Title: Turkey Shoot Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith Writers: Jon George, Neill D. Hicks Cast: Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig, Carmen Duncan, Noel Ferrier, Lynda Stoner Year: 1982 Min: 80
In the near future, three strangers (Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, and Lynda Stoner) are taken to a brutal prison run under a totalitarian government. They are deemed to be social deviants and of need of behavior re-modification. The brutal Camp Master Charles Thatcher (Michael Craig) is in charge of the prison. He is helped out by equally cruel and perverse prison guards, including the sadistic chief enforcer Ritter (Roger Ward). Thatcher sets up a Most Dangerous Game style ''turkey shoot'' where Secretary Mallory (Noel Ferrier), and VIPs Jennifer (Carmen Duncan) and Tito (Michael Petrovich) partake in. The trio that we were introduced to earlier in the film, along with two other men, are chosen as the prey. They are set loose, one at a time, as our hunters are then set-off to find and kill them.
Turkey Shoot, also known as Escape 2000 and Blood Camp Thatcher, is a brutal and bloody sci-fi/ action/ horror/ exploitation hybrid from the land down-under. This Ozploitation favorite wasn't much of a hit in its' native Australia or the US (where it was better know as the aforementioned Escape 2000), but it made a shitload of money in the UK. Ultra-violent, nasty, and righteously exploitative this empty headed shocker succeeds in being a sick good time.
The acting ranges from bad to genuinely good. It is honestly quite a site to behold a cast on the level of Railsback and Hussey doing a movie this sleazy. Based on the excellent extra features in the phenomenal Blu-ray from Severin Films, they (although Hussey is missing from the extra features, guessing she doesn't even wanna talk about this one..), along with Stoner don't have much high thoughts of this production. And, while that is understandable, that should not deter you from watching this ass kicker of a movie.
While, they do what they with what they got, it's lead the villains that kind of get to have a field day here. Michael Craig and Roger Ward are particularly enjoyable as the lead baddies. And, how great is it that Craig's character is named Thatcher like then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher? But, my favorite baddie is Jennifer. As played by Carmen Duncan, she is a sadistic and evil lesbian with a thing for shooting people with her crossbow as well as a thing for the beautiful and blonde Rita (Lynda Stoner).
Stoner is an absolute beauty, she along with others in the cast, she shows off some skin. The movie has no problem featuring both male and female full frontal nudity. Olivia (Romeo & Juliet, the original Black Christmas) Hussey's character shows off her boobs. But in reality it is actually a very obvious body double and Hussey. Sorry to disappoint the horndogs reading this review.
Not only does the movie feature lots of skin, but it also has copious amounts of gore. The movie goes for full blown splatter, with FX that range from just OK to really good. Among the acts of bloody mayhem that invade the screen are: blood spattering bullet hits, amputations, impaling, bisection, immolation, cannibalism (committed by a top-hat wearing hairy man-hound mutant), a body getting run over, and most spectacular of all, a killer head and shoulders explosion. Since the movie reportedly lost 15 pages of its script, in order to keep it under budget, director Trenchard-Smith, was smart to know to raise the violence levels of the film.
He also keeps the film moving along at a quick pace. It's fun and fast paced with lots of action, explosions, and fights. It's best enjoyed by shutting-off your brain and just enjoying the mayhem. Also adding to the enjoyment factor is some great, black humor. Admit ably those in the audience of weaker sensibilities won't enjoy this. But, if you are a loyal reader of this site, then that really wouldn't apply to you, now would it?The film is certainly not groundbreaking, in it's plot or ideas. Nor is it smart or deep, but it honestly does not need to be. This fucker truthfully succeeds in everything else it sets out to do.
Turkey Shoot rocks fucking hard. It maybe dumb and not exceptionally original, but it is nasty fun at its best. Ultra-gory and action packed, it's filled with blood, babes, boobs, and booms (as in things going). As such, it wears its exploitation hat proudly. The site of seeing actors like Hussey and Railsback in movie like this along is worth the price and time of viewing it. A great example of Australian sleaze and gore, this genre masher needs to be seen by more!
Title: Nightmares Director: John Lamond Writers: Colin Eggelston, John Lamond Cast: Jenny Neumann, Gary Sweet, Nina Landis, Max Phipps, John Micheal Howson Year: 1980 Min: 90
When Cathy was a little girl she saw her mom screwing a man in bed. Later, she finds herself in the backseat of a car. Her mom is driving and making out with a dude. When the guy decides to run his hand up her leg, Cathy tries to stop him. This causes the car to crash. Mom goes flying through the windshield, and a shard of glass cuts her throat. Jump forward to her being an adult. She has changed her name to Helen (Jenny Neumann). Helen is now a stage actress and starring in a new play called Comedy of Blood. As an adult she is stunningly beautiful but also sexually repressed. It doesn't take long for people around her to start dying, all of them getting stabbed by shards of glass.
Nightmares is an interesting, Australian attempt at making a slasher film, at a point when the sub-genre was just beginning to bloom. It should not be confused with the 1983 American horror anthology of the same name. The movie is also known as Stage Fright, which means it also should not be confused with the Michele Soavi giallo of the same name, which came out some years later. Which is interesting and quite the coincidence to note, as the movie feels and looks like an amalgamate of the American stalk and slash flick and the Italian Giallo.
Co-writer director John Lammond has an interesting visual aesthetic for the film. There are some really odd shots, that combine with moments of style to making for an interesting looking movie. A particularly violent stalk and kill in the rain stands as one of the movie's most visually captivating moments. Sadly, the kills lack any real suspense, but are instead punctuated by bloody violence. The shards of glass cut through backs, slice a breast, thighs, etc. Aside, from good bits of bloodletting there is also some fairly graphic sex scenes and ample nudity, throw in for good measure.
Our gloved killer is never really seen, but the movie is unsure if it wants to keep the killer's identity a mystery or not. It seemingly tries to do both, as it tells who the killer is and pretends it is a mystery, at the same time! It's an odd choice, but one has to just go with it and enjoy it. At least, it makes for a different storytelling choice.
The film moves at a good enough pace. It's interesting and entertaining enough, that if you just go with it, you'll find yourself liking it. I, personally, got a real kick out of the ending. In a lesser movie it may have come off as feeling cheap. Here, it made me go, ''Ha! That's pretty cool''
It is also great that the characters aren't a bunch of horny, interchangeable teens but instead are adults. Sure, they have sex on the brain, too, but the age change of the characters is refreshing. The acting is competent from most of the cast. Most fun to watch is the absolutely gorgeous Jenny Neumann. She has this great, wild look throughout the movie, that I got a kick out of seeing her do. There is something genuinely likeable both of her portrayal of the character and the character, itself, even if it is a little over-the-top at times. It also helps that she is a breathtaking beauty. Too bad she quit acting later in the 80s, I would have loved to see her in more films.
Nightmares is good, if flawed fun. What it lacks in suspense or story telling decision making, it makes up for with its positive points. It's a good, albeit at times odd, film that takes inspiration from both American and Italian horror. Adding a good amount of blood and skin and a beautiful and likable lead in Nuemann; this under-seen Australian horror flick deserves a look. It is currently streaming on Shudder and available on DVD from Severin films.
