Sangriento fin de semana

Peter (John Hargreaves) and Marcia (Briony Behets) are a city couple going through a very rough time in their marriage. But they still go on a weekend excursion to the wilderness for some camping, hiking, surfing, and the like. The problem is that Mother Nature doesn't want to help them have a good time; in fact, just the opposite. It's established early on that they display a callous disregard for the flora and fauna in their midst, and things become nightmarish and keep getting worse.

Chalk up another interesting script for the prolific Everett De Roche ("Patrick", "Roadgames", "Razorback"), who gives us characters obviously not intended to be sympathetic but still is able to get us involved in their plight. Director & producer Colin Eggleston ("Cassandra") is able to develop an overwhelmingly sinister and uneasy atmosphere, injecting melodrama from his characters' lives at select points but never letting it distract from the suspense.

Beautiful scenery and impressive widescreen photography by Vincent Monton combine with lush music composed by Michael Carlos and first rate animal action here. In addition, the scenario manages to keep from being overly predictable, and there is a level of surrealism as we see that Peter and Marcia often end up travelling in circles, and an incident during the weekend, involving a dugong, keeps coming back to haunt them. There are effective animal attacks, but these never become the films' main reason for existing. Instead, the tension between our two main characters (very well played by Hargreaves and Behets) is made more palpable by the situations in which they find themselves.

A somber and serious film, this is well worth a look for any follower of the entire "nature strikes back" genre.

Eight out of 10.

Most of the people who visit IMDb will have some childhood memories about a movie they saw ones on television. When you'r young, most of the time you only remember the images. At the age of 35 I certainly remember The Long Weekend. Maybe it was my age... but in my memory it was spooky and had a very surprising and sudden ending. I always wondered what the title of the movie was. Thanks to the internet I know it was this one. I recently bought the DVD and watched it again. A little bit disappointing.. but I am glad I watched it again.

Rob

The Netherlands

Brilliant film, eerie and atmospheric. Stays on your mind for a long time after watching. One of my favourites. The part where the sea creature wails like a baby is especially good. The image of the eagle egg being smashed against the tree kept coming back and haunting me long after the film had finished. A lot of weird happenings in the film - what happened to the people in the other camper van? You never actually got to see them, just their vicious little dog! This is a film I could happily watch over and over without getting fed up. I would love to be able to get this video either on video or DVD but it seems it's been withdrawn. Can anyone help me get a hold of this video or DVD? I would be grateful to hear from anyone else who likes this movie too.

'Long Weekend' is a textbook definition of a forgotten classic. It's a horror/thriller without many of the traditional horror elements. It'll give you a sense of dread and wonder, and stick in your memory forever more. The only reason it dwells in obscurity is because it was a low-budget film made in Australia in 1978, whereas if it were some feeble US B-grade schlock, it would be in every rental store and listed in Netflix. Fortunately, it has at last made it to DVD. When you get yourself a copy, you'll see a truly claustrophobic two-hander that uses the wilds of the Australian bush and a lonely-looking coastline to spectacular effect.

At no point does the shoestring budget hamper the storytelling even when it occasionally becomes apparent. A well-crafted script that only lets the plot out in bite-size pieces across the duration ensures you're too busy wondering just what is going on between the film's two characters, and the bizarre situation they find themselves in. John Hargreaves and Briony Behets play Peter and Marcia, a married couple who are clearly a gnat's wing away from divorce, for reasons not immediately given. The tension between them is as thick as the strange and chilling atmosphere of the lonely beach Peter takes them to in a last-ditch attempt to recover what they've lost. Something there seems determined to destroy not only their chances of reconciliation, but also prevent them from ever leaving. What is the horrible wailing they keep hearing? Will what happened to the people who stayed there before them happen to them as well? Did they bring it upon themselves?

The excellent natural locations, coupled with some excellent camera work and the odd well-placed sound effect prove no dazzling visual wizardry is needed to make a scary film. Naturally, you also need conviction from your performers, which Hargreaves and Behets give most convincingly. Together, these elements ensure that no more than two characters are needed to provide a provoking character drama and an uneasy thriller - the two levels juxtaposing in ways that tellingly feed off each other, surely making 'Long Weekend' the memorable experience it is for those fortunate enough to have seen it. I was a little disappointed at one element of predictability near the end - one part of the climax I could see coming a mile off. Maybe that was just me. Nonetheless this should not deter you from pursuing 'Long Weekend' - a study in humanity, and a telling point in horror film-making.

I saw this for the first time recently. It is about a bickering couple who goes for a weekend picnic to an isolated place near a beach. From the beginning, the couple has no regards for mother nature. I found the film slow but creepy at times but as a whole, i didn't enjoy this film.