The Last Great Wilderness (2002)

Director:

David Mackenzie

Writers:

Michael Tait (screenplay)
Alastair Mackenzie (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 May 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Cast

Alastair Mackenzie	...	Charlie
Jonny Phillips	...	Vincente
Ewan Stewart	...	Magnus
David Hayman	...	Ruaridh
Victoria Smurfit	...	Claire
Louise Irwin	...	Morag
Jane Stenson	...	Flora
John Comerford	...	Paul
Ford Kiernan	...	Eric
Sheila Donald	...	Ellie
Martin Bell	...	William
Jack Marsden	...	Angry driver at service station
Clare Kerrigan	...	Waitress (as Claire Kerrigan)
Gerard Horan	...	Contract killer (as Gerry Horan)
William Harris	...	Contract killer
Stephen McRobbie	...	House band member
Katrina Mitchell	...	House band member
Eugene Kelly	...	House band member
Bill Wells	...	House band member
Tom Crossley	...	House band member
Allison Mitchell	...	House band member
Liz Dew	...	House band member

Directed by
David Mackenzie

Writing credits
Michael Tait		(screenplay)
Alastair Mackenzie		(screenplay)
Gillian Berrie		(screenplay)
David Mackenzie		(screenplay)
Jack Lothian		uncredited

Produced by
Gillian Berrie	....	producer
Simon Cull	....	co-producer
Laurence Gornall	....	executive producer
David Greer	....	associate producer
Gaynor Holmes	....	line producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen	....	executive producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen	....	co-producer (as Sisse Graum Olsen)
Steve McIntyre	....	executive producer
Angus Pigott	....	co-producer
Christopher Pigott	....	executive producer

Original Music by
The Pastels

Cinematography by
Simon Dennis

Film Editing by
Jake Roberts

Casting by
Victoria Beattie

Production Design by
Tom Sayer

Art Direction by
Laurel Wear

Costume Design by
Carole K. Millar

Makeup Department
Claire Davies	....	makeup designer
Marion McCormack	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Christine Ekstrand	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Evie Bergson	....	third assistant director
Patrick Conroy	....	first assistant director
Anneli Downing	....	second assistant director
Paul Harkins	....	second assistant director
Brian Horsburgh	....	first assistant director
Dave Tarvit	....	first assistant director
Gillian Tod	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Jenny Alexander	....	art department assistant
Wendy Arthur	....	art department trainee
Craig Castle	....	stand-by construction
Caroline Grebbell	....	assistant art director
Janice Macrae	....	art department assistant
Luke Oldale	....	dressing props
Jason Orr	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Christian Barker	....	sound recordist
Robert Bourke	....	sound recordist
Chris Bowman	....	foley artist
Gareth Bull	....	sound re-recording mixer
Simon Chase	....	boom operator
John Cobban	....	sound designer
Steven Morrison	....	foley artist
Karen Muirhead	....	assistant sound designer

Special Effects by
Perry Costello	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Rasmus Lange	....	titles

Stunts
Derek Lea	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Batchelor	....	camera operator: second unit
Chris Batchelor	....	camera operator: second unit
Paul Bates	....	electrician
Julie Bills	....	focus puller
Martin Campbell	....	assistant camera
Jamie Coulter	....	grip
Neil Davidson	....	still photographer
Arthur Donnelly	....	gaffer
Ray Knutsen	....	focus puller (as Raymond Knutsen)
Scott Napier	....	best boy
Julia Robinson	....	focus puller

Animation Department
Dorthe Brandt Bankwell	....	timing (as Dorthe Bankwell)

Casting Department
Kahleen Crawford	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lesley Abernethy	....	wardrobe supervisor
Denise Coombes	....	wardrobe supervisor
Deidre Johnston	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Dierdre Johnstone)

Editorial Department
Jette Bjørkmann	....	negative editor
Anna Duffield	....	post-production assistant
Christine Ekstrand	....	post-production coordinator
Douglas Graham	....	post-production coordinator
Pia Niesen	....	post-production coordinator
Angus Pigott	....	post-production coordinator
Rob Pizzey	....	colorist

Music Department
Tony Doogan	....	music engineer
John McEntire	....	music engineer
Amanda Millen	....	coach: gaelic songs

Transportation Department
Paul Mansell	....	tracking vehicle operator

Other crew
Victoria Beattie	....	director: video sessions
Mary Bell	....	chaperone
John Booth	....	location scout
Murray Buchanan	....	solicitor
Neil Cairns	....	production accountant
Arnold Clark	....	car
Perry Costello	....	armorer
Yvonne Dunn	....	solicitor
Linda Fraser	....	production coordinator
Julie Gardner	....	clearance (as Julie Connor)
David Greer	....	script editor
William Harris	....	location assistant
Eddie Harrison	....	script associate
Joanne Jackson	....	production trainee
Bonnie Kenneil	....	production trainee
Donald MacKinnon	....	location scout
Brian Morrison	....	car wrangler
Ronnie Morrison	....	car wrangler
Stephen Mullhearn	....	instructor: fire-walking
Stephen Mullhearn	....	shamanic teacher
Angela Murray	....	location scout
Belinda Newman	....	script supervisor
Jackie Hurt Olswang	....	production solicitor
Angus Pigott	....	location manager
Pam Roberts	....	production coordinator (as Pam Murdoch)
Gordon Shillinglaw	....	production assistant
Jenny Williams	....	production assistant
Darry Willis	....	unit nurse
Michael Wilson	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Leonard Crooks	....	very special thanks (as Lenny Crooks)
Jack Lothian	....	special thanks
Lisbet Matz	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Monkey Puzzle
• Scottish Screen
• Serious Facilities
• Sigma Films
• Zentropa Entertainments

Distributors

• Feature Film Company (UK)
• TLA Releasing (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Teleview International (2002) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK | Denmark

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Australia:MA (cable rating)

Company:

Monkey Puzzle

Soundtrack:

Your Love

Just an average weekend in Scotland....

"The Last Great Wilderness" was touted as both a horror movie and a thriller, especially with its poster and DVD cover featuring Alistair Mackenzie toting a shotgun. Suffice to say, Mackenzie's character is wearing a dress at the same time as carrying the shotgun, which is as good an indication as any of the film's rather insane trajectory.

It has an obviously improvisatory feel - when one character makes a confession about the nature of his fantasies, it's hard not to imagine that this really is the first time that the other actors have heard about it (which makes the scene work very well). Other reviewers have already nailed the wayward charm of this cracking movie - though it meanders through any number of genres, with signposts for a dozen other movies, what holds it together is its vicious sense of humour. Worth seeing for the overwhelmingly sinister atmosphere, some superb performances, and an entirely unexpected and shockingly tender love scene which instantly makes the usual Hollywood soft-focus look irredeemably artificial. It's not without flaws, but "The Last Great Wilderness" is nevertheless rivetting, and hopefully not the last great independent British movie.