La Proie du désert

Australia's answer to "I Spit on Your Grave"? Maybe, except this is actually a much better (and more watchable) film. A woman who owns an isolated vast wildlife reservation realizes that her Roos and other animals are being illegally hunted by some local hooligans. When she tries to set the perps (one of whom thinks he's Crocodile Dundee) straight, they start messing around with her. After a few days, things get out of hand and she finds herself their new prey on her own property. Dubbed an action/thriller by most, I was expecting this to be a cheesy laugh-fest. The only thing about it that resembles an 80s action/thriller is the often light-hearted score (which morphs into more appropriate horror music at times.) Otherwise, this is filled with tension and a humane heroine that you want to root for. This follows the typical rape/revenge formula of the 70s, but it isn't as difficult to watch. A totally fun flick that's one of Australia's better horror offerings.

I had two movies called "Fair Game" standing on my must-see list, so I watched them after each other in order not to lose track of one of them. The first one was an obscure Italian lethal-snake-on-the-loose thriller also known as "Mamba" and this one is Australia's belated (unless I missed something) response to the 'Revengeploitation" sub genre. Revenge thrillers were especially popular throughout the entire decade of the 70's, with highlights like "Last House on the Left", "I Spit on your Grave, "Fight for your Life", "House by the Lake" and "House on the Edge of the Park". These movies routinely handle about innocent women (preferably defenseless and fragile) getting harassed and viciously raped by a group of men (preferably perverted hicks and/or fugitive criminals) and then avenging themselves by taking justice into their own hands. The gritty atmosphere and gratuitous use of violence and sleaze in "Fair Game" is pretty much prototypic revenge thriller stuff, but it nevertheless also remains an authentic Aussie movie, meaning the assaulters are bored kangaroo poachers looking for new thrills and the 'victim' (Cassandra Delaney; the former Mrs. John Denver) is actually a very potent lady who fights back from the beginning and never really allows her opponents to get the upper hand. Jessica runs a wildlife reservation in the middle of the outback, so naturally there's a vicious conflict when she bumps into a trio of insensitive and macho poachers doing some illegal kangaroo hunting on her territories. This film feels refreshing and innovative because the script doesn't unfold like the majority of 70's revenge thrillers. The interactions between Jessica and the poachers start off like a testosterone-laden showdown, but then gradually escalate into a merciless battle with humiliation, rape and murder. There are several highly memorable and deliciously exploitative scenes in "Fair Game", most notably the one with Delaney – in her white undies - tied to the hood of a jeep whilst it races through the desert. Her acts of vengeance during the climax are quite impressive as well and I guarantee there's some impressive bloodshed to enjoy in "Fair Game". As often the case with Australian cult-productions ("Outback", "Wolf Creek", "Mad Max"…), the exterior filming location and wildlife images alone make the movie worth purchasing and this particular one also benefices from good music and stylish camera-work. The acting performances are more than satisfying and I'm pleased to notice the cast exclusively exists of native Australians. This isn't always the case, you know. Definitely recommended if you're a fan of the revenge movies.

A woman in charge of a wildlife sanctuary in Australia is terrorized on the road by two men in a beastly pickup truck and another man in a truck with a shark painted on the back doors. They continue to harass her, and she keeps asserting herself against them, even fighting back. They're intent on killing animals and having cruel fun.

Some who've watched the movie think that if she left them alone, they would have left her alone. I doubt it. At a minimum they would have gone on killing more animals, which she would have found intolerable. But I think they were as intent on tormenting her as killing kangaroos.

The woman is played by the beautiful Cassandra Delaney (the future Mrs. John Denver!), who sadly has not done many other movies. She spends the first part of the movie barely dressed in a long shirt and belt and nothing else, or a wrap and belt. Hot outfit for a hot environment.

Essentially follows a rape-revenge sort of plot, although it isn't clear if they rape her. As the video box indicates, they strap her to the hood of their pickup and drive her around. She's later dumped and she takes a shower, so a rape could be inferred, but it isn't integral.

A well-made film, well acted, though not especially deep.

This mid-eighties thriller is a skimpy, but surely entertaining and crazy Australian b-grade exploitation attempt at the revenge sub-genre. A young woman takes on some restless kangaroo poachers who go onto make her life hell, when she confronts them about killing animals on her wildlife sanctuary. It's a lot better than you're led to believe. A cat (well there's three of them) and mouse game evolves, as they simply go tit for tat (no one is desperate to back down) in humiliating, terrorising and finally gaining sweet vengeance. The savage violence isn't particularly extreme, as it has a comic book tone to it, but it's mean-spirited and gustily dished-up. From the get-go you can tell it's going to be thrilling, exciting and blistering as it gets straight in to it and never adjusts otherwise. The suspense holds up and the adrenaline kick gets the heart-pounding in many knuckle-busting sequences (the memorable trophy truck ride). Andrew Lesnie sharply photographs the colourfully rugged Australian landscape and wildlife, but it's the moody nightlife cinematography that adds the atmospheric dynamics. Cassandra Delaney (who looks lovely and spends the quite bit time in the flesh) brings a genuine grittiness and sympathetic side to a strong, capable character. The boneheaded, cruel poachers are eccentrically portrayed by Peter Ford, David Sandford and Gary Who. From this inclusion, the gigantic killer pig feature 'Razorback (1984)' comes to mind. Dominating a lot the scenes would be that of Ashley Irwin's uncanny live-wire and throbbing music score. Sometimes uncalled for, but always palatable. Director Mario Andreacchio makes good of the psychical set-pieces and locations. While writer Rob George's material is fundamental, he still strikes up a dependable script that never resorts to camping it up. An agreeable revenge item.

Fair Game (1986)

* (out of 4)

Jessica (Cassandra Delaney) is a young woman who is working in a wildlife sanctuary in the Australian outback. She seems to have a terrific life until one day when she runs into some poachers. At first it seems the poachers are just having a little fun with her but before long it turns dark and forces Jessica to defend herself.

If you're familiar with films like THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE then you might eventually run into FAIR GAME, this Australian attempt to try and cash in on those genre pictures. I hadn't heard too much about this film but decided to give it a shot since I'm a fan of the "revenge" genre but sadly this film is pretty darn bad on many levels.

There are all sorts of problems with this movie but the biggest is the screenplay itself. It's clear that the filmmakers wanted to do a revenge picture but I just found this to be so poorly written that at times it became comical. I say that because the female character here constantly puts herself in more and more danger to the point where it turns deadly. In all honesty, I'd blame the female character here for allowing the events of the film to go where they do.

I'm not going to ruin anything in the picture but there were so many times where this character could have gotten away and moved on in life yet she kept going back for more. All of this got rather annoying as the picture went on but there are plenty of other problems including the male characters being deadly dull and boring. It also doesn't help that there's not an ounce of tension to be found and the entire film just has a very dull feel to it.

With that said, the look at the outback was wonderful and made for some terrific shots throughout the picture. I'd also argue that Delaney was quite good in her role and it's too bad that it wasn't better written. FAIR GAME has pretty much been forgotten ever since it came out and it's easy to see why.