Search The Archive
"A razor-sharp killer croc picture … takes the popular ‘When Nature Attacks' sub-genre and creates a stunningly frank condemnation of Western expansion and greed." – Not Coming to a Theatre Near You
Dark Age finds David Gulpilil starring alongside Burnam Burnam as a pair of trackers helping park ranger Steve Harris (John Jarratt) search for a seven-metre saltwater croc – a sacred "Dreaming Crocodile" to the local Indigenous population – rumoured to have killed two people. Their intention is to relocate it to the protective safety of a breeding sanctuary before a group of bloodthirsty redneck hunters spark an all-out reptilian slaughter!
Long overlooked, Dark Age re-emerged in cinema-going consciousness after Quentin Tarantino eulogised it in Mark Hartley's valentine to Ozploitation, Not Quite Hollywood (MIFF 2008). Sonia Borg's unconventionally trashy script draws on croc expert Grahame Webb's novel Numunwari, while future Oscar-winner Andrew Lesnie's (The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies) cinematography lends yet more interest to Arch Nicholson's schlockily fun eco-horror creature feature.
Given that Dark Age's original release was fraught with rights issues, this is a rare opportunity to see a hugely crowd-pleasing cult film as it should be seen: with an audience.
Special thanks to Quentin Tarantino for loaning MIFF his personal print of the film.