Wolf Creek (HD DVD)

Wolf Creek is an Australian horror film that is based on true events; with no certain event in specific it combines a few elements from some missing people�s cases in Australia. The actions of some of the characters mirror that of famous serial killers, most notably that of Ivan Milat who most have speculated is whom the movie is based on. According to Quentin Tarantino Wolf Creek is ��One of the great horror film heavies of the last 25 years� so it seems to be really promising.

Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) and Kristy Earl (Kestie Morassi) are friends from England who are travelling Australia for a holiday. Here they meet up with Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips) with whom they plan to take a trip to Wolf Creek, a desolate area of Australia where a large crater formed by a meteorite lays. The Wolf Creek of the movie is based upon the real life Wolfe Creek in Australia, which you can see during the aerial shots of the crater in the movie. After driving to Wolf Creek and exploring it the group happily returns to the car ready for their next adventure. But fait would have it, or maybe someone else would have it, their car won�t start. Waiting in the car for hours finally they see headlights off in a distance approaching them. Out comes Mick, a Crocodile Dundee looking fellow who offers to tow their vehicle to his camp and will fix it free of charge. Although a bit hesitant the group decides to accept the offer due to their lack of money. After driving for quite some time they arrive at Mick�s camp, an abandoned mining site that he calls home. Here they all sit down and exchange stories, where Mick�s behaviour becomes a bit suspicious, but somehow he manages to woe them into a false sense of security. Before we know it everyone passes out and we skip ahead to day break where Liz, Kristy, and Ben wake up.

This is where the real horror begins; the three of them are all tied up in separate locations around the camp. Mick physically and mentally tortures the women while it is still unclear as to what has happened to Ben. The remainder of the movie continues with this dark and twisted behaviour while hoping for a sense of humility from Mick.

The movie starts off quite slow, but once things get going it�s a very thrilling and horrific ride. You really feel for the characters in their struggle, as they are senselessly tortured for the amusement of Mick, an obvious sociopath. There are moments of high intensity, sympathy, fear, and hope. Wolf Creek is well shot and not you�re typical over the top special affect wielding horror film, it presents itself as a real to life film making you feel even more sympathetic for the characters. If you�re a fan of horror films then you�ve undoubtedly seen this picture already, and if you haven�t I suggest you do because as far as horror films go these days Wolf Creek is about as good as it gets. In my eyes horror is a dying genre, plots just keep getting re-done and mixed in with special affects and over the top storylines, Wolf Creek is a taste of what a horror film can achieve without a huge budget and big name stars. This movie isn�t perfect but it�s definitely the best horror I�ve seen in a while, and most likely will see for a while.

Video

Presented in 1080p 1.78:1 aspect ratio Wolf Creek manages to impress with some spectacular interior and exterior visuals, most notably the vast scenery of the Australian Outback, aerial shots more specifically. Colors looked very realistic; the same can be said for the flesh tones. Nothing looked enhanced but instead gritty, as it should for this type of movie. Details were sharp, clearly showing pores on peoples face, rarely looking soft. The presence of grain seems to come out a few times, especially during dark scenes, but rarely stays around long enough to become distracting. Wolf Creek is a good looking film, definitely worth checking out.

Audio

Mick�s raspy voice has never sounded so harsh and so clear; Wolf Creek is presented in Dolby Digital + 5.1 and manages to be an exceptional audio track. This disc suffers from the same problem as found on Pulse, lack of rear channel support. Although not as bad, it was still disappointing to hear no subtle effects coming out of those channels. Dialogue fortunately sounds perfect, never encountering issues with dropouts or balance. When bass was used it sounded deep and rich, but not too over powerful or overused. Overall we are given a good audio track that fits the film pretty well.

Special Features

We are given a handful of good special features, all of which are worth checking out. The commentary track is interesting enough to warrant a listen but the documentary provides more incite into the film.

• Audio Commentary with Director Greg McLean, Executive Producer Matt Hearn, and Actors Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi
• Inside the Mind of a Villain: A Conversation with John Jarratt � A brief but interesting interview with John Jarratt. Worth checking out if you want to know more about the actor behind the villain.
• The Making of Wolf Creek Documentary � A fifty minute long documentary covering almost every aspect of the production of the film, including interviews with the cast and crew. The documentary is definitely worth checking out for fans of the film.
• Deleted Scene � A short deleted scene that doesn�t add anything to the film.
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Thoughts

Packed with a few interesting extra features and all around solid audio and video, Wolf Creek is a sure buy for fans. I enjoyed this movie and the experience in HD made it all the better. If you haven�t checked this one out yet, you definitely should because it�s the best horror film I�ve seen in a while.

Special Features List

• Audio Commentary with Director Greg McLean, Executive Producer Matt Hearn, and Actors Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi
• Inside the Mind of a Villain: A Conversation with John Jarratt
• The Making of Wolf Creek Documentary
• Deleted Scene
• Theatrical Trailer