Turkey Shoot (film)
Encyclopedia
Turkey Shoot is a 1982
Australian dystopia
n futurist exploitation film
directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
notable for its extreme violence and sadistic prison sequences. The film features plot elements of The Most Dangerous Game
, but rather then having human targets hunted for sport by a madman on his own island, The Establishment
offers the opportunity to rich adventurers with legal immunity. The cast is a mix of international actors and Australia
n soap opera
stars and television
personalities. AskMen.com labeled it "Easily the cheapest and nastiest piece of mainstream celluloid ever stitched together by our [Australia's] mad cinematic scientists."
), a shopkeeper accused of helping a rebel; Rita Daniels (Lynda Stoner
), a suspected sex worker; and Paul Anders (Steve Railsback
), a dissident who has escaped from several other camps. After suffering brutal treatment at the hands of Camp Master Charles Thatcher (Michael Craig
) and his chief enforcer, Ritter (Roger Ward), the prisoners accept a deadly deal. They will be human prey in a 'turkey shoot' Thatcher has organised for Secretary Mallory (Noel Ferrier
), and VIPs Jennifer (Carmen Duncan
) and Tito (Michael Petrovich). If they can evade the heavily armed guests in the surrounding jungle until sundown, Chris, Rita and Paul will be set free. As the 'turkey shoot' progresses, the tables are turned and the prisoners become the hunters culminating in a free for all slaughter terminated by a government napalm
airstrike
.
The film was released theatrically in the United States
by New World Pictures as Escape 2000 in October 1983.
The film was released in the UK under the opportunistic title Blood Camp Thatcher referring to the cold camp commandant Charles Thatcher, rather than the then British Prime Minister
.
The film was released on special edition
DVD
by Anchor Bay Entertainment
.
collection of 1970s and 1980s Australian exploitation films, including Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
, Dead End Drive-In
and Razorback
. These over-the-top B grade films were characterized by lashings of gratuitous sex, violence and fuel-injected muscle car mayhem which pushed the boundaries of audience taste to new limits.
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Australian dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n futurist exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith is an English film and television director, producer, writer, consultant and actor who is notable for his contributions to the horror and action genre during the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Most of his work has been in television, and the majority of his films have been...
notable for its extreme violence and sadistic prison sequences. The film features plot elements of The Most Dangerous Game
The Most Dangerous Game
"The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", is a short story by Richard Connell. It was published in Collier's Weekly on January 19, 1924....
, but rather then having human targets hunted for sport by a madman on his own island, The Establishment
The Establishment
The Establishment is a term used to refer to a visible dominant group or elite that holds power or authority in a nation. The term suggests a closed social group which selects its own members...
offers the opportunity to rich adventurers with legal immunity. The cast is a mix of international actors and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
stars and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
personalities. AskMen.com labeled it "Easily the cheapest and nastiest piece of mainstream celluloid ever stitched together by our [Australia's] mad cinematic scientists."
Plot
In the totalitarian near future, 'social deviants' are sent to prison camps for re-education and behaviour modification. The new arrivals at Camp 47 are Chris Walters (Olivia HusseyOlivia Hussey
Olivia Hussey is an Argentinian actress who became famous for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Academy Award-winning 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet. For this role she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actress as well as the David di Donatello for best actress...
), a shopkeeper accused of helping a rebel; Rita Daniels (Lynda Stoner
Lynda Stoner
Lynda Stoner is an Australian actress and animal rights activist.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stoner was known for several roles on Australian television and was popularly regarded as a sex symbol...
), a suspected sex worker; and Paul Anders (Steve Railsback
Steve Railsback
Steve Railsback is an American theatre, film and television actor, born in Dallas, Texas.-Personal life:Railsback was born Stephen Hall Railsback, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Emerett Spencer and Clyde Webb Railsback.-Career:Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in...
), a dissident who has escaped from several other camps. After suffering brutal treatment at the hands of Camp Master Charles Thatcher (Michael Craig
Michael Craig (actor)
Michael Craig is a British actor, known for his work in film and television in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Craig was born in Poona, Maharashtra, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, a captain in the 3rd Indian Cavalry. He came to England with his family when aged three, and went to...
) and his chief enforcer, Ritter (Roger Ward), the prisoners accept a deadly deal. They will be human prey in a 'turkey shoot' Thatcher has organised for Secretary Mallory (Noel Ferrier
Noel Ferrier
Noel Ferrier AM was an Australian television personality, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He had an extensive theatre career which spanned over fifty years.-Biography:...
), and VIPs Jennifer (Carmen Duncan
Carmen Duncan
Carmen Joan Duncan is an Australian actress.-Biography:Carmen Duncan is known to Australian audiences as a character actress in films and on television...
) and Tito (Michael Petrovich). If they can evade the heavily armed guests in the surrounding jungle until sundown, Chris, Rita and Paul will be set free. As the 'turkey shoot' progresses, the tables are turned and the prisoners become the hunters culminating in a free for all slaughter terminated by a government napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
airstrike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
.
Cast
- Steve RailsbackSteve RailsbackSteve Railsback is an American theatre, film and television actor, born in Dallas, Texas.-Personal life:Railsback was born Stephen Hall Railsback, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Emerett Spencer and Clyde Webb Railsback.-Career:Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in...
as Paul Anders - Olivia HusseyOlivia HusseyOlivia Hussey is an Argentinian actress who became famous for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Academy Award-winning 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet. For this role she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actress as well as the David di Donatello for best actress...
as Chris Walters - Michael CraigMichael Craig (actor)Michael Craig is a British actor, known for his work in film and television in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Craig was born in Poona, Maharashtra, British India, the son of Donald Gregson, a captain in the 3rd Indian Cavalry. He came to England with his family when aged three, and went to...
as Charles Thatcher - Carmen DuncanCarmen DuncanCarmen Joan Duncan is an Australian actress.-Biography:Carmen Duncan is known to Australian audiences as a character actress in films and on television...
as Jennifer - Noel FerrierNoel FerrierNoel Ferrier AM was an Australian television personality, stage and film actor, raconteur and theatrical producer. He had an extensive theatre career which spanned over fifty years.-Biography:...
as Secretary Mallory - Lynda StonerLynda StonerLynda Stoner is an Australian actress and animal rights activist.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stoner was known for several roles on Australian television and was popularly regarded as a sex symbol...
as Rita Daniels - Roger Ward as Chief Guard Ritter
- Michael Petrovitch as Tito
- Gus MercurioGus MercurioAugustino Eugenio "Gus" Mercurio was an American-born Australian character actor who appeared on both film and television.-Early life :...
as Red - John Ley as Dodge
- Bill Young as Griff
- Steve RackmanSteve RackmanSteve Rackman is an Australian actor and professional wrestler, best known for his role as Donk in Crocodile Dundee, as well as Steve Crusher Rackman in his wrestling career. Rackman was born in the United Kingdom, and worked as a doorman before he became a professional wrestler...
as Alph - John Godden as Andy
- Oriana PanozzoOriana PanozzoOriana Panozzo is an Australian actress, best known for playing Susan Hamilton in the television soap opera Sons and Daughters. Her movie credits include Turkey Shoot. Orianna currently is principal of a talent school. She has made various short films for many short film festivals.-External links:*...
as Melinda
Production
Turkey Shoot was produced during the Australian film tax exemption scheme 10BA. Under 10BA film costs were subsidized by the Australian government, and directors tended to cast foreign leads in the hope of boosting success in Europe or the Americas.Release
Turkey Shoot grossed $321,000 at the box office in Australia, which is equivalent to $984,110 in 2009 dollars.The film was released theatrically in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by New World Pictures as Escape 2000 in October 1983.
The film was released in the UK under the opportunistic title Blood Camp Thatcher referring to the cold camp commandant Charles Thatcher, rather than the then British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
.
The film was released on special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
.
2008 Melbourne International Film Festival
Turkey Shoot featured in a Focus on OzploitationOzploitation
Ozploitation films are a type of low budget horror, comedy and action films made in Australia after the introduction of the R rating in 1971. The year also marked the beginnings of the Australian New Wave movement, and the Ozploitation style peaked within the same time frame...
collection of 1970s and 1980s Australian exploitation films, including Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own is the 1974 sequel to the 1972 Australian comedy film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Dame Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce...
, Dead End Drive-In
Dead End Drive-In
Dead End Drive-In is a 1986 Australian New Wave film about a teenage couple trapped in a drive-in theater which is really a concentration camp for societal rejects. The inmates, many of whom sport punk fashion, are fed a steady diet of junk food, New Wave music, drugs, and bad movies.The film was...
and Razorback
Razorback (film)
Razorback is a 1984 Australian film, based on Peter Brennan's novel, written by Everett De Roche, and directed by Russell Mulcahy who would later make the first two of the Highlander trilogy...
. These over-the-top B grade films were characterized by lashings of gratuitous sex, violence and fuel-injected muscle car mayhem which pushed the boundaries of audience taste to new limits.