Dark Age (film)
| Dark Age | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | Arch Nicholson |
| Produced by | Antony I. Ginnane |
| Written by |
Sonia Borg Tony Morphett Stephen Cross |
| Based on |
Numunwari by Grahame Webb |
| Starring |
John Jarratt Nikki Coghill Max Phipps Burnam Burnam David Gulpilil |
| Music by | Danny Beckerman |
| Cinematography | Andrew Lesnie |
| Edited by | Adrian Carr |
Production company |
RKO F.G. Film Productions |
Release dates | July 10, 1987 |
Running time | 91 mins |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$4,808,232[1] |
Dark Age is a 1987 Australian horror adventure film[2] directed by Arch Nicholson, produced by Antony I. Ginnane and starring John Jarratt.
Plot synopsis
Steve Harris (John Jarratt) is a ranger who has been assigned to deal with a massive saltwater crocodile that's been attacking and killing people in the Northern Territory. He finds himself at odds with the local Aborigines, who believe the crocodile should be preserved since it contains the spirit of their past. Steve must develop a plan to respect the wishes of the Aborigines and also protect the residents threatened by the crocodile.
Cast
- John Jarratt as Steve Harris
- Nikki Coghill as Cathy Pope
- Max Phipps as John Besser
- Burnam Burnam as Oondabund
- David Gulpilil as Adjaral
- Ray Meagher as Rex Garret
- Jeff Ashby as Mac Wilson
- Paul Bertram as Jackson
Production
The film was part of a two-picture deal between executive producer Antony I. Ginnane and Hollywood studio RKO which also included The Lighthorsemen. Shooting took place five weeks in Cairns and one week in Alice Springs, starting 22 April 1986.[3]
Release
The movie was never seen in Australia theatrically and took a long time to be seen on DVD.[3]
Reception
Despite no approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently, the film has a 39% Audience Score. Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews gave a positive review, calling the film "well-produced and acted, and an intelligent environmental adventure film results."
Quentin Tarantino spoke enthusiastically of the film in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!, commenting "You could re-release Dark Age in 2,000 screenings and people would go see it." In 2009, Tarantino hosted a screening for it in Sydney.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Australian Productions Top $175 million", Cinema Papers, March 1986 p64
- ↑ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p34
- 1 2 David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p302-303
- ↑ "Dark Age Q & A" Popcorn Taxi 2009 accessed 1 November 2012
External links
- Dark Age at the Internet Movie Database
- Dark Age at Oz Movies