When Animals Attack...

Anyone who's ever set foot in a classroom understands the student / teacher dynamic. It is generally understood that it is the teacher who is in charge and they provide guidance, wisdom and occasionally clarification for students.


Well that's definitely the ideal, but it doesn't always go that way. As a student I always hated professors who acted as though students' opinions were irrelevant because they weren't the teacher. This overlooks the fact that students can sometimes approach material in new and exciting ways, or simply that topics are sometimes best taught when the approach is questioned.


This isn't to say that I love a challenging student...in fact it's something that terrifies a lot of teachers and why so many are afraid of discussion in the classroom.


My approach is generally one of tolerance. I like to let other people have their say, even if it sometimes mean I have to go on the defensive to defend my choices or interpretation. That's what makes class fun!


Of course, I think subconsciously I try to keep these situations to a minimum by choosing subjects that most people are not as familiar with (ie: fewer people know slasher films than Meryl Streep or even Wayan Brothers films). However, when you do get that one student who knows every giallo and corrects your pronounciation - it's definitely a daunting experience.


For this reason I typically over-prepare. Which is what this whole post has been about: the fact that I'm trying to cram as many cult films down my gullet as possible before July.


So tonight's film was Long Weekend (1977). When it arrived in the mail earlier this week (thanks zip.ca!) I couldn't even remember what it was. It sounded suspicious to a horror film I watched to prep for last year's course (or was that Death Weekend?). Then I remembered: this is the movie when nature fights back!


Definitely an interesting plot, and one I'll skirt the edges of because it is most definitely worth checking out. The film takes place in Australia (that makes two with the recent Mad Max - is anyone else sensing a theme?) and focuses on a dysfunctional couple trying to repair their marriage with a weekend camping trip. Of course there are signs that things are not going to work out for the best, from the bickering between the protags to the hit and run of a poor kangaroo on the road. The fact that the locals don't seem to know anything about their destination or the mysterious RV down the beach doesn't bode well either.


Without getting into it too much, this is a film about awful city folk getting their asses handed to them when they step outside the concrete jungle. To detail what they go through would ruin the surprise, although I should mention that this ain't exactly your blockbuster style film (boobs in the trailer? It must be foreign...and from the 70s!) In any case, it's a high recommend with a ton of atmosphere, so look for it at Glebe or Invisible Cinema...or wait for the inevitable Hollywood remake starring Jim Caviezel (Jesus!) later this year.


P.S. Please disregard the atrociously lame teaser (Their only crime was against nature...and nature found them guilty! ha ha ha). The marketing people who come up with this kind of schlock deserve a special brand of justice for that kind of shit.