Razorback (1984)

Absolutely Fantastic

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

If you watch one giant killer pig movie, make it Razorback! Directed by Russell Mulcahy (director of "Highlander" and just about every early 80s music video you can remember ["Rio", "True", "Video Killed the Radio Star", "I'm Still Standing", etc...]), this minor Ozploitation classic has a vicious wild boar wreaking havoc upon a small community in the Australian outback. At first, no one believes that a giant pig is behind the deaths and mayhem, but the community slowly begins to discover the truth and are forced to deal with this angel of death in the form of a massive animatronic killer pig (well, it's supposed to be a live pig, but it's portrayed by a sweet looking giant pig puppet). This film is, of course, complete nonsense, but it's wildly fun nonsense. "Jaws" is the pinnacle of this sort of nature-gone-wild type of film, and "Razorback" is nowhere in that same league, but I'd argue that it's a minor classic on the level of "Piranha" or "Alligator." The films stars Gregory Harrison of "Trapper John, M.D." fame and was shot by Oscar winning cinematographer Dean Semler, so it's a quality made exploitation film. Overall, "Razorback" will absolutely entertain fans of these sorts of films (meaning if a giant killer pig running amok does not sound like a quality film premise, "Razorback" is probably not for you).

Billed as "Jaws" in the outback, "Razorback" is more like a toothless cross between "Wake in Fright" and "Mad Max". The killer pig is barely seen throughout the run time and you are never encouraged to be scared of it.More menacing (though not by much) are a group of post-apocalyptic looking kangaroo shooters who intend to rape a young American newsreader doing a report on animal cruelty. Of course she doesn't really get raped - this is only a horror movie, after all - the pig conveniently arrives to kill her instead (which we don't see happen).Then her spouse shows up and we get not one but two nightmare sequences which do less to establish the pig as the thing we are supposed to be afraid of than the hunters. They are not believable characters, though, and they're more irritating than intimidating.Anyway, the movie disposes of both so easily that you wonder why you were ever supposed to care. You never really get to see the "razorback", and its death scene is singularly unconvincing and underwhelming.In actual fact, the pig deserves some kind of medal for humanity - a Porcine Peace Prize, if you will - for always arriving to perform acts of mercy. For example, when the young lady is going to be raped, she is spared that fate and is merely killed (rape is worse than murder, right?) Later when her spouse is going to take revenge, he hesitates before pulling the trigger, and what do you know? There's the pig again, taking the crisis out of the Canuck's hands and killing the would-be rapist for him.

Based on the novel by Peter Brennan, and scripted by the then prolific Everett De Roche, the horror movie "Razorback" works well in terms of shocks yet also has an undeniable sense of humour to it as well. It doesn't always take itself too seriously, which is nice. Its single most fascinating and effective aspect is the way it shows off the Outback landscape, showing it as both a beautiful and scary place.The story proper kicks off when Beth Winters (Judy Morris), an animal rights activist / reporter, travels to the Outback to cover a story about kangaroo slaughter. Instead she meets and becomes a meal for an enormous, ferocious wild boar - a boar that had already snacked on an infant and destroyed a house in the pre-credits sequence. Beths' husband Carl (TV veteran Gregory Harrison) goes to Australia himself to find out what had happened and ends up having to help the locals vanquish the beast.As directed by Russell Mulcahy, who went on to helm "Highlander", "Razorback" is at its best when basking in the atmosphere inherent to this wilderness. When Carl is abandoned by trouble making jerks the Baker brothers (Chris Haywood, David Argue), and has to make a trek across the countryside, there are some truly great and surreal moments. The cinematography by Dean Semler, who had shot "The Road Warrior", and who went on to tremendous success in Hollywood, is truly impressive. Location work is excellent, as well, and Iva Davies' music is perfect accompaniment to the action. The makeup effects and rampaging razorback are the work of Bob McCarron (whose other credits include "The Road Warrior", "Howling III", "Dead Alive", and "The Matrix") and crew. This is an enjoyably grisly and visceral movie and doesn't skimp on thrills.The acting is solid - Harrison is fine as an average guy & unlikely sort of hero, the lovely and appealing Arkie Whiteley, who sadly died way too young, is a joy as female lead Sarah, Bill Kerr solidly convincing as the vengeance minded old boar hunter, and Haywood and Argue appropriately repulsive as the human antagonists.Overall, this is a good deal of fun that puts its own spin on the entire "nature strikes back" sub genre that was especially popular in the '70s after the success of "Jaws". For those who may scoff at the thought of a giant killer pig movie, it's more entertaining than one might think and as said is not playing everything 100% straight faced anyway. Horror fans are advised to give it a shot.Seven out of 10.

When an American journalist goes missing on assignment in the Australian outback, her husband begins the search for answers leading to a startling discovery. Various oddball characters are living in fear of a mythical giant wild boar, roaming the prairie preying on the vulnerable. Music video director Mulcahy made an (at the time) inauspicious feature debut with his picture about a big pig. It didn't limit his career though, with several high grossing and popular films to his credit since ("Highlander", "The Shadow", "Resident Evil: Extinction"). Time has elevated this curiosity to cult status, and it now receives more attention as a genre piece. For itself, it's heavily allegorical, bears resemblances to news of the day (which might be lost out of context), and benefits from some strong performances (particularly Kerr) and outback scenery and sets.Harrison's one-man army churns and burns through an almost post-apocalyptic looking outback hunting down the clues to the mystery, dispatching of enemies with sadistic relish (one character is dispensed down a disused mine shaft with disturbingly callous cruelty). Meanwhile, guilt-ridden grandfather (Kerr) overcome by the loss of his grandchild, spirited away during the night, spends his remaining screen time, effectively writing his epitaph. Only one of these men will have redemption and avenge their loss, but both their plights, while starkly different methods, are engaging. There's a certain Ahab quality in both cases, and the biblical references are corny, but appropriate in the circumstances.Paints a depressingly desolate view of rural Australia, filled with perils both man made and ecological, yet also handles some mature issues with sensitivity and reverence. All this achieved, and still in the shadow of the world's biggest marauding ham steak with the tusks of a rhino and attitude to match. No wonder it's a cult favourite.