Cool News
Rodney Oz gives us a look at CUT, a rare Australian horror flick
SPOILER ALERT !!
When is the last time you saw a pure horror film come out of the Outback? Father Geek has a hard time remembering a solid Down-Under horror movie. Now certainly many have had horror elements, Peter Jackson's given us a few of those, but a real honest to god Australian Horror motion picture, thats as rare as Wallabees in South Texas...
Hello Father Geek. Never having written to you before I have no idea of the
protocol here but here goes. Call me Rodney Oz as I'm from Australia. Sorry
if this is too long.
And the film I'm writing about is an Australian horror movie. Which is
pretty unprecedented. Most Australian movies are either serious and
meaningful, or painfully quirky comedies. For a totally unabashed
commercial film to be produced is rare. So does it work? Based on the
preview screening last night, the answer is: mostly.
It seems that 14 years ago, the movie "Hot Blooded" was cancelled when its director
(Kylie Minogue) was murdered near the end of production. Now, a bunch of
film school students decide to finish off the film. Trouble is, the film
has a reputation of being cursed - every time someone tries to complete it,
or even watch it, they die in bizarre horrible fashion.
The students recruit American actress Vanessa Turnbull, who played the
sister of the killer in 'Hot Blooded', to finish the film by playing her
own mother. Turnbull is played by Molly Ringwald - who looks rather
disturbingly like Bette Midler here - as a fairly typical self-absorbed
self-important Hollywood type, which doesn't go down too well with the down
to earth Australian students. Pretty quickly, the killings start. Nearly
everyone dies, and there's the predictable 'twist' ending (which I wish
they'd left out).
So how are the killings? Fairly graphic and well done. Three decapitations,
a severed thumb, a severed tongue (Minogue's - for the non-Aussies here,
this is a sweet irony given her usual career as a 'singer'). Two people
burned alive. A sharp pole through the throat (which somehow is not fatal),
an impaling on a garden tap (!), a cameraman who gets it in the eye, and
many slashings (I lost count of the cut throats). Lots of screaming and
jumping in the cinema last night (some of it by me). The highlight is
unquestionably the severed head whose eyes move to follow the killer.
It's done with the typical post-Scream film-reference style of humour,
except that it's done with an AUSTRALIAN flavour, which means that it
doesn't keep congratulating itself about its cleverness. If you 'get' the
bodies-in-the-trees ala Friday the 13th, good, but the characters aren't
going to stop and tell you. All the usual cliches are present, right down
to not one but TWO shower scenes (and yes, one is with Molly, and no, you
can't make out anything even in the fullbody shot. Sorry guys).
A brilliant stroke is to make the student playing the killer a Method
actor who wears the mask of the killer ("Scarman") on and off the set. It
allows the killer to get as close as he likes to everybody and act
imtimidating without worrying them. It gets quite suspenseful when you're
not sure which one you're watching on the screen.
But there is one BIG problem with the movie, and it has to do with the I doubt the makers had any intention of pushing that message - there's too So it's a good movie, with a probably unintentional ambigiuity. Aside from Rodney Oz
identity of the killer.
supernatural, brought into existence by the film 'Hot Blooded' itself. The
solution then is to quite literally burn the film. Which basically means
symbolically that horror movies casue killings, and the answer is to
destroy them.
much visible pleasure at making a slasher film, too much enjoyment of
thinking up clever ways for characters to die. Here in Australia, where
there's no censorship push on screen violence, that 'message' isn't a
problem. Post-Columbine in the USA, it might smack of biting the hand that
feeds you
Ringwald and maybe Minogue, there's no-one well-known in the cast (unless
you've seen Simon Bossell in 'The Castle'). But look out for Jessica
Napier, the heroine and would-be director of the extra footage, who manages
to be strong, resourceful and vulnerable all at once (and has the other
shower scene too). 'Cut' is from first-time director Kimble Rendall, who
used to be in the rock band Hoodoo Gurus, and has a mainly hardcore dance
soundtrack that is very, very loud. It's been picked up by something like
85 countries for distribution, so it'll make it to America eventually. If
you get a chance, check 'Cut' out. It won't change your life, but it's more
fun than most horror movies have been recently.
-
+ Expand All
-
so few horror films coming out of austrailia? how 'bout YOUNG EINSTIEN starring YAHOO SERIOUS?
-
This sounds like crap. I mean it. This does not sound ANY different from pieces of crap like "Urban Legend", in spite of this guy's arguments to the contrary. I don't WANT my horror films to be self-referential, dammit. I want, PURE, UNADULTERED, HORROR, the way it used to be. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here and "Cut" is really a better movie than I think it is, but after three years of having garbage like "Scream" passed off as horror movies, I think I have reason to be suspicious.
-
Wasn't Split Second with Rutger Hauer, an Aussi horror flick.. Oh come to think of it, London was proably the setting. The Punisher, however, is an aussi flick; The horror.....The horror.
-
But I don't want to see it just because I'm a bit "Scream"-ed out. If I saw it, I'd be nitpicking this movie for no good goddamn reason.
-
Mar 01, 2000 10:50:44 PM CST
Kylie Minogue and Molly Ringwald keep their dignity. and what wi
by malchizedik
and such perfect timing! This sounds grrrrrrreat!
-
An Australian horror movie is not as unprecedented as an animated horror movie. When I look back at all the horror in THE IRON GIANT, I am often surprised that film did not get an R rating. So what if Hot Blooded had a scene with a severed thumb? THE GIANT had His entire hand severed. Hot Blooded had 3 decapitations; THE IRON GIANT had His Own head decapitated. Sure Hot Blooded had some gore, but THE IRON GIANT had His body smashed by a train and had His jaw busted. He was electrocuted and hunted. Furthermore, He fell out of the sky and smashed to the ground at 100 miles per hour, plus He was shot at not only by tanks and guns, but also by airplanes and battleships. Plus an innocent deer gets it in the woods. I could go on but I have to sleep soon and I do not want to have nightmares.
-
Hey, Kids, Hellknight here... just a quick note to those who really WANT to get scared and diusturbed by a horror-film, rent 1999's "KOLOBOS". It is at this point, the scariest film I have seen since the "Exorcist". At its heart it seems like a slasher-flick, but it is a seriously well-acted and staged psychological, "what the hell?!" kind of horror film that features painfully realistic, deliberate violence and horror that echoes of a "snuff-film" if it were directed by David Cronenberg. Check it out, if it doesn't scare you, it will almost certainly BOTHER you...
-
I'm gonna find Kolobos thing as fast as possible. Sounds a hell lot better than a bleek Scream copy. We have allready screamed thrice, I don't think we need more. I'm probably gonna see this anyway and it's great that horror movies are beeing made at all, so keep it up down under!! BTW have this production crew made any other movies that might be known?
-
Mar 02, 2000 2:02:28 AM CST
Kylie Minogue's talents, and the underevaluation of the Antopode
by mickey finn
This sounds great guys, and I want to see it. I especially want to see Kylie Minogue try to act again. I
-
...that should have been spelt ANTIPODES, not ANTOPODES. I need some sleep...
-
There was one Australian horror film I remember from a few years ago. It was called Razorback and was actually set in the outback.
The premise is of a very large feral bush pig that kills people.
(Yanks, thing of a vietnamese pot-bellied pig gone bad. Very bad indeed).
It was pretty crap.
One more springs to mind......Reckless Kelly, also by Yahoo Serious (suprise, suprise)
-
...who was in The Castle, not Simon Bossell. I can't wait to see this though. This weekend, hopefully!
-
Mar 02, 2000 3:13:33 AM CST
Hey Mickey Finn, didn't the USofA fuck over the Indians, er, Na
by coopcooper
Just checking. Don't get me wrong, I'm as American as baseball, consumerist lifestyles (Fight Club, yeah!), hate crimes, and murder sprees; but this country just isn't the picture of idealism that it used to be. Of course, you may not even be American, in which case, you left out America. Oh, and don't get me wrong again, I'm not anti-America. We have cool chants like, "USA! USA! USA!" And stuff like that. It's also pretty nice and stuff (except for the slums). Ah fuck this. I don't know why I got so anti-American all of the sudden. Hmmm, I think I need sleep, and I'm not gonna get it. So that leaves me cranky. Did you ever start writing about something for no real reason other than to start shit? Then you end up rambling to nowhere left with nothing but an incoherant mess? It sucks in a funny sort of way. This is easily the most pointless mess I've ever written. Enjoy! And fuck you too.
-
There have been a few other Aussie horror films I can think of. One of the ones that made the most impression on me was "The cars that ate Paris" (in this case, Paris being a small outback town, not the capital of France). Quite an interesting movie. It was directed by Peter Weir who has gone on to big things in the States (like Truman Show, Dead Poets Society, Witness).
Possibly the worst of all would be "Houseboat Horror" which was an incredibly crap horror film made in the 80's. Incredibly it is even on the IMDB. -
ok not exactly an out and out horror film, but its got the feel of one without the blood. Brilliant film.
-
Mar 02, 2000 7:06:27 AM CST
AUSSIE HORROR SHOCKERS (darth psychotic, masse, WizOfAus)
by uncle monty
I first got word of the script for this film back in mid 1998 (as the guy who was co-producing my short film at the time was wondering whether or not to get on board - no, he never did), and can remember thinking at the time "ohhh dear". This, I think, would have been around the time of Scream 2 and Urban Legend. BUT - I will be going to see this for two reasons: 1) the effects seem to have been done quite well (going by trailers and press kit clips). 2) Jessica Napier is an actress to keep an eye on. She has already put in commendable work in the TV series 'Wildside' (recommended viewing). Some with sharp eyes may even recognise her from small roles in the films 'Blackrock' and the brilliant 'Love Serenade' (DIGRESSION - Keep eyes peeled for Shirley Barrett's next film, 'Walk the Talk', which has been responded to very warmly by preview audiences; fingers crossed for another masterpiece). Not that this film is going require any kind of acting feat, but it will be interesting to see how she handles potentially dodgy material. Her best work is ahead of her (not counting the other Aussie Horror/ comedy she will be starring in this year - 'Twitch' - don't even get me started on the subject of Australians ripping off the same idea over and over - Hotel Sorrento, Radiance, Erskineville Kings, Soft Fruit - same friggin plotline!!...), and if Ms Napier can get onto a project the calibur of 'The Boys', the audience will be in for a treat.
MASSE - This is Kimble Rendall's first feature, and there are a whole bunch of producers involved. Rendall did however make a short a few years ago ('95 I think), which also featured Kylie Minogue.
WIZOFAUS - Off the top of my head (and from a brain which isn't functioning too well at this time of night), three other bad Australian made horror films spring to mind:
1) 'Bloodlust' - A dreadful, shot-on-video vampire flick from 1992. In the running with 'Houseboat Horror' and 'Shark's Paradise' for the worst Australian film ever released.
2) 'The Howling III - The Marsupials' which includes 'Beau' of the Beaurepairs ad campaign fame (non Aussies ignore this).
3) 'Nightmares' - A stupid and terrible stalk/thriller, co-written by none other than Jon-Michael 'Hollywood' Howsen (again, non Australians won't know who the hell I'm talking about, but don't worry, it's not at all important). This film also wins the award for (beating 'Basic Instinct' hands down, I might add) "most hilariously gratuitous beaver shot".
Oh, and DARTH PSYCHOTIC - Brace yourself, but there's another Yahoo Serious film on the way. And from the trailer I saw, it will make his previous efforts pale into insignificance - this looks fucking woeful on a truly cosmic scale. I even blocked the title from my memory, like it was some kind of childhood abuse denial...
Chin chin
-
Why don't you put the word "spoiler" before you give away the killer (or at least the concept). I still would like the deck the Entertainment Weekly writer who gave away the ending of "The Sixth Sense" in his "Power Words" column THE DAY BEFORE I WAS GOING TO SEE THE FILM.
-
Why don't you put the word "spoiler" before you give away the killer (or at least the concept). I still would like TO deck the Entertainment Weekly writer who gave away the ending of "The Sixth Sense" in his "Power Words" column THE DAY BEFORE I WAS GOING TO SEE THE FILM. (Actually, I'd like to stab hot needles in his eyes.)
-
Was that Austrailia or New Zealand?
-
Mar 02, 2000 11:31:40 AM CST
Stop encouraging children to shoot up their schools!
by concerned parent
Let me first say that I am a mother of 3 who fears for her children's lives everytime they go to school. This post is directed at everyone who posts at this gore celebrating website. Just the other day another innocent child was shot at school. This is a direct result of people like you, that watch these bloody films where women get raped, beaten and stabbed, and young children are encouraged to alienate themselves from their families. These films like the Terminator, War Stars, Matrix, and Sleepy Hollow are responsible for everything but placing the guns in our childrens backpacks. I've heard about these "fansites" where youth talk about violence and then go shoot up their schools, so I figured I'd check them out myself. Let me say I am shocked at the depravity of you would be Klebolds. You cheer as the Easter Bunny kills people? You call yourself names like holocaust and psychotic? Where are your morals? Where is Christ in your life? I hope none of you go to the school where my children go because I fear they might be endangered by you video game playing, violence loving, immoral, Jesus lacking, gun toting maniacs! Clean up your lives and find Jesus.
-
Mar 02, 2000 1:12:22 PM CST
don't believe a word rodney oz says - 'cut' is a fucking abomina
by tommy five-tone
i get the feeling rodney may be working for one of the production companies involved in the making of this fiasco - there's no other reason why you'd even jokingly say anything remotely positive about this steeeeenking turd of a movie. that, or he's one of these local critics who feels somehow obliged to give aussie movies a good review because he may run into one of the stars down the pub one night and end up getting into a fistfight because 'you didn't like my performance? fuck you!' i can only say it again and again: DON'T SEE 'CUT'! if it's trying to be funny, it's only funny in that 'oh my god, this movie really was made by monkeys' kind of way, not that post-modern, wink-wink kinda way made so popular by kevin 'the dream run is over' williamson. if it's trying to be scary, it's only scary when you consider the talent-free knobs behind it actually thought they were coming up with something 'the kids' would flock to see. you want to hear something REALLY scary? they probably will! shit, i'd like to see a bitchin' aussie horror movie (shit, i'm working on it right now...but you know that was coming, didn't you?) but a fuck-up like this is probably gonna kill all demand. that, or people will start thinking this is the best we can come up with. THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!!! THIS MOVIE FUCKING BITES!
-
Well, then look no further than the 1997 release of "The Wiggles Movie". 87 minutes and seven new songs of sheer terror!
That scene where Jeff falls asleep and Murray, Greg and Anthony sing "Romp Bomp A Stomp" - I couldn't sleep for a week.
The suspence! WAS Dorothy The Dinosaur going to show for her surprise birthday party?
The horror! Wally the Great actually BREAKING Greg's magic wand beyond repair.
The gore! Wags and the Dancing Wagettes!
And what about that heavey will they/won't they sexual tension between Anthony (Blue Wiggle) and the bordering-on-insanity Captain Feathersword?
The horror, the horror.
Certainly the scariest movie I've ever seen. -
Well, then look no further than the 1997 release of "The Wiggles Movie". 87 minutes and seven new songs of sheer terror!
That scene where Jeff falls asleep and Murray, Greg and Anthony sing "Romp Bomp A Stomp" - I couldn't sleep for a week.
The suspence! WAS Dorothy The Dinosaur going to show for her surprise birthday party?
The horror! Wally the Great actually BREAKING Greg's magic wand beyond repair.
The gore! Wags and the Dancing Wagettes!
And what about that heavey will they/won't they sexual tension between Anthony (Blue Wiggle) and the bordering-on-insanity Captain Feathersword?
The horror, the horror.
Certainly the scariest movie I've ever seen. -
Oh I'm sorry about all those superflous posts.
I hate this computer. -
saying he is from austrailia, is as insulting as saying cronenberg is american - good old david is canadian.
-
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi! Well, how I would love to stand up and be counted in TalkBack and write, 'hey - look world - we have produced a corker of a horror film'. Too bad this ain't it. What was this chap thinking of in writing this review here? Avoid this tired rehash of American flicks at all costs. I am not alone in my feelings for this flick. D- in, gulp, Australia's Who magazine, 1 out of 5 stars in The Age, 2 out of 5 in the Herald Sun. And so on. Margaret and David from SBS's Movie Show gave it a pleasant review, although Ms Pomeranz did precede her review with 'As a long time friend of the director Kimble Rendall I wanted to like Cut desperately. It was such a relief that not only did I have a good time with it but I could also appreciate the talent that went into making it.' Which sounds like a way of giving your bud a good review whilst making sure you aren't accused of nepotism ('I am dispassionate, I really am!' Oh yeah...) And to think, this is the same week that has seen the release of another Oz film 'The Wog Boy' which has outgrossed all other local Oz films ever - including that turgid 'Crocodile Dundee 2', and displaced 'Ripley' as the biggest grosser last weekend. Oh joy - Oz film has finally come of age. I don't think. For those unfamiliar with this film, let me give you an idea - Nick Giannopoulos, the director, has been working with this kind of stuff for years - on TV, on the stage etc. Here it is - same old, same old - Steve, the son of Greek immigrant parents, gets called 'wog boy' pretty much from Day One. Of course, being a likable larrikin, he revels in it. He becomes something of a celebrity when he is picked on by a current affairs programme's anchor - Derryn Hinch (a kind of low fat Geraldo)- as a dole bludger. He has a, erm, 'witty' go back at Derryn on the programme and this makes him a bit of a name. The question is, will the upper class girl, who works for the Minister of Employment, fall for him or not? Well?? What do you think??? Man, it is sooo hard to have a go at a film that is really harmless and almost charming, but does Australia really need another quirky comedy about loveable larrikins versus the Establishment (a la Dundee, The Castle etc.)? The days of Mad Max, Peter Weir's 'The Cars that Ate Paris' and even traditional Oz films like 'The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith', 'Sunday too far away' and 'Wake up in fright' - hard films that at least took themselves seriously - seem a long way away during weeks like this. And there I was thinking that 'Two Hands' and 'The Interview' and 'Praise' might see a rebirth in tough and decidedly Australian films too. Ha ha ha! As for the genre film - horror, crime and sf - well, Australia can produce a good genre film with a local flavour - Mad Max proved that. We could produce a real corker of a crime film and, oh yes, even a sci-fi film. We have great local authors in these genres who are widely admired. Think Sean Williams, Damien Broderick and, of course, Greg Egan in the SF field. We can do it. We really can. Now if I only could forget 'Razorback'...
-
Tell me about this movie "War Stars" that is all but putting guns in our children`s backpacks?
-
As an Australian who frequents this site, I have found it "uplifting" to see this film get posted, be it bad or good, I haven't seen it yet. Australian horror films - look no further than "BLOOD MOON" - fantastic B grade slosh. Brilliant. Rent it now if you haven't seen it. Regarding CUT and films of its like. They can never fully work as their makers intended, that is because they lack one crucial element. A talking pie. Think about it, having a talking pie wearing a mask and a cloak, and then going back in time for reason, he could wreak havock like has never been seen before. Like the 80's horror films, the talking pie would be an unstoppable juggernaught, deviod of teen psuedo cool talk crap, just cutting, stabbing and rapping everything in sight. BRILLIANT. I think this is what "conce69rned Pare69nt" was talking about.. the need to find Jesus, and kill everyone. Personally i think he/she is wrong. Maybee the U.S. needs "violence cutbacks" in its films.. we Aussies however do not. With out sane gunlaws and better/safer country to live in, highly religous/ayrian conformasts like "concerned paerent" are not wanted or needed. OH my god.. maybee he/she is right.. we've been told that Australian horror films are rare.. maybee they are the reason for our great social behaviour. But then again.. we get ALL U.S. horror films.. and even those "clazy" Dutch shows. So that point has been cancelled out.
How about some pie and punch. The pie will punch you out. -
Mar 02, 2000 7:21:37 PM CST
"CUT" IS THE BIGGEST STEAMING PILE OF SHIT I'VE EVER HAD THE DIS
by c30c60c90go
"CUT" IS THE BIGGEST STEAMING PILE OF SHIT I'VE EVER HAD THE DISPLEASURE OF SEEING. WHAT A BAD, BAD EXCUSE FOR A GENRE FLICK. POTENTIAL FILM-MAKERS, IF YOU WANT AN EXAMPLE OF HOW NOT TO MAKE A HORROR SLASHER THRILLER, PLEASE SEE THIS MOVIE. GOD I WOULD ASK FOR MY MONEY BACK IF IT WASN'T A CHARITY PREVIEW!
-
He's so funny! He said they renamed it "When Kangaroos Attack" because Australia has so many of them! Oh look, theres one now! Hahaha! I am witty, just like SSZero!
GET OVER THE STEREOTYPES!
To Concerned Parent:
Because of people like us that kids get shot? Sorry, I have never encouraged any massacres in my time. If a kid does something like this, it isn't because they've watched a movie. They might want to copy a movie, but they must already have some serious psychological problems that make them do so. I like some violent movies (not for the reason that they are violent mind you) and have never even thought of killing anyone.
-
Yes, Peter Jackson is from New Zeland, but I take more issue witht the comment that "some" of his movies have given us "horror elements." Ex-squeeze-me? "Dead-Alive" is pure horror, not to mention pure brilliance.
-
that the plots of 'Cut' and 'Scream 3' sound the same? 'Scream 3' is yet to screen here in Australia (it opens in a few weeks), but from what I've read and heard it appears quite similar. I don't think 'Cut' would be anything more than a pale 'Scream' imitation. If it offered something new to the slasher genre then great, but I doubt it. I contemplated seeing it because for my cinema studies subject at uni we focus on horror films and my class paper is on slasher flicks. The designated movie is 'Blair Witch' (hardly a slasher but still). I thought 'Cut' might help but I suppose I'll just be content with the 'Scream' films, which I love anyway, and I can wait a few more weeks for 'Scream 3'.
By the way, I've thought of an even better Aussie horror flick. Ever heard of 'Outback Vampires'? HAHAHA! And yes I've seen 'Blood Moon'. It was quite funny! -
And it was also placed at the very bottom of the What's Hot-What's Not meter with the caption reading: "Just like 'Scream' only really, really terrible".
Also, is 'The Wogboy' really that good? Being something of a wog myself (but not a typical wog thank goodness) I thought I might check it out. However, second from the bottom of the What's Hot-What's Not meter was 'Australia's bad taste' because 'The Wogboy' was the nation's #1 movie and that abomination of a song named 'Bloke' is the national #1 song. Still, the Herald-Sun is tabloid so who really listens...the 3 millions readers who make it the #1 paper in the state of Victoria that's who!!! -
I've watched the new Aussie horror flick, 'Cut', twice now and I liked it for the special FX! Sure, it is very predictable and not very scary. But the FX rocks!
I also liked the film, because of babes like Kylie Minogue, Molly Ringwald, Jessica Napier and Sarah Kants! - The film sure beats the 'Wog Boy' hands down! And the soundtrack to 'Cut' is awesome!
I also liked Rodney Oz's review of the movie. He justified his reasons why he liked the movie and it takes BALLS to write a movie review anyway! -
I've just heard on the radio, this morning, that Kimble Rendell has just signed up Molly Ringwald to star in the sequel to Cut!
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- THE DARK KNIGHT RISES TV Spot Has New Footage And Dialogue! UPDATED To Add Second Spot! -- 305 total posts 305 posts
- UPDATE!! What The Hell Happened With G.I. JOE: RETALIATION?! -- 190 total posts 190 posts
- THE EXORCIST Is Being Remade... -- 166 total posts 165 posts
- Remember when I said I’d kill The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day last? I lied. -- 155 total posts 155 posts
- Quint has seen the brand new Jaws restoration and demands that Universal do a wide theatrical rerelease this summer! -- 141 total posts 141 posts
- Gary Oldman Joins The ROBOCOP Remake! -- 146 total posts 133 posts
- G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Delayed Nine Months...Thanks To A Force More Sinister Than Cobra!! -- 276 total posts 126 posts
- The day we've all been waiting for has arrived...IN THE ARMY NOW II is in the works! -- 74 total posts 74 posts
- A New Clip From PROMETHEUS!! Charlize And Fassbender Talking About...Something (?)... -- 62 total posts 62 posts
- Honest Abe Dishes Out The Vampire Violence In The New Red-Band Trailer For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER!! -- 56 total posts 56 posts