Wolf Creek (TV series)

[JDP]

Continuing with the apparent recent trend of turning movies into TV shows, the Wolf Creek movie franchise has now been turned into a TV mini-series:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4460878/

For those of you living in the United States, it will premiere October 14 on the Pop Network:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/pop-air-australian-horror-series-915026

[Neil]

What the hell? How will this work!?

[JDP]

What the hell? How will this work!?

I think they have not been planning to make this one to be a long series, so far it seems they have limited it to six episodes and probably not planning on doing more (so the last episode will apparently indeed be "the last"; I wonder if Mick Taylor will get killed in that last episode?) So it seems like it will be more like a long "movie" divided into six separate weekly parts. I will be watching it since my cable provider does carry the Pop Network. I am curious to see it.

[MinionZombie]

Oh, so a mini series eh? Well, if it's a limited run thing then I might actually watch it. I have seen both movies, but I was a bit sceptical about a TV show version - but if it's a limited run like you say it is, then I might give it a crack and squeeze it into my telly schedule (or save it up for a binge viewing at a later date).

[shootemindehead]

I'm sort of interested. i really liked the films, the first one especially I thought was great.

But, a series? Um...I might give it a lash, but I just can't see it being as hard hitting as the films.

[JDP]

I'm sort of interested. i really liked the films, the first one especially I thought was great.

But, a series? Um...I might give it a lash, but I just can't see it being as hard hitting as the films.

I wonder how much graphic violence and/or sexual content will the censors allow this network to get away with? These kind of movies rely a lot on the messed up things that the psycho-killer does to the victims, so one has to wonder how well can they translate into TV shows. I am very curious to see what this network will or will not manage to get away with.

[MinionZombie]

I had a look last night and all six episodes are available via Sky On Demand for those with Sky. The episodes will be deleted on November 3rd (IIRC), though, so best get it downloaded soon if you're going to give it a go (which I think I will).

[JDP]

Saw the premiere on the Pop Network yesterday. Not bad. It is not as explicit and graphically violent as the movies, naturally, but for a TV show it is fairly graphic (though not as much as some of AMC's shows. Maybe AMC should have produced this series, seeing as they seem to get away with more explicit content.) The plot is pretty entertaining as well:

Spoiler:
It seems like Mick Taylor might himself become the "hunted" at the hands of one of his former victims. He made a big mistake assuming that the crocodiles must have taken care of her.

[MinionZombie]

Is the Pop Network a basic cable channel in America, along the lines of AMC (with some content restrictions)? Or is it more like HBO or Showtime or Starz where you pay for it specifically (with no content restrictions), or is it a more 'general' network channel (with loads of content restrictions)?

I think I read that it was done as a web show in Australia ... so I'm wondering if the Pop network censored it at all, or showed a pre-prepared watered down version?

I've downloaded all the episodes, but I've not got onto it yet.

[JDP]

Is the Pop Network a basic cable channel in America, along the lines of AMC (with some content restrictions)? Or is it more like HBO or Showtime or Starz where you pay for it specifically (with no content restrictions), or is it a more 'general' network channel (with loads of content restrictions)?

I think I read that it was done as a web show in Australia ... so I'm wondering if the Pop network censored it at all, or showed a pre-prepared watered down version?

I've downloaded all the episodes, but I've not got onto it yet.

Yes, it is a cable network similar to AMC, but for some reason AMC seems to get away with more graphic content than most similar networks (The Walking Dead is almost unthinkable in most networks of its kind.) It might be a "self-imposed" code of censorship, though. For example, El Rey Network only censors content during the day and early night, after 9:00 PM almost anything goes (they even show Fulci movies, wholly uncut, all nudity and gore intact!)

I am not sure about the production of the show, some articles say that the Pop Network was involved in the production, while others say it's an Australian production that was picked up by Pop. It is also not clear whether the show will continue after the six episodes that have been made. This article implies that the Pop Network was not involved in the production of the six episodes, but that it might get involved in co-producing further episodes if the series is well received:

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/08/pop-channel-may-back-more-of-wolf-creek.html

[Neil]

It is also not clear whether the show will continue after the six episodes that have been made.

Ahh, so maybe it's basically a one off TV movie affair? That might maker more sense?

[MinionZombie]

Yeah, it seemed kind of hazy to me whether it was a one-off mini-series or not (hedging their bets, I reckon). I've yet to watch it, but I would kind of prefer it to be a one-off run. There's only so much juice you can get out of the premise, even if the guy playing Mick Taylor does a bang-up job.

Once I get around to watching it I'll report back with my thoughts.

...

Interesting bit of info there on the El Rey Network - I like that idea of a cable channel showing whatever the hell after 9pm, although I wonder what their viewing figures are like. If they had more viewers (and therefore more advertising dollars) would they have to sacrifice their intentions to stave off easily offended busy body mothers screaming "won't someone think of the children?!" as their own brood shrivel up from the lack of hands-on parenting and general support & love because their mother's too wrapped up in her own sense of self-importance stamping her feet demanding censorship so she doesn't have to do her job as a parent ... ... /rant. :lol:

Good that AMC has been able to get away with as much gore as it has done. Now if only they could break through America's fear of the F-word on cable TV without having to mute it out (Universal does the same thing with Mr Robot ... ... although on a couple of occasions, incredibly, the C-word and the N-word both got by just fine! :confused:)

[JDP]

Ahh, so maybe it's basically a one off TV movie affair? That might maker more sense?

Yes, but the six "parts" so far made are not being presented as "a movie", they are being shown as actual 1 hour weekly episodes, just like if you were watching any other TV series.

- - - Updated - - -


Yeah, it seemed kind of hazy to me whether it was a one-off mini-series or not (hedging their bets, I reckon). I've yet to watch it, but I would kind of prefer it to be a one-off run. There's only so much juice you can get out of the premise, even if the guy playing Mick Taylor does a bang-up job.

Indeed, even though the plot is interesting you can't prolong it too much. If this series is given a green light for more episodes it should not make it beyond a second season. Give closure to the story by then (either Mick dies or he manages to escape his former victim's revenge, but don't make it any longer than it should be.)


Interesting bit of info there on the El Rey Network - I like that idea of a cable channel showing whatever the hell after 9pm, although I wonder what their viewing figures are like. If they had more viewers (and therefore more advertising dollars) would they have to sacrifice their intentions to stave off easily offended busy body mothers screaming "won't someone think of the children?!" as their own brood shrivel up from the lack of hands-on parenting and general support & love because their mother's too wrapped up in her own sense of self-importance stamping her feet demanding censorship so she doesn't have to do her job as a parent ... ... /rant. :lol:

Judging by the fact that they show plenty of commercials at all hours of the day, including the uncensored hours, it seems like this network is doing very well. It is very amusing to be seeing a commercial for, say, beer or Coca-Cola, and soon after to see a mutilated, eye-gouged and disemboweled woman's corpse being slowly devoured by a group of rotting zombies. I never thought I would see the day this would happen. A dream come true! :elol:


Good that AMC has been able to get away with as much gore as it has done. Now if only they could break through America's fear of the F-word on cable TV without having to mute it out (Universal does the same thing with Mr Robot ... ... although on a couple of occasions, incredibly, the C-word and the N-word both got by just fine! :confused:)

I was surprised to see how graphic The Walking Dead is for a network show. Some people have been complaining about the level of graphic violence in that show since early in the show's history:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-ptc-violence-402047

[shootemindehead]

This El Rey yoke sounds like my kind of channel. Mike 70 used to talk about it a bit IIRC.

When I was a kid, I could only dream of a TV channel that would show Lucio Fulci films, or 'Day of the Dead' uncut...or at all. :lol:

[JDP]

I watched the last episode yesterday (it aired last Friday night but I recorded it for later viewing):

Even though they don't explicitly show Mick still alive at the end, it is obvious that he managed to survive his wounds and escape the fire. His corpse was not found in the spot where he was supposedly "killed" and we see his truck going down the highway. The producers are evidently leaving the option of a second season "open", just in case some investor, like the Pop Network, shows enough interest in backing it up.

It could easily go for another season, but no more. The material does not lend itself for more than that.

Overall, not bad at all! I found this show to be very entertaining.

[MinionZombie]

I finally got around to watching it last week over a few days, and yeah, I did enjoy it quite a bit. There are some issues I have with it - there is a lot of 'filler' story going on to get us through the six episodes with occasionally patchy plotting, and Eve does seem to have the worst luck running into all these interconnected foils - but it was very stylish, well acted, has a unique atmosphere with the Aussie outback as its sandbox, and Mick Taylor as the baddie. Not the best TV drama I've seen by any stretch of the imagination, but surprisingly effective and entertaining. :thumbsup:

The ending was a bit strange - it seemed as if Eve was satisfied he was dead (in the ashes), because she seemed to have found conclusion for herself. On the other hand, yeah, they just can't help themselves by showing his truck driving off down the road. But, to be honest, a second batch of six episodes would be stretching it awfully far ... so I'd be rather concerned. The scripts would have to be excellent. Taylor isn't like Jason where you can kill him and resurrect him over and over, it's real world logic going on here ... so we'll see, eh?

[JDP]

I finally got around to watching it last week over a few days, and yeah, I did enjoy it quite a bit. There are some issues I have with it - there is a lot of 'filler' story going on to get us through the six episodes with occasionally patchy plotting, and Eve does seem to have the worst luck running into all these interconnected foils - but it was very stylish, well acted, has a unique atmosphere with the Aussie outback as its sandbox, and Mick Taylor as the baddie. Not the best TV drama I've seen by any stretch of the imagination, but surprisingly effective and entertaining. :thumbsup:

The ending was a bit strange - it seemed as if Eve was satisfied he was dead (in the ashes), because she seemed to have found conclusion for herself. On the other hand, yeah, they just can't help themselves by showing his truck driving off down the road. But, to be honest, a second batch of six episodes would be stretching it awfully far ... so I'd be rather concerned. The scripts would have to be excellent. Taylor isn't like Jason where you can kill him and resurrect him over and over, it's real world logic going on here ... so we'll see, eh?

A fire has to be very hot and go on for a long time in order to reduce an entire average sized human body to ashes, so when I saw that there were no substantial remains where Mick was supposedly killed I immediately discarded the idea that the fire had burned his corpse. And then the truck going down the road... It's obvious that Mick survived and managed to escape the fire.

I think there is enough material here for a second season, but this time there has to be closure to the story. Either Mick dies, or Eve dies, or she gives up trying to kill Mick and the series ends.

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm...


Did we see the floor though? I can't recall that in the climax of the show - seeing the floor of the burned down house (which would be where any remains would be lying). Clearly he wasn't on the metal pole anymore (the other two that pierced him were wooden) ... I was a bit irritated that she didn't just cut his throat to be doubly sure (she didn't even bother checking for his pulse!), but I guess if you're intending to try and get another series out of it you can't allow that to happen ... it would have been nice if there was a better reason for her not doing those things rather than just not bothering.

I do agree though, if there's to be another series it really does need a full blown conclusion. The character is great, but there's only a limited amount you can do with him, and we've pretty much reached that now.

[JDP]

Hmmm...


Did we see the floor though? I can't recall that in the climax of the show - seeing the floor of the burned down house (which would be where any remains would be lying). Clearly he wasn't on the metal pole anymore (the other two that pierced him were wooden) ... I was a bit irritated that she didn't just cut his throat to be doubly sure (she didn't even bother checking for his pulse!), but I guess if you're intending to try and get another series out of it you can't allow that to happen ... it would have been nice if there was a better reason for her not doing those things rather than just not bothering.

I do agree though, if there's to be another series it really does need a full blown conclusion. The character is great, but there's only a limited amount you can do with him, and we've pretty much reached that now.


The thing is that Mick's body should not even have fallen down from where it was "pinned", it would be a charred corpse still hanging by the metal pole. But there was nothing there. It seems as if his corpse was just reduced to ashes and scattered around the room. But the fire was not strong and long enough to be able to reduce an entire adult-sized body to ashes.

Regarding Eve's actions: this is symptomatic of slasher films. For example, look at the first Wolf Creek movie. The two girls make the exact same mistake. They could have killed Mick while he was unconscious from the shock of the bullet that grazes his neck, but they did not!

As you implied, Mick is not "supernatural", like characters like Jason or Freddy Krueger, so there's just no way that he can possibly keep on miraculously surviving apparently certain-death situations. It is not possible to extend Wolf Creek into such a long-lived franchise.