Episode 52. The Dark Side of Oz: Wolf Creek (2005) and The Loved Ones (2009)

Andrea and Alex head to a land down under, exploring a landscape which seems familiar but can change drastically when you head down the wrong back country road. From familial ties to an unforgiving Outback, Australia can provide a terrifying backdrop for the darkest of human psyches.

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REQUIRED READING

Wolf Creek. Dir. Greg McLean, 2005.

The Loved Ones. Dir. Sean Byrne, 2009.

EXTRA CREDIT

Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008) A documentary that explores the rise of Australian genre cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.

Screenwave.com.au: Creative Events & Outdoor Cinema in Australia.

Australian National Cinema by Tom O’Regan.

No Turning Back by Joanne Lees – an account of surviving an encounter with the Outback Killer, Bradley Murdoch.

Australia’s dark heart inspires horror movie boom – An interview with filmmakers about what makes Australian horror tick.

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6 thoughts on “Episode 52. The Dark Side of Oz: Wolf Creek (2005) and The Loved Ones (2009)

  1. Brittney says:

    First of all, hi! I just started listening to this podcast in the last month or so and I love it! But omg I just finished listening to this episode and I had to come here and capslock that I AM SO EXCITED THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING CUBE NEXT!!!! That movie is so so dear to me. I watched it with my dad when I was quite young (13 but maybe that’s just young to me?) when it first came out. We’ve always had a love of sci-if movies so I think that genre is what pulled us to this movie but I have had a steadfast love for CUBE all these years. I am actually quite fond of the Sci-Fi channel sequel too. And then was it CUBE ZERO that was next? I have seen them all but of course the original remains the best. Thank you so much for choosing this film I am going to be so anxious for this episode!

  2. Ron Schultz says:

    Haven’t listened to The Loved Ones part yet (half to see the movie first). But you guys are dead on with Wolf Creek . . . I was suckered into the “final girl” trope and was thinking Liz was going to succeed. Heartbreaking! I would add that Wolf Creek seemed to fit a pattern of much darker horror in the post 9/11 period. And the killer remaining at large echoed how Bin Laden loomed in the world at the time.

  3. Bruce from Missouri says:

    Thought I would mention another big homage to Crocodile Dundee in Wolf Creek…”Crocodile” Dundee’s real name in the movie is “Mick”.

    Maybe Paul Hogan has been killing people in the Outback for years.

  4. Daniel says:

    I’m not sure where you got a lot of you’re information from in regards to the Australian cultural cringe but it sounds like the minority view held in some Universities that has a loud Social media voice but not with the person on the street. Most Australians happily celebrate our culture

  5. Dan says:

    The cultural cringe that you kept mentioning is not mainstream Australia it is the Universities and Social media platforms so really disappointing that you kept repeating it. An interesting take on the movie’s just hoping for a broader opinion. Not sure why you removed ysterday’s comment?

    • Andrea says:

      Hi Daniel,

      I didn’t remove your comment, I just hadn’t approved it for publication yet. I do this every few days – sorry for the delay.

      I’m pleased to hear that Australian culture is currently being celebrated – Canadian culture is too – but I don’t think this invalidates my research on the subject.

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