Scarfies

This film is another fine example of what New Zealand filmmakers can do when they hold the audiences' enjoyment above their own artistic w**k-ness.

The Sarkies Brothers have created an extremely (un)pleasant film that isn't really about University life at all, but about those staple cinematic conventions -paranoia, murder and er, flatting.

I strongly urge any one not from New Zealand to check out this little gem. God knows when it'll get released anywhere else though. I hope it gets onto screens in the U.S.

One quibble however, three times in the film, characters describe each other as 'jerks'. Honestly, who in New Zealand uses that word with a straight face? It's such a sitcom-ism. 'Dick' would have been much more suitable in my eyes.

I love this movie. It's funny and real and i'm sure most kiwi's can relate to it. The whole moving away from home to go to Uni in Otago or somewhere else. It's cleaver and I love the part when they superglue the guy's mouth and hands together and lock him in the basement is just... classic. I'm really thinking about buying it on DVD. It was on TV2 here in New Zealand on a saturday and it pulled in more viewers than most of the sunday night blockbuster movies that come from the US this year. Except I can't turn on my fellow moo-loo's OTAGO SUCKS!!! *Rings cow bell* sorry you would get it if you are a kiwi.

Having spent a few months in New Zealand, I had the chance to see Scarfies and it turned out to be a very good surprise. Many countries have bought the movie since so check it out, it could play soon at a theater near you. The characters, sharing a house in Dunedin, are what work best and succed where a film like "Shallow Grave" failed. Their development, going from pure comedy to dramatic/horrific moments doesn't come too artificially. The consequences of their discovery just make perfect sense in the way they act and in their relationships, but still manage to surprise you. And that's why you're stuck to your seat when one of the guys start to torture another one in the cave. Then the moments of fun you had half an hour before come back to memory and the movie takes another dimension: no, it's not just a farce. That's nice and neat on the surface, but pretty explosive inside. A last word to thank Mr Sarkies to have made a "non-teenage" teenage movie. He managed to avoid the trap of easy identifiyable characters as Hollywood does.

This movie is a bit like a college flick mixed with elements of shallow grave....Both the actors and the story are interesting. I also like the way it's been cut - the story keeps moving and never realy bores....nice movie overall.

This is one of those unknown movies you rent on a gamble - most are bad and some shine - this is a definite gem.

7.4/10

Scarfies was a great movie from a very small film making country. Done on a relatively small budget and full of imagery and lanuage of Dunedin students living in virtual poverty; it is a witty and black comedy.

The plot centres around five students who take over an abandoned house and make it their own. They discover in the basement a huge drug planation left by the previous owner, which they decide to sell for moderate profit. Their life style improves, and relationships develop.

All goes well until the return of the drug crop's owner.

A fantastic soundtrack of New Zealand music, well worth checking out.