Night of Fear (film)
| Night of Fear | |
|---|---|
| File:Night of Fear poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Terry Bourke |
| Produced by | Rod Hay |
| Written by | Terry Bourke |
| Starring | Norman Yemm Carla Hoogeveen Mike Dorsey Briony Behets |
| Cinematography | Peter Hendry |
| Edited by | Ray Alchin |
|
Production
company |
Terryrod
|
| Distributed by | Umbrella Entertainment (2005 DVD) |
|
Release dates
|
18 March 1973 |
|
Running time
|
50:51 |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Night of Fear is a 1972 Australian horror film, directed by Terry Bourke. It was written by Bourke and produced by Rod Hay. It is about a woman who is terrorised by a serial killer in the woods. Its theme and style bears a resemblance to the horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, released two years later. The film is notable for having no dialogue or character names. It has been called "the first Australian horror movie of the renaissance".[1]
The film was featured in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!.
Contents
Plot
A young woman crashes her car on a lonely country road. She is terrorised by a crazed hermit.
Cast
- Norman Yemm as the man
- Carla Hoogeveen as the woman
- Mike Dorsey as the lover
- Briony Behets as the horse girl
Production
The film was shot over twelve days in mid 1972. It was originally intended to be a pilot for TV series called Fight. The Australian Broadcasting Commission provided a crew and 35mm production facilities in exchange for television rights.[2]
Release
The film was initially banned in Australia by the OFLC.[3][4] The makers of Night of Fear appealed to the review board and it was released in November 1972 with an 'R' (18+) rating.[3] It has since been re-classified 'M' (15+).[5]
The film enjoyed a profitable run in independent cinemas and drive ins.[2]
Critical reception
AllMovie wrote, "Night of Fear is a potent, no-frills little shocker that is likely to delight fans of vintage horror", complimenting its "excellent use of whiplash-speed editing, bizarre camera angles and a densely layered soundtrack to create a consistently unnerving atmosphere."[6]
Home video
The film was released on DVD alongside fellow Australian horror film Inn of the Damned (also directed by Bourke) by Umbrella Entertainment on 16 March 2005.[5]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p269
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
