Jake Spear (Gregory Fortescue) lives on the outskirts of the small town of Sleepy Rock, where he is ostracized by the locals who believe that he killed his parents. When Jake is mauled by a mysterious, hairy, black beast (which melts when shot), he becomes infected with a virus that spreads via touch: not only are Jake's fingers lethal, but any inanimate object he makes contact with also becomes deadly, the victim dissolving within ten minutes. With the town's telephone lines and bridge wiped out by a storm, the citizens of Sleepy Rock are left helpless...
The Carrier starts like an allegory for the AIDs pandemic, with the town's priest claiming that the disease is a test for sinners and asking why God has inflicted it upon them. The locals cover themselves up with plastic and sheets to stay protected. After a couple who have sex are dissolved (when the woman touches a contaminated tree), a local comments, "It's screwing that killed them". However, the film takes a seriously weird turn midway, developing into a one-of-a-kind oddity that has to be seen to be believed.
As the townsfolk start to realise what is happening, they begin to mark contaminated objects with red paint or red material. Meanwhile, the search is on for 'the carrier', the one who is spreading the disease, and prejudice and hatred bubbles to the surface. Eventually, the people split into two groups, battling over the town's supply of cats, which they use to test for the virus. Realising that he is in danger from both sides, Jake instigates a battle between the two factions, the people using 'red objects' as weapons (leading to the great one-liner "Say your prayers!" as a bloke shoves an infected bible into his victim's face).
The town's doctor (Steve Dixon) manages to quell the violence by revealing that he knows the identity of the carrier, telling the townsfolk that it was one of the people killed in the fight; however, Jake is revealed to be real carrier when a baby gets a little too close to the young man, and a chase ensues.
All of this is quite hilarious, with several unforgettable scenes, some highly quotable dialogue, and a few things that'll leave you scratching your head in confusion: drunken townsfolk hurling cats against a contaminated sign is definitely a movie first (the twitching moggies glued to the wall by their melting flesh); "You, you and you... get the cats!", "Cats or death?", and "Touch the wall, Jake" will become part of your everyday lexicon; and can anyone explain what the hell is hidden in the mine on Jake's property?
Loaded with content that could be symbolism (the black creature, the cats, Jake's inverted Christ death pose), but which might just as easily be nothing of the sort, this is one hell of a bonkers film and recommended viewing for fans of midnight movies.
The Carrier starts like an allegory for the AIDs pandemic, with the town's priest claiming that the disease is a test for sinners and asking why God has inflicted it upon them. The locals cover themselves up with plastic and sheets to stay protected. After a couple who have sex are dissolved (when the woman touches a contaminated tree), a local comments, "It's screwing that killed them". However, the film takes a seriously weird turn midway, developing into a one-of-a-kind oddity that has to be seen to be believed.
As the townsfolk start to realise what is happening, they begin to mark contaminated objects with red paint or red material. Meanwhile, the search is on for 'the carrier', the one who is spreading the disease, and prejudice and hatred bubbles to the surface. Eventually, the people split into two groups, battling over the town's supply of cats, which they use to test for the virus. Realising that he is in danger from both sides, Jake instigates a battle between the two factions, the people using 'red objects' as weapons (leading to the great one-liner "Say your prayers!" as a bloke shoves an infected bible into his victim's face).
The town's doctor (Steve Dixon) manages to quell the violence by revealing that he knows the identity of the carrier, telling the townsfolk that it was one of the people killed in the fight; however, Jake is revealed to be real carrier when a baby gets a little too close to the young man, and a chase ensues.
All of this is quite hilarious, with several unforgettable scenes, some highly quotable dialogue, and a few things that'll leave you scratching your head in confusion: drunken townsfolk hurling cats against a contaminated sign is definitely a movie first (the twitching moggies glued to the wall by their melting flesh); "You, you and you... get the cats!", "Cats or death?", and "Touch the wall, Jake" will become part of your everyday lexicon; and can anyone explain what the hell is hidden in the mine on Jake's property?
Loaded with content that could be symbolism (the black creature, the cats, Jake's inverted Christ death pose), but which might just as easily be nothing of the sort, this is one hell of a bonkers film and recommended viewing for fans of midnight movies.