Wolf Creek

This is a contemporary horror movie, dealing with an outback serial killer, half Freddy Kruger half Crocodile Dundee. The movie has been reviewed by others. Here are my thoughts on the DVD.

The first disc is the film, the trailer and set up. As well as sound options, there is the commentary, featuring writer/director/producer Greg McLean, producer Micheal Gudinski and leading ladies Kesti Morassi (Kirsty) and Cassandra Magrath (Liz). This is the usual, "Oh that shoot was freezing," "That was actually not Broome, that was Cairns," and a few insights, like the scene with the mechanic and Ben was improvised, "because the light was so good."

Disc Two contains the Making Of documentary, a thorough affair, involving interviews with all the principals, the writer/director/producer, the DOP, make-up boss and, nice to see, the editor (Jason Balantyne), who contributes to the fast-paced MTV style and some priceless fart jokes.

The Making Of focuses mostly on the way it was shot. Will Gibson, the DOP, is described as a human dolly and his technical skills are evident from the first frame to the last. He and McLean have succeeded in making a feature that has the feel of a documentary, while still maintaining the pace and drama of a thriller.

Also of interest is the knowledge that the film was shot on High Def Digital and the difference from mini DV is quite clear. Also the wonders of post production are laid open, colour balancing and compositing give the film its two distinct atmospheres, the opening summer holiday snaps and disco parties and the washed out dark, evil situation the characters are dragged into.

The make up dept is rightly praised and we are shown the processes of latex prosthetics, facial moulds and more conventional "Kensington Gore." The driving scenes were apparently shot before the main body of the film, where we have a Behind The Scenes look at rolling a hatchback. A brief nod is made towards the music, which deserved more attention, as I felt it was one of the true strengths of the film.

There is an extended interview with John Jarret, who plays the psycho killer. He is somewhat a luvvie, taking eight months to discover the character, "...it took me four to find the laugh." However, he does reveal that the film was shot chronologically. Quite a rarity.

There are three deleted scenes, also trailers for a couple of other Optimum releases, Dead Man's Shoes & Switchblade Romance, also a sneak peek at an exclusive scene from Cry Wolf.