Razorback (1984) *** [Shout! 1984 Double Feature Pt. 2]

Russell Mulcahy’s "nature run amok" giant boar horror film, Razorback (1984), is not quite a home-run debut but has loads of style to spare. Cinematographer Dean Semler's—who three years earlier shot George Miller's Mad Max 2 (review)—stunningly beautiful imagery captures the Australian Outback like few films have. Composer Iva Davies' cool, moody, and ominous synth score (created using the Fairlight CMI) provides a perfect backdrop to the suid carnage. Mulcahy's highly stylized narrative music video background (more on than in my review of 1986's Highlander) informs the frenetic energy of the film and a trippy dream sequence is a particular highlight. Unfortunately, some of the gorier bits of the film were cut, the action is sloppy, the finale a bit weak, and the brilliant creature effects are never quite highlighted in the way that they deserve to be but Razorback is nonetheless a very entertaining thriller.