Why So Blu?

Long Weekend (Blu-ray Review)

Upon its 2005 DVD release, the Australian thriller LONG WEEKEND quickly became one of the most highly-regarded films in the Synapse Films library, later to be prominently featured in Mark Hartley’s acclaimed documentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD and remade by director Jamie Blanks (URBAN LEGEND) in 2008. Fans have long requested a Blu-ray upgrade for this unrelenting Aussie classic, now making its high-def debut on a stunning new Synapse Blu-ray!  From the writer of ROAD GAMES and RAZORBACK comes this “spooky little gem” (Premiere Magazine), presented in a high-definition transfer from original vault materials with a re-mastered DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround soundtrack created by Synapse Films.

Film 

Attempting to resurrect their failing marriage, Peter and Marcia set out on a camping trip to a deserted stretch of the Australian coastline hoping a long weekend in the sunshine will help them patch their differences. They are a careless couple, littering the countryside with garbage, shooting guns and even driving away after wounding a Kangaroo with their automobile. Their callous disregard for the environment soon becomes apparent when the animals start to seek vengeance. Marcia and Peter have proven themselves to be destroyers of nature. Will the animals allow them to leave or will they too be destroyed?

I was unfamiliar with Long Weekend when it was announced a few months back.  When the announcement came, my Twitter feed did fill with people showing excitement and touting it as one of those underrated horror gems (Sources with trusted taste, mind you).  It comes from the writer of the Road Games, an Australian horror movie with Stacey Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis that I like.  Its possibly the least known, or most underground of Jamie Lee Curtis’ Scream Queen phase in the late 70s and 80s.

Basically, this movie is about a couple of schmucks who go on a camping trip in a wooded area by a beach.  They’re not mindful of their surroundings at all, just treating nature like shit.  Then, nature says “Yo, I’m not takin’ this no moe” and strikes back. Bugs drive them nuts, harpoon guns go off with no one there to fire them and little cute furry animals bit he shit out of outreach hands and limbs.

The glory and beauty of this movie doesn’t lie in the animal terror or the gore.  This movie has a deeply rooted character story between our two leads that is pretty damn rich and intriguing with stakes of its own.  There’s a little mystery to it and some really good thought and dramatics.  No, this isn’t masterpiece dramatics, but its something well written that adds a superb layer to give the characters more motivation to keep distracted from the animal attacks and the abuse that they are giving at hand.

I really enjoyed Long Weekend quite a bit.  In the world of horror, and classic 70s horror, this Australian feature really manages to stand on its own.  Yes, there are plenty of nature attacks movies, but this one is pretty unique.  Most of them don’t feature the rich character study and depth provided in this one.  Plus, there are plenty of moments of suspense, animal violence and gore to fancy it up too.

Video 

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Clarity/Detail:  Another marvelous transfer from Synapse Films.  This thing looks beautiful.  There was even a shot in the movie that if you walked into a room and didn’t know what this was, you might have thought it was shot last year.  There’s a ton of detail revealed all over this thing as well.  The van displays plenty cracked and chipping paint.  Fabrics show pattern, wrinkles and deficiencies.  The sand and grass also are quite discernible too.

Depth:  Pretty solid.  Background imagery is as clear as it can be without going beyond the intended view.  Motion is also smooth and characters look free in their environment.

Black Levels:  With the exception of one nighttime scene, blacks are pretty natural and enhance sharpness and detail.  The one scene in question feature a lot of grain and hidden detail, but could easily be chalked up to poor lighting.

Color Reproduction:  Colors are bold and really solid here.  Not a big palette is necessary, but it excels at keeping the colors natural and lifelike.  Greens really look nice here in the transfer.

Flesh Tones:  Natural and consistent.  Maybe a hint of warmth.  Facial detail is great in close ups, featuring wrinkles, pores and sweat.

Noise/Artifacts:  A nice layer of grain with some specs throughout, giving it a very nice vintage and cinematic look.

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD MA

Subtitles: N/A

Dynamics:  This is a solid track that gets the trick done.  The film doesn’t demand too much, but this track covers the little things you wouldn’t think of beautifully.  Oceanic sounds, as well as the effects and nature sounds feel distinct and full.  There’s a nice blend of scoring, vocals and special effects without any of them stepping on each other’s toes in the mix.  Its a nice, loose and free sounding track.  The 5.1 and 2.0 are a win-win, no matter which you choose.

Low Frequency Extension:  The subwoofer picks up on engine rumbles and the firing of guns and harpoons.  When fired there’s a nice kick.  The score also gets a few pick me ups from time to time in the mix.

Surround Sound Presentation:  The front channels accurately depict the motion and traveling on screen as well as volume placement and pitch.  The rear speakers give some nice ambiance and lowered volume representation of the score, but they really aren’t too big of a factor in the mix.

Dialogue Reproduction:  Clear, clean and loud.  Center-focused.

Extras 

Long Weekend comes with reversible cover art featuring an alternate poster design.

Audio Commentary

• With Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer Vincent Monton

Still Gallery Featuring An Audio Interview With Actor John Hargreaves (HD, 4:43) – While prominently John Hargreaves-centric production photos, behind the scenes photos and poster art play, a short interview with the actor plays.  He talks of acting advice and philosophies he’s carried and work on the film.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:05)

Summary 

Long Weekend is both a little tale of survival and “karma is a bitch” in the form of a nature attacks horror film.  Its actually pretty damn good as its got some emotional layers and character depth that keeps it more interesting and on edge than its horror elements.  This Blu-ray features yet another phenomenal video transfer by Synapse Films accompanied with some great lossless audio.  The extras available are solid and a real bonus to have.  A nice little release and collector’s item for niche horror fans.  It also comes with a fantastic week of release price point to nab while its still so low!