Turkey Shoot

Turkey Shoot (1982)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Brian Trenchard-Smith

Starring: Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig, Lynda Stoner, Roger Ward

From: Hemdale Film

In my return to this month of watching foreign films, I decided to leave the continent of Europe and fly halfway across the world to Australia and the world of Ozploitation to see one of the many movies spotlighted in the great documentary Not Quite Hollywood, and this has a reputation of being quite sleazy and violent. So, why not watch it, a movie also known sometimes as Escape 2000 and Blood Camp Thatcher?

The plot is basically The Most Dangerous Game scenario set in a dystopian future that seems like a police state and everyone has to obey and government is big brother and all that. Unfortunately, that idea seems appropriate for an American given the disturbing news that has come out in the past week. But enough about current events... in this world there are “camps” where people are sent to if they disobey. You follow two girls who are unjustly sent there (Hussey, Stoner) and a rebel who has escaped from camps before (Railsback). The leader of the camp is Thatcher (Craig; yeah, the movie did name him after Margaret) and the biggest baddest guard there is is Ritter (Ward). The trio and two others are sent out in the woods, where several big bad guys are tasked to hunt and kill them.

What I heard was correct; this is quite sleazy and violent. The first half of the movie, they certainly went out of their way to make the villains quite awful and reprehensible. They do some terrible things. When they get their comeuppance, it at least is satisfying, and they do go out in graphic ways... although boy those moments also demonstrate how low-budget it is. A lot of obviously fake dummies, you know. There are some darkly comic moments, and also some wackiness, like how one of the villains has a hairy mutant/man as a pet! Its name is Alph! It's a man who is hairy almost like a werewolf and has reptile eyes. It is a post-apocalyptic future? Possibly.

Overall, I thought this was at least some entertaining trash and if it sounds good to you based off of the description, then you should check it out. The shoot apparently wasn't easy and there was friction between various people, but it's sleazy fun. I'll be back Thursday night.