detail is quite good, only restrained by inherent cinematographic limitations, which offer some focal softness. Grain is fine and filmic. Colors are rich, with bold primaries keeping skies fresh and blood deep red, and costuming delivers a full sense of available hues, most staying true to the 1970s and its addiction to shades of blue. Delineation is adequate, preserving frame information with evening events.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is an ideal companion to the visual event, utilizing a strong sense of surround activity to goose the chills. Discrete animal positioning is actually quite frightening, with screeches and mournful calls emerging unexpectedly, adding to the suspense. Dialogue exchanges are defined and secure, keeping accents crisp enough to follow, while dramatic interests are maintained with a healthy range, never slipping into distortion. Scoring is heavy and ominous, with synth sounds conjuring tone when necessary. Atmospherics, including crashing waves and wind, are evocative, contributing to the outdoorsy feel of the picture. As a horror track, this one is incredibly effective with the lights off and the volume cranked, putting the listener in the thick of the nightmare, which emerges from all sides of the room.
For those used to more propulsive horror entertainment, "Long Weekend" might feel like a still photo at times. The prolonged mood of torment, with the characters forced to confront their shortcomings when faced with an unseen enemy, works wonderfully for the effort, keeping the picture in a state of unrest. A constant barrage of violence would only dilute the movie's personality. After all, there was a remake, 2008's "Nature's Grave" (starring Jim Caviezel and Claudia Karvan), which only managed to prove how effective the original film was. "Long Weekend" is disturbing for many reasons. While the animals and their scheme of vengeance is enough to swear off any future camping adventures, the real alarm of the move lies in its study of a soured marriage, watching two characters selfishly put their own concerns ahead of others as the world conspires to kill them off.
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