Razorback

Plot synopsis:
Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr) is babysitting his grandson at his house in the Australian outback when a massive razorback boar attacks him, smashing through his house and dragging away his grandson to devour alive. Jake is accused of murdering the child and while his account of the events are met with considerable skepticism, he is acquitted due to lack of evidence of a boar being responsible of the attack. The event destroys his credibility and reputation, however, and he vows revenge on the boar.
Two years later, American wildlife reporter Beth Winters (Judy Morris) journeys to the outback to document the hunting of Australian wildlife to be processed into pet food at a run-down factory. Beth gets video footage of two thugs, Benny Baker (Chris Haywood) and his brother Dicko (David Argue) illegally making pet food out of animals and is subsequently chased down by them by car. They catch up, force her off the road and attempt to rape her only to be chased off by the same boar that killed Jake's grandson. Beth attempts to take shelter in her car but the hog rips off the door, drags her out and eats her. With no witnesses, her disappearance is subsequently ruled an accident resulting from having fallen down an abandoned mine shaft after leaving her wrecked car.
Some time later, Beth's husband Carl (Gregory Harrison) travels to Australia in search of her and encounters Jake, whom Beth interviewed during her initial report. Jake refers him to the local cannery where he meets Benny and Dicko, whom he convinces to take him along on their next kangaroo hunt, only to be abandoned by them when he spoils a potential kill. Carl is then attacked by a herd of wild pigs, spurred on by the giant boar, who chase him through the night and force him take shelter atop a windmill. The next morning the pigs knock over the windmill but Carl is saved by landing in the pond at the windmill's base, in which the pigs fear to swim.
Once the pigs leave Carl attempts to make his way back to civilisation, all the while suffering from dehydration-induced hallucinations, before finally reaching the house of Sarah Cameron (Arkie Whiteley): a friend of Jake who has been tracking and studying the local pig population and the only one who believes his story of the giant razorback. While recovering at Sarah's house, Carl and Sarah become intimate and he learns that something has been causing the wild pigs excess stress, leading them into unusual behavior such as increased aggression and cannibalizing their own young. Meanwhile, after learning that Carl had seen the razorback, Jake sets out for the pumping station and manages to shoot it with one of Sarah's tracking darts. He also finds Beth's wedding ring in the boar's feces which he returns to a grieving Carl, who resigns himself to returning home.
After overhearing a radio conversation suggesting that Jake knows what really happened to Beth Winters, Benny and Dicko, fearful that Jake is attempting to implicate them in her death, attack him at his camp, breaking his legs with bolt-cutters and leaving him to be killed by the razorback. His remains are later found by Sarah and Carl, along with marks in the dirt made by Dicko's cleaver. Realizing that the brothers were responsible for both his wife and Jake's death, Carl attacks Benny at his and Dicko's lair, interrogating Benny by lowering him into a mine shaft before letting him fall down it. As Sarah rounds up a posse to hunt down the razorback using the tracker Jake shot into it, Carl corners Dicko at the cannery, but the razorback suddenly appears and mauls Dicko before Carl can shoot him. The razorback then chases Carl into the factory when Sarah suddenly arrives and is seemingly killed by the boar, who continues to pursue Carl even after impaling its throat on a broken pipe. In its maddened rampage, the razorback ends up damaging the cannery's generator which sends the machines running out of control as Carl lures the boar up onto a conveyor belt that throws it onto a giant fan, chopping it to pieces. After shutting down the machinery, Carl finds and rescues Sarah, who had merely been knocked unconscious, and the two embrace.

Tags: revenge, violence

Review:
Despite the apparent ridiculousness of the plot, this movie is better than one might expect.Beth Winters, a Canadian reporter, has come to the small Australian Outback town of Gamulla to shoot a story about the local dog food packing plant, which uses the meat of poached kangaroos in its product.
And there are some pretty funny scenes, notably one where the monster eats a nasty watchdog that's chained to the side of a house; naturally, the corner of the house to which the chain is attached comes off and Joe Couch Potato is left sitting in a wall-less abode, staring quizzically as his television disappears into the outback.Treat it as comedy, and the film makes a lot more sense..
The action scenes and especially the ones with the razorback, a huge boar, are more or less comprehensible in that you get the basic idea of what's going on but all the crucial scenes happen between cuts, so the editing is jumpy, kind of like a TV edit.
The worst example is the movie's finale and the destruction of the monster, which after an exhaustingly loud, dark, monotonous battle between man and monster plot-wise also ends on a ridiculous and schmaltzy note and so the film leaves you with a bad aftertaste.
Razorback is one of the best Australian horror/action movies ever made.
In short, a giant boar (a Razorback) goes on a killing spree in a small outback town.
These qualities are almost disorientating during the film's action and horror sequences, making them all the more suspenseful and eerie.Mulcahy's dizzying direction combines brilliantly with Dean Semler's superb cinematography.
Put simply, Razorback is one of the most beautiful horror films not made by an Italian giallo master.The cast is equally accomplished, offering a smorgasbord of excellent Australian character actors.
American import, Gregory Harrison, does respectably as Carl and the late Arkie Whiteley is sweet as Sarah, a woman who inexplicably monitors boar movements in the middle of nowhere.The special effects still hold up reasonably well and the creature effects for the Razorback are great.
Furthermore, the irony of an animal rights activist being eaten by a giant boar was not lost on me.Razorback is an excellent genre film that deserves much wider recognition.
If you liked American Werewolf in London, get this and you won't go wrong.I don't want to be accused of padding but do an internet seach and you will always find great ratings for this film - it just seems to slip beneath the radar for most reviewers which is a shame because it deserves to become a classic for all the right reasons.
I first saw this film over 20 years ago and it has remained a favourite of mine ever since.The plot is a little bizarre but the performances and cinematography are excellent in evoking a nightmare world of loss,desperation and pain.I wouldn't automatically bracket this film as a "Horror" at all but more a violent depiction of loss and the need for revenge.The grandfather obsessively searching for the Razorback is brilliant-pain,loss and terrifying determination.For me the only down is the ending which I felt strays into "schlock horror" territory too much.It could have been much better and more interesting in keeping with the rest of the film but,overall,it doesn't do the film too much harm.Quirky,bizarre,nightmarish and crazy-nice one..
A wild boar isn't the first animal you would think of to star in it's very own creature feature; but the idea actually works quite well, and it makes a nice change from the usual barrage of sharks, crocodiles and whatnot.
It's not exactly intelligent stuff, but it's a lovely premise for a fun ride.The film is directed by Russell Mulcahy, and it was made a year before he would have his big hit with Highlander.
This is both a help and a hindrance to the movie as, on one hand, it ensures that the film stays lively and exciting; it also restricts the viewer from placing their confidence in the character as we don't get to spend a lot of time with them, which hinders it when it comes to the tension building sequences.
Later comes her husband(Gregory Harrison), he along with an old man(Bill Kerr) confront against two nasties brothers and the large wild boar.Gregory Harrison, Bill Kerr and Chris Haywood offer cool performances on a cast mostly unknown.
Powerhouse special effects light up the screen in this story of a giant pig from the depths of the Outback that causes massive destruction along the Australian landscape.
A little boring at times, but the brilliantly achieved effects and Aussie outdoors make this a must-see film even on the small screen, and don't miss the astounding attacks by the giant wild boar.
But the most memorable performances is the cheerful maniac brothers Benny and Dicko who are marvellously played by Chris Haywood and David Argue that add the wild and wacky feel to the flick.A highly spirited and trashy Australian knock-off that goes down well with a few cold ones..
I remember him spending most of the film getting beaten up and/or falling down.If this had focused on the "Moby Dick" aspect of the storyline, that has a grizzled old man searching the outback for the killer boar that killed his baby, it would have been a bit stronger in the storyline department.
When Morris's character is killed by a razorback, raped prefore, by the dickhead duo, the husband if you can believe who (Trapper John M'd's Gregory Harrison) arrives, desperate to find answers, where a wonderfully rich, avenging moment ensues.
Razorback has to be one of my all time favorite Australian horror/action films.
basically involving fairly low-budget flicks taking advantage of government Arts Council funding to churn out a vast range of sex romps and action/thriller/horror films - most of which should be deservedly desecrated.Razorback, however, finds director Russell Mulcahy (of Highlander fame) in devastating form.
If you watch one giant killer pig movie, make it Razorback!
Directed by Russell Mulcahy (director of "Highlander" and just about every early 80s music video you can remember ["Rio", "True", "Video Killed the Radio Star", "I'm Still Standing", etc...]), this minor Ozploitation classic has a vicious wild boar wreaking havoc upon a small community in the Australian outback.
"Jaws" is the pinnacle of this sort of nature-gone-wild type of film, and "Razorback" is nowhere in that same league, but I'd argue that it's a minor classic on the level of "Piranha" or "Alligator." The films stars Gregory Harrison of "Trapper John, M.D." fame and was shot by Oscar winning cinematographer Dean Semler, so it's a quality made exploitation film.
Overall, "Razorback" will absolutely entertain fans of these sorts of films (meaning if a giant killer pig running amok does not sound like a quality film premise, "Razorback" is probably not for you)..
A giant bloodthirsty razorback boar goes on a killing spree in the Australian outback,taking the life of an animal rights activist in the process.Her husband travels over from America to find out what happened to her,unaware that her killer was a monstrous pig."Razorback" is a pretty entertaining killer pig flick that delivers plenty of violence and excitement.The film is well-photographed and nicely edited and the electronic score provide some chills.Unfortunately there is a minimal amount of gore on display,however the most effective pig attack sequences are the ones in which the razorback isn't even seen,where it's basically up to editing and sound effects to do the trick.When the razorback does make an appearance on screen,it looks pretty awful and unconvincing.Overall, this piggy horror flick has the special place in my heart,because it was one of the very first horror flicks I have seen as a kid.That's why I give it a pretty generous 8 out of 10..
For starters, it was set in the Australian Outback which is the most isolated place you could film a horror movie and certainly not a place where anyone would want to be left at the mercy of a killer pig.
A lot of wildlife horror movies feature too many close ups and this spoils it as usually the featured animal is so obviously fake and such a joke!The thing I like about this film is the fact that the hero is in the Outback far away from any weapons, any police or any help.
The grandfather, Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr) is tried for the murder of his grandson, but found innocent and his pursuit of the razorback that no one believes in, begins.From America comes animal rights activist and reporter Beth Winters (Judy Morris), who is doing a report on the slaughter of the kangaroos in a small town that houses a pet food packing plant.
We are soon to find out that Jake Cullen and Carl have a lot more in common than they would like to believe.This was director Russell Mulcahy's first feature film after directing MTV videos (including the first video ever aired on MTV, "Video Killed The Radio Star").
Russell knew what type of movie he wanted from the beginning, it's just his flair for the dramatic that shines throughout.Cutting to the quick, this is just a really damn cool flick that needs to be watched and appreciated by as many horror fans as humanly possible.
"Razorback" is a brutal, strikingly filmed, Australian entry in the 'natural horror' canon that features an immense razorback boar terrorizing the outback.
Later, while searching for his wife (an American animal-rights activist that disappeared while investigating kangaroo hunting), Carl Winter (Gregory Harrison) comes face to face with the tusked monster.
I just watched Australian film called Razorback (1984) and I was surprised how much I enjoyed watching this movie.
In the fact that model razorback was built at a cost of $250 thousand and is seen for only a few minutes, but the movie still made me interesting watching to the end.
Some argue the villainous characters were annoying, however, I found them quite unnerving and were arguably just as if not more terrifying then the Razorback itself.Russell Mulcahy did a splendid job directing wise and went onto direct one of the best fantasy films of the 1980's, Highlander!The filmmakers use the Jaws effect in that you only see bits and pieces of the Razorback.
The style also makes the film more memorable then 'that movie with the killer pig'.
I would highly recommend watching the film on Blu-ray since the picture quality is stellar and the special features are also quite good.I'm glad Razorback still has a cult following since it's definitely a film worth talking about.
Beths' husband Carl (TV veteran Gregory Harrison) goes to Australia himself to find out what had happened and ends up having to help the locals vanquish the beast.As directed by Russell Mulcahy, who went on to helm "Highlander", "Razorback" is at its best when basking in the atmosphere inherent to this wilderness.
This is an enjoyably grisly and visceral movie and doesn't skimp on thrills.The acting is solid - Harrison is fine as an average guy & unlikely sort of hero, the lovely and appealing Arkie Whiteley, who sadly died way too young, is a joy as female lead Sarah, Bill Kerr solidly convincing as the vengeance minded old boar hunter, and Haywood and Argue appropriately repulsive as the human antagonists.Overall, this is a good deal of fun that puts its own spin on the entire "nature strikes back" sub genre that was especially popular in the '70s after the success of "Jaws".
For those who may scoff at the thought of a giant killer pig movie, it's more entertaining than one might think and as said is not playing everything 100% straight faced anyway.
Well if you've seen a better killer pig movie I'd like to see it!.
A killer boar, not just any boar but a member of the titular Razorback species a breed so wild "Neither God or the Devil could have made a more horrible creation", is on a 2 year long rampage that began with the destruction of hunter Jake Cullen's (Bill Kerr) house and the death of his grandson, for which he was promptly blamed and charged for; insult to injury, and more recently the death of American reporter, whose death is not entirely to blame on the pig (think Deliverance in the Australian Outback).
The reporter's husband, Carl Winthers (Gregory Harrison), sets about investigating her death, or better stated disappearance (as Razorback's leave little for the dingo's) and thusly teams up with the cantankerous hunter and his caring and beautiful charge Sarah (Arkie Whitely).And so begins a horror film about a big ol' piggy.Let me say fans of horror, creature features, Ozploitation and Russell Mulcahy (later to direct Highlander, even later to direct Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior...
The film's cinematography is astounding, simply brilliant and the way scenes of tension are shot with a styled finesse which renders the Razorback as an actual deadly threat, not just an over-sized piglet.The film is an early prelude to the horrors with the down played comic touch that is now a staple of that genre, Dog Soldiers comes to mind.
Also of note are the films de facto villains, two deranged locals, played by Chris Haywood and David Argue, whom play the manic pair with such intensity you may think twice about visiting any familia in the land down under.To finish, a great movie, off beat and original, well shot and superbly acted, and thoroughly entertaining.
And I'd like to end with, if you've got a better film about a killer pig, do tell?!?!?.
It should be distracting, but in reality it helps to heighten the paranoia and tension: you can't trust most of the characters in this film, mainly cause they're just bad psychopathic backwoods-Aussie folk, and, of course, that big boar could be anywhere.It certainly still feels dated being from the 80's (again, lots of SMOKE and FOG, not a bad thing just what it is), but that's part of its charm when it occurs.
When it gets to being exciting Mulcahy and writer Everett DeRoche (veteran of many Aussie-exploitation movies) ramp up both the suspense and the black-humor; there's a scene where a fat guy is sitting at home watching his TV, the razorback hooked up to part of the house, and when he runs away he takes half of the house (and the TV) with him!
It is definitely an Australian movie, which you will understand if you like Aussie films, which I usually do.
If you like bad, weird, killer animal, and/or Australian movies, check this one out..
Gregory Harrison plays the american who travels to Australia in search of his wife who was killed by the giant boar known as, you guest it Razorback!.
So, basically, not a whole lot changed for Mulcahy, as he went from directing "Wild Boys" to "Wild Boars" Perhaps I'm a little bit biased, because I saw "Razorback" at a very young age and it definitely helped stimulating my interest in the horror genre, but even after more than 20 years I still consider it to be a widely versatile and genuinely nightmarish effort.
Jake Cullen prowls for the giant pig ever since it killed his grandson and Carl Winters came over from New York because his wife – a journalist slash animal activist – mysteriously vanished whilst filming a documentary on kangaroo poaching.
But what I will remember about Razorback is those night scenes of the Aussie outback, all that smoke and clever lighting, as others have said, it looked like an alien planet.But this is not just a visual movie, this movie captures my home country of Australia, our humour is performed so well by the male cast members.
Man-eating Pig - What A Ham. Went to borrow the DVD because the 20 to 1 TV show episode featuring Top 20 Movie Monsters rated the Razorback #11 on the list - beating Jaws (a mere #18) and King Kong (#20!).
The plot of this Australian film "Razorback" concerns a rampant wild boar that eats people who get in its way.
Razorback is about a giant boar that attacks and eats people on the Australian countryside.
At some point in the movie, I was almost begging for the boar to show up and kill those people.With that said, I can say that the acting is pretty darn good.The story is nice and develops at a steady pace.
boring film is quite talky has annoying dialog it's also headache inducing at times has a bad premise and some laughable pig attacks it has okay acting Gregory Harrison does good here and is likable too bad he is in a dumb movie Judy Molis does okay in her limited screen time but spurts out some bad lines at times Arkie Whitpley is cute and does okay it has an amusing moment where the Razorback drags the house with it but it has an intense finale cool photography and a decent score but it's much little too late to save this it is quite bad and is painfully slow at times overall i would say not worth it but well if you must go ahead *1/2 out of 5 it is quite hard to find now a days so.
This distinctly average Australian horror film about a giant boar is indeed a gigantic bore.
But no, this movie takes place in Australia, and American actor Gregory Harrison plays the lead.The production of this move is not bad.
Movie captures the atmosphere of Australian outback pretty well.
From the director of 1986's Highlander and the 1991 sequel The Quickening, Russell Mulcahy brings you a monster revival flick involving a giant killer boar, also known as a "razorback." What we have here is a cleverly executed film, alittle typical considering the time period, but entertaining nonetheless.A young woman by the name of Beth Winters is sent on assignment to film a wildlife documentary in the Australian Outback.