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Australian classics:
(There will be a couple more Aussie
classics in the next day or two.)
Summerfield
(1977)
Summerfield is a moody thriller set in a country
town (filmed on Victoria's Phillip Island, a quite mysterious place if
you've ever been there). A new teacher (Nick Tate) comes to town to teach
at the only school after the last teacher disappeared without a trace.
None of the locals seem to be worried by the situation as people move on
all the time. He is greeted by a young girl who lives on the property of
Summerfield and after being invited to her house by her, he accidentally
runs over her, breaking her leg. He meets her mother (Elizabeth
Alexander), whose husband is also missing and her brother (John Waters),
who lives with them on the property. These people seem disconnected from
the local area, but along the way he befriends the mother and brother,
even taking a shine to the mother. As with all small movie towns, there's
a dark secret and this one's a doozy that, when revealed, will end quite
horrifically.
Intriguing thriller that hits the wall during the
second act but its shocking finale (and I can only imagine it to be even
more shocking 30 years ago) is something else, although the very final
twist seems a bit much, even if it does tie up the initial mystery.
Geraldine Turner film clips (collages
below)
Elizabeth Alexander film clips
(collages below)
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