Exploitation Encore: Razorback

Well this should be different. Hiya guys and gals and welcome back for Day 2 of Exploitation Encore. Now as many of you know, I have sat through some piles of recycled dog farts claiming to be a cinematic release. I have endured the sexploitiation, Women in Prison, Blaxploitation, biker flicks and even the horror genre of exploitation. Hell I have viewed a few of the Naziploitations which...most were less than savory but this is a new notion for me. Ozploitation. Yup today we have a feature centered around Australia and one of its deadly predators but as Arnold says, "If it bleeds, then we can kill it." He may have been referring to the gigantic 7 foot 2 inch and late Kevin Peter Hall of Predator and Harry and the Hendersons but I may be wrong. This is Razorback.

Hakuna Matata!!!

Written by novelist/screenplay writer Peter Brennan (Razorback, Marilyn: The Last Word, Boxing: A Different Look, The Story First: Behind the Unabomber and The MoShow) and screenplay writer Everett De Roche (Patrick, Road Games, Razorback, Something in the Air, Stingers, Cybergirl and Storm Warning) and lastly directed by Russell Mulcahy who brought us Highlander!!! YAY!!!! Of course he also directed Highlander II: The Quickening so yeah there's that, comes a tale from the land down under for a different kind of vengeful animal feature or creature feature if you will. We have seen sharks, grizzlies, intelligent or cursed or even rabid dogs but a boar has to be a bit odd by comparison. There are many a subplot that ties fairly well together so let's get started. Old man Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr of Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Coca-Cola Kid, Sweet Talker, The River Kings, Snowy and Clowing Around 2) has been actively pursuing this killer boar since it snagged his grandson oh so many years ago. One day he'll get that filthy animal... no wait, that was a Bigfoot porn. Yeah I have reviewed a lot of crazy stuff over the years.

Gotta show me bewbs.  Part of the contract.

Aspiring reporter Beth Winters is down in Gamulla shooting a story about a local dog food packing plant on the tip that the meat may be poached kangaroos. She up and disappears sending her husband Carl (Gregory Harrison of Trapper John, M.D., Oceans of Fire, North Shore, Falcon Crest, The Family Man, Body Chemistry II: Voice of a Stranger and A Family Torn Apart) into a blind panic and desperately arrived to town in search of her. Jake thinks the Baker Brothers, known poachers may have a hand in Beth's disappearance and lends a hand to Carl in his time of need. Just so we are clear, the old man is the film's bad ass. Make no mistake about it.

Will the boar be on Jake's wall? Can Carl keep his cool? Do the Baker Boys ever bathe?

Now to warn folks this is no way shape or form politically correct. We have countless stereotypes, the hillbilly Baker Brothers (They're the less fabulous ones), to the anal retentive animal rights activist of which (Spoilers!) gets attacked and eaten by the boar. Oh irony, you are a pleasant and thorough mistress. The action, gore and damage is all practical effects and the animatronic model razorback was costing about $250 grand to build for about 15 minutes overall in the flick. Amusingly enough the very same boar head was stripped down and had fur added to it so it could be used in Howling III: Marsupials. This is Russell Mulcahy's first feature and it is grossly underrated. Given the fair degree of violence, mild nudity and in general horror feel, I'd skip this one for the kids' viewing.

Damn varmits in my pot fields again!