Storm Warning (2007)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Jamie Blanks

Writer:

Everett De Roche (written by)

Release Date:

17 January 2008 (Russia)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Survival Can Be Murder

Plot:

A yuppie couple lost in a swamp seek refuge at an isolated farmhouse only to discover they've jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Beautiful Woman | Killer

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Nadia Farès	...	Pia
Robert Taylor	...	Rob
David Lyons	...	Jimmy
Mathew Wilkinson	...	Brett
John Brumpton	...	Poppy
Jonathan Oldham	...	Red Tracksuit Guy
Puss	...	Honky - Dog

Directed by
Jamie Blanks

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Everett De Roche		written by

Produced by
Ann Darrouzet	....	co-producer
Pete Ford	....	producer (as Pete! Ford)
Gary Hamilton	....	producer
Dean O'Flaherty	....	associate producer
Mark Pennell	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jamie Blanks

Cinematography by
Karl von Moller

Film Editing by
Jamie Blanks
Geoff Hitchins

Casting by
Natalia Pizzey

Art Direction by
Justin Dix

Costume Design by
Michael Chisholm

Makeup Department
Vaso Babic	....	assistant makeup artist
Justin Dix	....	special makeup effects artist
Gab Facchinei	....	special makeup effects artist
Helen Magelaki	....	special makeup effects artist
Heather Ross	....	hair stylist supervisor
Heather Ross	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Annie Venables	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nathan Croft	....	second assistant director
Pete Ford	....	second unit director
Adrian Pickersgill	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Peter Blackwood	....	stand-by props
Seth Justus	....	concept designer
Liam Lyndel	....	set finisher
Harvey Mawson	....	assistant set dresser
Dean Norman	....	construction manager
Darius Perkins	....	props buyer
Pippa Sheen	....	art department coordinator
Lance Whitehouse	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer: Los Angeles
Robert Mackenzie	....	sound effects editor
Paul Pirola	....	sound designer
Livia Ruzic	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Brian Holmes	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Cameron Smith	....	additional compositor
Cameron Smith	....	additional rotoscoper
Scott Zero	....	visual effects designer
Scott Zero	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Jade Amantea	....	stunt rigger
Danny Baldwin	....	stunt coordinator
Nathan James	....	stunt rigger
Brent Lister	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Colin Bell	....	director of photography: second unit
Hugh Flemming	....	still photographer
Tiny Good	....	rigging
Terry Hope	....	publicity photographer
Grant Sweetman	....	focus puller
Colin Williams	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
Justin Heitman	....	lead colorist
Natalia Pizzey	....	post-production assistant

Other crew
Simone Chin	....	assistant to director
Jenny Kent	....	dialect coach
Natalia Pizzey	....	production secretary
Drew Rhodes	....	location manager
Kate Thompson	....	production coordinator
Carmel Torcasio	....	continuity
Jennifer Wilcox	....	unit nurse

Production Companies

• Resolution Independent
• Storm Warning Productions

Distributors

• Dimension Films (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Dimension Films (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Dimension Films (2007) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Dimension Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Grand Brilliance (2007) (Malaysia) (theatrical)
• Darclight Films (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Dimension Extreme (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Midget Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (all media)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD) (extreme edition)
• Reel Australia (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Arclight Films  sales agency
• Showtech Australia  rigging services
• Soundfirm  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, terror, gore, language, some sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:Not Rated (uncut version) | UK:18 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | Germany:(Banned) (SPIO/JK) (cut) | Germany:18 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Resolution Independent

Goofs:

Plot holes: When the couple are first caught in the house and are called outside, one of the men yells "I'm not your mate, Robert." But he did not yet know the man's name was Robert.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Menacing and entertaining

This is a very effective low budget offering from the Southern hemisphere.

The plot is pretty simple, revolving around a yuppie couple who stumble upon a backwoods family who take them prisoner. What elevates this film above similar tales is the sheer sense of menace and relentless vulnerability that is created, and also the sheer energy and inventiveness with which the captors are depicted.

Personally, I felt very uncomfortable throughout and I empathised with the couple who had somehow got themselves into so much trouble. The woman, who to make matters worse is French, is under constant threat of rape. I felt particularly sorry for her lawyer boyfriend who is helplessly out of his depth and fully aware that he is unable to defend her.

However, she is made of pretty stern stuff and when her boyfriend is incapacitated by the savage yokels they have encountered she takes matters into her own hands and begins the fight back.

This protracted turning of the tables takes up the final third of the film and is handled with great energy and and enthusiasm. Some old-school booby traps are employed against one of the villains whilst she has another trick up her, ahem, sleeve which really has to be seen to be believed.

Without giving too much away, I found the eventual structure of this film quite fascinating and original, but for the casual viewer alike this film really delivers. There is plenty of atmosphere, humour, set-piece carnage and thrills for everyone and the hyped up soundtrack keeps things moving along nicely.