MovieChat Forums > Long Weekend (1979) Discussion > Wow, Just Wow: A Rediscovered Classic

Wow, Just Wow: A Rediscovered Classic

posted 15 years ago by gnolti
4 replies | jump to latest

Why had I never heard of this film? And why has it been unavailable on video in the States?

Sure, the premise of nature turning on man isn't a new one, but it's handled here with style, economy, character-driven narrative, and a fair helping of the kind of mysticism that puts it in league with Walkabout, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and The Last Wave. I would say it completes the quartet of Australian cosmic mystery films.

Superficially, Peter and Marcia go through their camping trip with unspoken resentments over something -- infidelity, abortion, mutual contempt. But is that just a macguffin? Is there really a larger, deeper sense of guilt buried in the Australian subconscious?

I watched it twice.

There, daddy, do I get a gold star?

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] asgard-5 12 years ago

I saw this because of "Not Quite Hollywood". A great movie and not what I expected from the way it was presented in that documentary. Every scene is tense and you never know what comes next, now that's good filmmaking.

[–] m_mayhem 9 years ago

I have to disagree because there was another couple or group that was killed on that weekend. We know absolutely nothing about the people from the camp down the beach but they were killed by nature as well so I think it was nature on the attack with nothing to do with their baggage they brought with them.

Victory is Mine!!!

[–] ElectricWarlock 8 years ago

I just watched the film for the first time today and thought it was amazing. One of the best films I've seen in a very long time.