Home Video
[Review] ‘Throwback’ Isn’t a Perfect Send-up, But Has Heart
It’s been a while since Bigfoot lurched across my screen. In fact, the last film that I’d seen involving a killer Sasquatch was the very fun Abominable, and that was back in 2006. Yes, I’m aware that Willow Creek came out a few years back, but I just never had the chance to see it. Leave it to the Aussies to rectify this lack of Bigfoot in my life with their version of Bigfoot in Travis Bain’s Throwback. According to Bain’s Facebook page, Throwback has endured an eight-year journey to get to the big screen, so what’s the result?
Jack (Shawn Brack) and his buddy Kent (Anthony Ring) are out in the remote jungles of Far North Queensland, Australia, searching for the lost gold of legendary bushranger “Thunderclap Newman”. Unfortunately for Jack, once the duo find the treasure, Kent decides to go the “no honour among thieves” route and attempts to off Jack. But before Kent can finish the job, the two find themselves lost in the bush. Each man meets up with others who are also roaming the bush: a park ranger named Rhiannon (Melanie Serafin) and a Detective McNab (Vernon Wells), the latter of whom is investigating some missing hikers. Making matters worse is each of them being caught in the path of the Yowie, the Australian Bigfoot, looking to stomp them into the ground.
Given that Throwback is another shoestringer, Bain wisely uses the gorgeous environment to his advantage. Firstly, the isolation allows the characters to develop as they interact and exchange banter between one another, as well as allow the actors a chance to show off their chops. Secondly (and just as important), the remoteness gives the tension free reign to develop as there’s always the danger of that Yowie showing up. Speaking of which, Bain smartly chooses to keep the creature relegated to glimpses and partially-hidden moments. Let’s be honest with ourselves: it’s a guy in a suit on a low budget film, and if we were shown it in full, the suspension of disbelief goes out the window. So to keep the tension, Bain employs the classic methods like just showing creature’s arm in frame grabbing at a trapped character, or having part of the creature’s body in one corner of the frame. Again, smart move.
Speaking of the acting, the cast does an amicable job, though since this whole film is meant to be a throwback (hint, hint) to the classic B-movie adventure fare, it has hints of cheese. The film basically centers on Brack, Ring and Serafin, who are generally on point, but admittedly are pushed to the background when Wells shows up and chews the scenery. The Mad Max 2 and Commando vet’s contributions honestly amount to nothing more than a cameo, but the lunacy that the character brings is a fun distraction midway through the film.
The film’s shortcomings, however, aren’t easy to overlook. While Throwback does have it’s aim set on being a send-up to the classics of the genre, the technical limitations keep it from truly being great. While I applaud Bain for attempting to compensate the Yowie’s less-than-stellar appearance, you still do get the sense that it’s still a guy in a bad costume. Compounding things is the loose editing that not only undermines these quick glimpses of the creature, but also has the film feeling a bit “off” when it comes to timing. Some shots (like the demise of one character that’s meant to be a jump scare or the film’s explosive finale) just linger a little too long. Apart from Wells, the cast do have a few unconvincing lines that are made more obvious by their hit-or-miss delivery. No matter what she did, I couldn’t buy Serafin’s tough dialogue. Lastly, there are a couple of questionable moments, such as Jack and Kent using a zippo to light an obviously well-lit cave or Kent’s drastic decision to free himself from handcuffs after such a short time.
I hate to say it, but I was let down with Throwback. I completely understood what Bain was trying to do with this film, but heart can only go so far when the other elements are lacking. The film had all the ideas for a great adventure-horror film, but the execution just missed the mark. It’s a crying shame, because Bain definitely has some talent behind the camera, and displayed some smart moves with Throwback. I hope that he keeps going, and I’m interested in seeing just what he’s able to come up with for his next film. As for Throwback, if you can let the flaws slide, this is a nice tribute that B-movie fans will appreciate.
Scream Factory brought Frank LaLoggia’s 1988 Halloween movie Lady in White to Blu-ray several years back, and now Vinegar Syndrome gives the film a 4K Ultra HD upgrade.
Vinegar Syndrome’s Lady in White 4K release is available now and shipping now!
Watch the trailer below and grab your copy from Vinegar Syndrome today.
This limited edition 4-disc 4K UHD/Blu-ray x 3 set comes with a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo (designed by Dylan Haley), includes a 40-page perfect bound book and is limited to 8,000 units. It is only available on their website and at select indie retailers.
The full Special Features package includes…
- 4-disc Set: 1x 4K Ultra HD (High Bitrate BD100) / 3x Region A Blu-ray
- 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
- Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
- Presented in three versions: 126-min Pre-Release Director’s Cut (UHD+BD), the 118-min Extended Home Video Cut (BD), and the 113-min Theatrical Cut (BD)
- New group commentary track with writer/director Frank LaLoggia, alongside actors Lukas Haas, Joelle Jacobi, and Len Cariou for the Pre-Release Director’s Cut
- New commentary track with Frank LaLoggia, moderated by Scott Neumyer for the Extended Home Video Cut
- New commentary track with authors Emma Westwood and Stephen A. Russell for the Extended Home Video Cut
- Archival commentary track with Frank LaLoggia for the Extended Home Video Cut
- “Learning How to Fly” (10 min) – an interview with actress Karen Powell
- “A Snapshot in Time” (9 min) – an interview with actress Lisa Taylor
- “Human Touches” (6 min) – an interview with actress Lucy Lee Flippin
- “Still Relevant” (16 min) – an interview with actress Rose Weaver
- “75% Listening, 25% Editing” (9 min) – an interview with editor Steve Mann
- “Welcome to Willowpoint Falls” (6 min) – a location featurette hosted by Benjamin Scrivens, founder of Fright-Rags
- “Dream Talking: Looking Back” – a visual group commentary for the Pre-Release Director’s Cut with Frank LaLoggia, and actors Lukas Haas, Joelle Jacobi, and Len Cariou (103 min)
- Deleted Scenes with introduction and optional commentary by writer/director Frank LaLoggia (36 min)
- Behind-the-scenes footage with introduction and optional commentary by writer/director Frank LaLoggia (16 min)
- Extended behind-the-scenes footage (73 min)
- Introduction from the 20th anniversary dvd release
- Promotional ‘industry sales’ trailer (7 min)
- 40-page perfect bound book with essays by film historians Molly Henery, Mark H. Harris, and Heidi Honeycutt (limited edition only)
- Multiple radio spots
- Theatrical trailer
- Multiple TV spots
- Workprint trailers (7 min)
- Still gallery
- Reversible sleeve artwork
- English SDH subtitles
1962. Nine-year-old Frankie Scarlatti enjoys a homespun childhood in a rustic Western New York town. The entire community gets into the spirit of Halloween, but then two bullies prank Frankie by locking him in his school cloakroom, leaving him trapped for the night. Alone and afraid, his slumber is interrupted when the ghost of a little girl appears, and Frankie witnesses the specter of her murder by an unseen assailant. Later, while recovering at home, the girl’s ghost appears to him again. With help from his older brother, Frankie begins investigating the circumstances of her death. He soon discovers that her murder was one of several unsolved crimes connected to a local child-killer. As the town’s bucolic veneer fades and long-buried secrets and tensions bubble to the surface, all of the clues to the mystery seem to point towards a huge mansion inhabited by a reclusive woman known as “The Lady in White.”
A nostalgia-driven ghost story wrapped within an intricate murder mystery and coming-of-age drama, writer-director-composer Frank LaLoggia’s passion project Lady in White remains one of the most beautiful and original American horror films of the 1980s. Featuring acclaimed actors Alex Rocco (The Godfather), Len Cariou (Executive Decision), and Sydney Lassick (Carrie, The Unseen), it boasts the first starring role by Lukas Haas (Mars Attacks, Inception) as well as breathtaking photography by Academy Award® winner Russell Carpenter (True Lies, The Lawnmower Man). Vinegar Syndrome is honored to bring this genre masterpiece to 4K UHD, newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative and presented in three versions: its pre-release director’s cut, its extended home-video version, and its original theatrical version, along with an abundance of both new and archival extras.
Paul Lê wrote here on Bloody Disgusting back in 2023, “Over the years, fans have described this film as gateway horror, but they liken it more to The Watcher in the Woods than, say, Hocus Pocus or Casper. There are chilling moments that warrant its PG-13 rating.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.