Peter Weir's first feature film was a low-budget affair, and, at 48 minutes, is short even for a 'short feature'. I guess everyone has to start somewhere, but it looks a bit like a student film, a training film to learn the basics.
The script, co-written by Weir, is very much in keeping with 70s absurdism, subverting conventional society and expectations, but with minimal interest in character (preferring caricature) or narrative.
The story, so far as it goes, is a mystery-thriller where a group of guests arrive in the Homesdale Hunting Lodge including butcher/rock singer Mr. Kevin, war veteran Mr. Vaughan, an octogenarian Mr. Levy, and the pretty younger Miss Greenoak. They are invited to participate in a hunting trip, a talent show and all manner of strange rituals, by the strange staff (who would be at home in the sort of English horror film that seems to have inspired Weir.
People say odd things, people do strange things, time passes, and yet nothing much happens to involve the audience. Both the guests and the staff are odd and unappealing. Only young Mr. Malfry appears uncomfortable with the oddness, as he is bullied by one of the guests as well as the director of the centre.
A few days and a couple of deaths later, the guests leave and a new boatload of guests arrive, for the cycle to begin again. The only change is that Mr. Malfry is now a member of staff, apparently broken and converted to Homesdale weirdness.
If Weir had not gone on to become our greatest director, the film would be of little interest, except as one of the few experimental attempts to make a film at the time of the rebirth of the Australian film industry. Weir probably gained some experience making it, but it looks pretty silly now.
Also of slight interest is the appearance of Grahame Bond as Mr. Kevin Kavanagh, the hippie butcher, a character Bond would later play in his hit ABC comedy The Aunty Jack Show (1972-1975). He adds some incongruous colour to Homesdale.
Likewise, noted stage actress Kate Fitzpatrick makes the first of a number of unsuccessful attempts to find a film role to suit her theatre talents (which she only really found in the film version of the David Williamson play, The Removalists, in 1975).
The script, co-written by Weir, is very much in keeping with 70s absurdism, subverting conventional society and expectations, but with minimal interest in character (preferring caricature) or narrative.
The story, so far as it goes, is a mystery-thriller where a group of guests arrive in the Homesdale Hunting Lodge including butcher/rock singer Mr. Kevin, war veteran Mr. Vaughan, an octogenarian Mr. Levy, and the pretty younger Miss Greenoak. They are invited to participate in a hunting trip, a talent show and all manner of strange rituals, by the strange staff (who would be at home in the sort of English horror film that seems to have inspired Weir.
People say odd things, people do strange things, time passes, and yet nothing much happens to involve the audience. Both the guests and the staff are odd and unappealing. Only young Mr. Malfry appears uncomfortable with the oddness, as he is bullied by one of the guests as well as the director of the centre.
A few days and a couple of deaths later, the guests leave and a new boatload of guests arrive, for the cycle to begin again. The only change is that Mr. Malfry is now a member of staff, apparently broken and converted to Homesdale weirdness.
If Weir had not gone on to become our greatest director, the film would be of little interest, except as one of the few experimental attempts to make a film at the time of the rebirth of the Australian film industry. Weir probably gained some experience making it, but it looks pretty silly now.
Also of slight interest is the appearance of Grahame Bond as Mr. Kevin Kavanagh, the hippie butcher, a character Bond would later play in his hit ABC comedy The Aunty Jack Show (1972-1975). He adds some incongruous colour to Homesdale.
Likewise, noted stage actress Kate Fitzpatrick makes the first of a number of unsuccessful attempts to find a film role to suit her theatre talents (which she only really found in the film version of the David Williamson play, The Removalists, in 1975).