OOP Box Set
Well, here I am reviewing the very last film in the Savage Sinema from Down Under box set and this is without a doubt the oldest film in the set. I believe Marauders was made in the mid-80’s, perhaps it was the wonderful synth soundtrack and crazy hairdos were the dead giveaway. Watching the Marauders was like kicking back and watching an MTV video spiral horribly out of control. For some reason I kept singing Men At Work’s “Down Under” over and over in my damn head. GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU ULTRA CATCHY NEW WAVE POP-ROCK BASTARDS!
While Marauders certainly wasn’t as good as Savage’s Sensitive New Age Killer, it was still quite good considering it was Savage’s first film. He wrote, produced and directed this little number and what really shocked me was how violent and confrontational it was having been his first film and all. Typically new filmmakers always start off with some lame artistic trip they feel is going to be a cinematic masterpiece but usually ends up being 45 minutes too long.
Now, Marauders did have some stiff acting but this was obviously a low budget film so nobody should be expecting DeNiro, if you do you’re an idiot. Unfortunately for low budget filmmakers there are times when you just have to make do with what you have.
One really cool thing I’d like to point out is that this film was shot-on-video, which is all the rage these days, but this was shot on video way back in ‘86! One might call Savage an innovator because there were VERY FEW filmmakers back then shooting on video. Not that there wasn’t underground filmmakers shooting video but I know there weren’t many (in horror & exploitation). Today, any old 16 year old with a camera and 10 friends can make a zombie epic. Back in ’86 I’m sure it was considered quite “rebellious”.
Marauders is a heartless little tale about two ruthless Aussie thugs by the name of JD and Emilio who pretty much do what they like when they like and how they like it. When we’re first introduced to JD he’s awoken by his younger brother who informs him that JD’s mother is tired of all the dead bodies lying about the apartment and she plans to call the police. JD makes the decision to take his mother out before she can bring the law down on him.
Meanwhile, Emilio gets into it with his “baby mama” and slugs her a few times to keep her in check. On his way out to escape his little dysfunctional family unit, he realizes she’s snatched his car keys from him to keep him at home. Emilio heads back up to the crib and when push comes to shove he yanks his heater and blows his girlfriend’s brains all over the wall. Damn bitch shouldn’t have taken his keys and— oops…lookey there they were in his shirt pocket all along! Oh well! Off Emilio goes to pick up JD who is already drinking and rowdy.
On the other side of town we’re introduced to a teen girl named Becky who receives a call from a new guy she likes named David. Despite warnings from her friends that David is sleaze, Becky still decides she’s going to hang with him. They both plan a trip to David’s family’s country home and David is off to meet Becky.
This is when worlds collide and David, on his way to pick up Becky, hits a drunken JD while he’s attempting to cross the street and hop into Emilio’s car. Instead of stopping to see if JD is okay, David flips them the bird and drives on. Emilio quickly hustles JD into the car and they take off after David, following him for hours, waiting for just the right moment to pounce.
After David and Becky decide to stop in a little town for some food, Emilio and JD figure David’s car needs and overhaul so they smash the shit out of the vehicle. When David and Becky discover the car a wreck, Becky ends up pushing the vehicle a ways in an effort to see if they can start it. Unfortunately, the car is totaled and David “locates” another vehicle for them to use.
Emilio and JD, on the other hand, are making their presence in town known by robbing the local bottle shop (liquor store) and stealing gas at gun point. Naturally, they aren’t making friends and that isn’t a good thing around these parts. See, David tells Becky that his Mother hates this area because the townsfolk are weird and “stick together”.
Stick together they do and before you know it the townsfolk are out stomping around the area looking for Emilio and JD’s vehicle. Bad things turn to shitty things when Emilio and JD rape a local girl and her body is discovered by the already angered townsfolk!
By the time Emilio and JD locate David and Becky, they’re on the run for their own lives! Held at bay by a shotgun wielding David, Becky discovers that David is only out for one thing and he plans to hold her prisoner along with Emilio and JD until she gives it up!
Is anybody in this film a good guy? Hell yeah but I won’t tell you who nor will I even hint at who escapes and who doesn’t. This is about as wild a ride as it gets. Savage’s first film was quite a kick to the sack! As I mentioned above, the acting was wooden and amateurish but the colorful vocabulary and hard-hitting violence easily made up for it.
This particular DVD in the box set also comes with a limited 4th disc containing some controversial Mark Savage shorts though I wasn’t able to review it for a box set review as it wasn’t available for reviewers. I’m sure it’s quite cool though.
I definitely preferred this over Defenceless: A Symphony of Blood but not as much as Sensitive New Age Killer. This box set from Subversive Cinema is simply put…the shit. I’d highly recommend the set to those looking for some unruly underground cinema by Australia’s best!
