Razorback Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Razorback Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 3, 2018

Russell Mulcahy's "Razorback" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian label Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; audio commentary by director Russell Mulcahy; new audio interview with actor Gregory Harrison; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I see you, boy!

This film screams ‘Made in Australia’ and in all the right ways. It is rough yet very fluid, it has a whacky sense of humor, and it sees the Outback from a perfect angle. Like all genuine ‘80s crackers, it is high on colors too.

In a distant town, veteran hunter Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr) is forced to defend himself after he is accused of killing his grandson. During a tough trial he is able to convince the jury that the boy was actually taken away by a giant razorback and is acquitted, but the local folks refuse to believe his story and he trades his hometown for the bush. Some years later, American journalist and animal rights activist Betty Winters (Judy Morris) arrives in town to do a story on the local kangaroo hunters, and quickly gets on their nerves. When two local whackos decide to play a little game that will provide her with some special memories, she meets the razorback and gets crushed. Her heartbroken fiancé, Carl Winters (Gregory Harrison), arrives looking for answers, but he also gets a nice dose of local hospitality and nearly dies in the bush. While Carl recovers in the secluded home of a lonely beauty (Arkie Whitely), the razorback reemerges and begins wrecking havoc again. Jake begins tracking it down, and soon after so does the clueless visitor.

During the '80s Russell Mulcahy shot a ton of quality music videos for some of the decade’s greatest performing artists so the careful stylization of Razorback, which emerged two years before his cult classic Highlander, should not be at all surprising. Despite the rough edge and Aussie bravado, the film essentially has the polished appearance of an unusually long MTV video.

But the stylization does not just support the narrative, it actually becomes the narrative. Indeed, the Outback very quickly evolves into a giant exotic playground where the real and the surreal freely overlap and Mulcahy goes to work to dazzle as best as he can. Naturally, the more effective the stylization gets, the more obvious it becomes that the unique vibe that emerges from it is what Mulcahy is focused on. So, the exact way in which the presence of the razorback is revealed or the antics of the troublemakers are captured in a specific sequence is a lot more important than the progression of the drama.

This concept isn’t new. In fact, big Outback classics like Walkabout and Picnic at Hanging Rock do precisely the same thing and leave a lasting impression because they promote a very particular type of ambience through their visuals and sounds; the final destination of their characters is largely irrelevant. What is different is the type of stylization that is used to get the desired result in each film. In Razorback, Mulcahy employs a wide range of vivid, borderline hallucinatory colors, sleek cuts and zooms, and a few good old-fashioned horror tricks. (For reference, this specific cocktail of qualities is the exact reason why Razorback is often described as “Ozploitaiton flick”).

Mulcahy worked with Oscar-winning cinematographer Dean Semler, whose credits also include such cult favorites as The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Waterworld, and Apocalypto.

*Umbrella Entertainment’s release is sourced from a brand new 4K remaster of the film. The label's first release of the film is sourced from a different remaster.

Razorback Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Russell Mulcahy's Razorback arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a very beautiful new 4K remaster of the film. I have two minor complaints. First, the folks at Umbrella Entertainment have tried to produce a definitive release of this film and have gathered a lot of very good bonus features for it. However, they should have been placed on a second disc because there are a couple of sequences where I noticed that density levels struggled to remain steady even though it is very clear that the remaster is very strong. So, while there aren't any serious anomalies, the film should been placed on a single disc and the encode fully optimized. This remaster deserves it. Second, I noticed a couple of tiny white flecks, so they should have been picked up. The rest looks great. Depth and fluidity are typically very pleasing, and even during the darker footage clarity remains impressive. The entire film is also very nicely graded, so the MTV-esque quality of the cinematography is certainly retained. There are no traces of digital tinkering. Image stability is excellent. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Razorback Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I thought that the lossless track handled the film's soundtrack very well. However, I have never seen it theatrically so I don't know how accurately it does so. (There is some pretty interesting movement in the surrounds, but I don't know if it was there in the beginning). Either way, in terms of depth, clarity, and dynamic movement the lossless track delivers with authority.

Razorback Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Trailer - original trailer for Razorback. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• VHS Trailer - vintage VHS trailer for Razorback. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for the original Razorback novel and the film. The content comes from various markets.

• A Certain Piggish Nature: Looking Back at Razorback - in this new featurette, film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas welcomes fellow critics Emma Westwod, Lee Gambin, and Sally Christie and they recall their initial impressions of Razorback and explain why the film still delivers a solid dose of genre entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

• Razorback: The VHS Cut - a standard definition presentation of Razorback that years ago was offered on VHS. In English, not subtitled. (95 min, upscaled to 1080p).

• Grisly Deleted Scenes - presented here a couple of deleted scenes that contain footage that may have been lost. With new optional commentary by director Russell Mulcahy. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Interviews with Cast and Crew - presented here is a selection of interviews conducted by Mark Hartley for his documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!. I found the information that is shared in the interviews to be incredibly interesting because it covers everything from the apparently difficult production of the film to the specific special effects that were used to create the Razorback to the film's reception in the United States and Europe. If you enjoy the film, definitely find the time to watch the program in its entirety. The interviewees are actors Gregory Harrison and Judy Morris, director Russell Mulcahy, writer Everett De Roche, producer Hal McElroy, and special make-up effects artist Bob McCarron. In English, not subtitled. (85 min, 1080p).

• Jaws on Trotters - this vintage behind the scenes featurette contains clips from archival interviews with various cast and crew members, as well as footage from the production process (special effects and creature preparations). In English, not subtitled. (74 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Gregory Harrison - in this audio interview, Gregory Harrison recalls how he became involved with Razorback and discusses the production process in Australia. The actor also describes a serious accident that left him stoned -- after taking muscle relaxants -- in his hotel room for a couple of days, apparently unable to recall his name. In English, not subtitled. (31 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Russell Mulcahy and critic and Razorback fan Shayne Armstrong spend a great deal of time discussing the shooting of the film, various stylistic choices, the '80s tone/vibe of the film, some of the edits that were made, specific cliches that the film discards, etc.

• Cover - reversible cover.

Razorback Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 'bad' that years ago some critics argued made Razorback a poor film is exactly the reason why I think it looks so chic today -- it is unhinged and proud of it, and so high on colors that it is borderline brilliant. Frankly, it makes Russell Mulcahy look like an underrated Aussie auteur that, much to our delight, MTV failed to contain. This recent release from Umbrella Entertainment is sourced from a beautiful new 4K remaster. My only complaint pertains to the decision not to place the extensive selection of bonus features on a separate disc. Regardless, this is a great release. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.