LONG WEEKEND

1978 / Director. Colin Eggleston.
Review by Glenn Cochrane

Today I attended the memorial service of Everett DeRoche. It was a remarkably uplifting farewell and served as a wonderful celebration of his life. And so tonight with a heavy dose of nostalgia I decided to revisit LONG WEEKEND. This was Everett's first feature script and remains one of his most potent and original. It tells the story of a couple who travel to the beach for a long weekend away as a means for them to reconnect after a personal tragedy. Along their way they frivolously trash nature by flicking cigarette butts, discarding rubbish and killing wildlife. With a total disregard for the nature around them, the nature itself begins to taunt them and their weekend turns into a nightmare of building tension. It's a remarkable film and watching it 35 years later it's amazing how well it stands up and how relevant the message holds. What a testament to Everett's writing and imagination. Aside from Hitchcock's THE BIRDS I cant recall another film quite like it. Without a villain to account for, he has crafted a chilling thriller that relies on suspense and atmosphere. The cinematography is so good too with awesome, sweeping pans and tight close-up tracking shots. The film was remade in 2008 by director Jamie Blanks and while I admit that it is also a solid thriller, nothing compared to this original and unsettling classic. Do yourself the favour and turn off the lights. Turn up the volume and take a trip to the beach with John Heargreaves and Briony Behets in LONG WEEKEND. An outstanding thriller!  

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