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Long Weekend [Blu-ray]
(Colin Eggleston, 1978)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: The Australian Film Commission Video: Synapse Films / Umbrella / Second Sight / Turbine (DE)
Disc: Region: 'A' / Region FREE / 'B' / 'B' (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)Runtime: 1:35:10.287 / 1:35:09.286 / 1:35:08.744 / 1:36:57.394Disc Size: 24,209,218,047 bytes / 32,881,467,519 bytes / 41,067,788,659 bytes / 23,456,186,622 bytesFeature Size: 22,950,109,824 bytes / 23,061,467,136 bytes / 30,614,339,136 bytes / 23,456,186,622 bytes Video Bitrate: 22.95 Mbps / 25.02 Mbps / 34.87 Mbps / 19.98 Mbps Chapters: 12 / 14 / 16 / 14 Case: Standard Blu-ray case / Thicker (UK) Blu-ray Case / Black Blu-ray case / Media book Release date: April 14th, 2015 / January 2015 / November 5th, 2018 / November 9th, 2018
Video (all four): Aspect ratio: 2.43:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 3329 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3329 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1660 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1660 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2065 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2065 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3329 kbps
5.1 / 48 kHz / 3329 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz /
1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 2065 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2065 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48
kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps /
DTS-HD Master Audio German 1562 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1562
kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 961 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 961 kbps
/ 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit) Subtitles: None / English, none / English, none / English, German, none
Extras:
• Audio Commentary from Producer Richard Brennan and
Cinematographer Vincent Monton
• Audio Commentary from Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer Vincent Monton
•
Stills Gallery with audio interview
with actor John Hargreaves (4:42)
• Audio Commentary with
Executive Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer
Vincent Monton
• Audio
Commentary from Producer Richard Brennan and Cinematographer
Vincent Monto Media book with 16-pages of photos and text (German) DVD
Bitrates:
Description: Attempting to resurrect their failing marriage, Peter (John Hargreaves, THE ODD ANGRY SHOT) and Marcia (Briony Behets) set out on a camping trip to a deserted stretch of the Australian coastline hoping a long weekend in the sunshine will help them patch their differences. They are a careless couple, littering the countryside with garbage, shooting guns and even driving away after wounding a kangaroo with their automobile. Their callous disregard for the environment soon becomes apparent when the animals start to seek vengeance. Marcia and Peter have proven themselves to be destroyers of nature. Will the animals allow them to leave or will they too be destroyed?
The Film: An Australian couple sets off on a weekend to the coast in this psychological thriller. Peter ({|John Hargreaves|}) and Marcia ({|Briony Behets|}) are at each other's throats from the moment they pull out of the driveway, as Peter sneaks his dog along for the weekend and Marcia is harboring anger about a recent tragedy the couple faced. As day turns into night and they have yet to reach their destination, Peter hits a kangaroo while falling asleep at the wheel. This sets in motion a chain of mysterious events, which starts with them leaving the beaten path and appearing to go in circles through the darkened thickets of trees -- even though they've driven straight ahead for hours. Upon eventually reaching their destination, the strange happenings continue, with animals behaving in unusual ways, and a persistent cry of anguish floating over the water, which sounds almost human. Peter and Marcia are determined to prove they can rough it, even as they start to wonder if they've gotten in over their head. They doggedly remain camped, despite mounting evidence that they don't understand the feral Australian woods as well as they think. Excerpt from Barnes and Noble located HEREThe message here is: mess with the primeval forces of Nature, and Nature will get you in the end. It seems that if you wife-swap, have abortions, or run over a kangaroo, you are going to have a lousy weekend. You won't be able to find the beach; ants will mess up your picnic; the chicken will go off pong, the spear-gun will go off ping; and God knows how the lager will stay cold. These and many other 'mysterious' events are so heavily laden with symbolism that any possibility of suspense or credibility is sunk even before Nature can start to get really raw. Walkabout and The Last Wave did it much better. Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HEREAn environmentally ignorant young couple receives the wrath of nature while on a camping trip in the haunting 1970s horror film, "Long Weekend," (1978). Briony Behets and John Hargreaves star as the young couple that decides to take a camping trip to the beach in order to repair their fragile marriage. But as the couple drives to their destination, they leave a tragic trail of road kill and garbage, angering the nearby animals, who soon seek out their vengeance in series of horrifyingly gruesome attacks. Will the couple learn their lesson and make it out alive? Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Long Weekend gets a 1080P transfer to Blu-ray from Synapse. It looks quite impressive with the many outdoor beach sequences of the film appearing clean and colorful. The aspect ratio is advertised as 2.35:1 but it clocks it closer to 2.43:1 and I think the wider frame suits the presentation, IMO. It is a shade thick with some nice textures. This is single-layered with a decent bitrate. It is a fairly clean presentation and my only complaint is that it may be a shade soft - but is probably accurate to the original production. The visuals are frequently very pleasing. I suggest viewing Long Weekend at home on a late Friday night with basket of popcorn.
Looks like it's using the same D1 (exact same framing) - very minor differences. The Umbrella is a shade darker and may have a negligible edge in-motion quality with the higher bitrate.
Again, same framing and probably the same restoration or D1 but transferred more robustly with the highest bitrate - making it the best image quality - most notably in-motion.
The Turbine is a limited edition mediabook of 1,000 pieces and is the first appearance on Blu-ray of the uncut version that runs about 2-minutes longer than the other Blu-ray editions. The image quality is not as technically robust being on a single-layered BD but the framing and colors looks acceptable if lacking the crispness of the Second Sight.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Samples
Audio :Synapse offer a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump at 3329 kbps and this is a film that benefits as there are so many subtle, and overt, natural audio fragments infused into the soundstage. This adds another layer to our attentiveness. There is depth and some sneaky separations - not unsuitably crisp but drifting around the room with spooky intent. There is also a similarly lossless 2.0 channel track to choose. The score is by Michael Carlos and adds another layer of mystery to the film's clandestine narrative There are no subtitle options and m y Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.
Umbrella don't include the 2.0 channel and their 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master is very comparable to Synapse's. Umbrella do add optional English subtitles and their Blu-ray disc is Region FREE playable worldwide.
Second Sight gives the option of a linear PCM 1.0 channel mono track or the 5.1 surround bump in DTS-HD Master. Nice to have the choice and both are 24-bit and sound excellent. Second Sight include optional English subtitles (see sample) and their Blu-ray disc is Region 'B'-locked.
The Turbine has the weakest of the audio of the 4 versions with only 16-bit transfers in both 2.0 channel mono and the 5.1 bump. It sounds okay with a tinge less depth that the other 3. It offers both German and English subtitles and "for the first time completely synchronized in German" DUB, It is Region 'B'-locked.
Extras : Synapse include an audio commentary from producer Richard Brennan and cinematographer Vincent Monton dealing a lot with the production aspects and recollections of the filming process. There is also a motion still gallery featuring a 5-minute audio interview with actor John Hargreaves. Lastly we get a theatrical trailer.
Same audio commentary from producer Richard Brennan and cinematographer Vincent Monton as found on the Synapse that also has the 5-minute stills gallery / audio interview with actor John Hargreaves But the Aussie disc adds a more Uncut Not Quite Hollywood Interviews - this time with cinematographer Vincent Monton, writer Everett de Roche and actor Briony Behets. Nice to hear their reflections on the film's production and impact. Nature Found Them Guilty: Examining "Long Weekend" is a 24-minute panel discussion with Lee Gambin, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Emma Westwood and Sally Christie talking about the film. There is also an original trailer.
Same audio commentary and same Nature Found Them Guilty: Examining "Long Weekend" is a 24-minute panel discussion with Lee Gambin, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Emma Westwood and Sally Christie talking about the film. There is also an extensive stills gallery accompanied by audio interview with actor John Hargreaves plus there is an original theatrical trailer.
Same audio commentary from producer Richard Brennan and cinematographer Vincent Monton as found on the other editions plus the audio interview with actor John Hargreaves and a trailer. The package is a handsome Media book with 16-pages of photos and text (in German) and a second disc DVD is included.
Synapse - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Umbrella - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Turbine (DE) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM LINE:
A notch ahead of the Synapse but fans have to weigh the value as they share the commentary and a decent presentation. Always nice to have options and the Umbrella, subtitle options, interviews and Panel discussion may tip the scales. This Ozploitation classic is always recommended!
This appears to be the definitive release for this Ozploitation gem. Second Sight have done a great job and this is the one Blu-ray release to own. Strongly recommended!
The Turbine has some appealing attributes - the slightly longer 'uncut' version, a sweet mediabook case and DVD plus including the valuable commentary. The a/v is s notch below but there is value to completists who want to see this uncensored version of this Ozploitation classic. Gary Tooze April 6th, 2015 March 21st, 2018 November 20th, 2018 January 12th, 2019
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