Primal (2010)

Director:

Josh Reed

Writers:

Nigel Christensen (story) &
Josh Reed (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 May 2011 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A group of friends travel below ground to view ancient cave paintings but soon find a horrible sickness gripping one of their own, which leaves them with nothing in their mind but a primal blood lust.

Plot Keywords:

Cave | Cave Painting | Skinny Dipping | Group Of Friends | Insect Swarm

Cast

Zoe Tuckwell-Smith	...	Anja
Krew Boylan	...	Mel
Lindsay Farris	...	Chad
Rebekah Foord	...	Kris
Damien Freeleagus	...	Warren
Wil Traval	...	Dace
Mark Saunders	...	Painter (as Alfred Coolwell)
Walangari Karntawarra Jakamarra	...	Monster (as Walangari Karntawarra)
Stephen Shanahan	...	Settler
Ch'aska Cuba de Reed	...	Settler's Daughter
Santiago Cuba de Reed	...	Settler's Son

Directed by
Josh Reed

Writing credits
Nigel Christensen		(story) &
Josh Reed		(story)
Josh Reed		(screenplay)

Produced by
Nigel Christensen	....	producer
John Cordukes	....	producer
James Crawford	....	associate producer
Rob Gibson	....	producer
Josh Reed	....	producer

Original Music by
Rob Gibson

Cinematography by
John Biggins		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Josh Reed

Casting by
Kirsty McGregor

Production Design by
Gypsy Taylor

Art Direction by
Simon Elsley

Costume Design by
Emily Schulz

Makeup Department
Charmaine Connelly	....	prosthetics coordinator
Rick Connelly	....	prosthetics supervisor
Sam Edwards	....	makeup assistant (as Samantha Edwards)
Jane Holder	....	prosthetics makeup artist
Lynne O'Brien	....	hair stylist: pickups unit
Lynne O'Brien	....	makeup artist: pickups unit
Marion Phillips	....	key hair artist
Marion Phillips	....	key makeup artist
Cathy Ransley	....	makeup assistant (as Kathy Ramsley)
Russell Sharp	....	prosthetics assistant
Jessica Nelson	....	assistant special effects makeup (uncredited)
Hugo Villasenor	....	assistant special effects makeup (uncredited)

Production Management
Doni Archer	....	production manager
Nigel Christensen	....	post-production supervisor
Danni Janus	....	production manager: pickups
John Wheeler	....	unit commander
Lee Brazier	....	executive in charge of production: AV Pictures (uncredited)
Ed Marx	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephanie Bridger	....	first assistant director: pickups unit
Michael Chrisoulakis	....	first assistant director: pickups unit
Tony Leach	....	first assistant director
Andrew Pante	....	second assistant director
Jordan Taranto	....	third assistant director
Matt Zettell	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Kati Bottomley	....	additional props buyer
Natalie Bracher	....	art finisher
Mark Campbell	....	art department coordinator
Mark Campbell	....	art director: pickups unit
Mark Campbell	....	on-set art director
Loretta Cosgrove	....	technician: CNC
Mark Diggins	....	carpentry foreman
Ben Foley	....	leading hand set builder
Justin Gerke	....	set builder
Roger Gillespie	....	head plasterer
Lucas Goodchild	....	plasterer
Greg Hajdu	....	construction supervisor
Pepi Kokab	....	art department runner (as Pepi Kobab)
Gaetano Lagana	....	scenic artist (as Gatano Lagana)
Tim Latch	....	stagehand
Jacob Nash	....	artist: indigenous rock artwork
Mark Panucci	....	set builder
Stefhan Perry	....	art runner
Stefhan Perry	....	coordinator
Gemima Snars	....	scenic artist
Michael Swingle	....	scenic artist
Eddy Taylor	....	scenic artist
Amanda Testa	....	art department: set modifications/alter
Gary Vickers	....	stagehand
Ben Walker	....	stand-by props master
Andre Zdroykowski	....	plasterer

Sound Department
Leon Anderson	....	adr recordist
James Andrews	....	adr recordist
Damian Candusso	....	sound effects editor
Rosie Chase	....	adr assistant
Nigel Christensen	....	dialogue editor
Nigel Christensen	....	sound designer
Nigel Christensen	....	sound effects editor
Nigel Christensen	....	sound recordist: pickups unit
Sophie Gleitzman	....	dialogue editor
Sophie Gleitzman	....	sound effects editor
Justin Hughes	....	foley artist
Polly McKinnon	....	dialogue editor
Gerry Neutch	....	boom swinger: replacement
John O'Connell	....	sound recordist
Ian Rumbell	....	boom swinger
Fabian Sanjurjo	....	sound effects editor
Eren Sener	....	sound attachment
Tony Vaccher	....	sound mixer
Daniel Young	....	foley recordist

Special Effects by
Meg Ashforth	....	special effects prop shop supervisor
Alexa Ashton	....	special effects props assistant
Helen Dang	....	special effects props assistant
Bridget Dolan	....	special effects prop fabricator
Luke Ede	....	special effects props assistant
Orlando Norrish	....	special effects prop shop supervisor
Dan Oliver	....	special effects advisor: rigging
Ian Sinclair	....	technician: plasticine extraction
Kathy Mar Young	....	special effects prop fabricator
Hill Vinot	....	mold maker: Proteus FX (uncredited)
Thad Whitley	....	dental prosthetics: Dental Distortions (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Kristen Anderson	....	3D concept artist
Doug Bayne	....	visual effects supervisor
Michael Blake	....	lead compositor
Landon Curry	....	studio manager: Red Cartel
Jeremy Davidson	....	rigging: Red Cartel
Jeremy Davidson	....	technical director: Red Cartel
Matt Dignum	....	creative director: Red Cartel
Blake Druery	....	compositor
Matt Ebb	....	compositor: Red Cartel
Matt Ebb	....	shading: Red Cartel
Nicole Mather	....	matte painter
Alex McCleod	....	additional visual effects: tentacle effects (as Alex McLeod)
Rob Moffet	....	compositor
Mark Mulligan	....	rigging: Red Cartel
Mark Mulligan	....	technical director: Red Cartel
James Neale	....	producer: Red Cartel
Greg Petchkovsky	....	models: Red Cartel (as Greg Petchovsky)
Warren Powell	....	effects: Red Cartel
Will Skinner	....	compositor
Jessica Clare Smith	....	compositor (as Jessica Smith)
Luke Sullivan	....	animation: Red Cartel
James Cowen	....	titles designer (uncredited)
Donna Mathewson	....	visual effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Stephanie Bridger	....	additional stunt assistant
Grant Page	....	safety supervisor
Leroy Page	....	stunt assistant
Holly Thompson	....	stunt assistant
Jared S. Eddo	....	key stunt rigger (uncredited)
Terry Notary	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Nathan Barlow	....	additional grip assistant
John Biggins	....	director of photography: pickups unit
Bastien Chapignac	....	clapper loader
Bastien Chapignac	....	focus puller: pickups unit
Max Davis	....	second camera operator
Remi Durrenberger	....	electrics assistant: pickups unit
Remi Durrenberger	....	electrics
Vera Hong	....	camera attachment
Paul Jones	....	additional grip assistant
Beau Moulson	....	best boy
Alex Orellana	....	focus puller (as Alex 'Alby' Orellana)
Ryan Peters	....	data wrangler
Ryan Peters	....	data wrangler: pickups unit
Matt Russell	....	gaffer
Matt Russell	....	gaffer: pickups unit
Jith Sen	....	grip assistant
Pip Shapiera	....	key grip (as Pip 'The Grip' Shapiera)
Mark Tipple	....	additional grip assistant
Brie Walsh	....	focus puller: pickups unit
Brie Walsh	....	focus puller: second camera
Tim Walsh	....	camera attachment
Benjamin Zadig	....	camera attachment (as Ben Zadig)
Benjamin Zadig	....	clapper loader: pickups unit (as Ben Zadig)
Ryan Joblin Allen	....	electrician: Los Angeles (uncredited)

Casting Department
Eliza Gorka	....	casting assistant
Stevie Ray	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cyd Cornall	....	costume assistant
Andrea Hood	....	costume standby
Emily Schulz	....	wardrobe: pickups unit

Editorial Department
Stewart Arnott	....	editing assistant
Nikki Freeman	....	color grading coordinator
Amanda Liok	....	editing assistant
Warren Lynch	....	digital colourist

Music Department
Simon Leadley	....	music mixer
Angela Little	....	music programmer

Transportation Department
Miles Jones	....	provider: truck & equipment
Paul Naylor	....	location vehicles
Ric Petro	....	location vehicles

Other crew
Hugh Allen	....	runner: pickups unit
Asten Blakley	....	grunt
Elaine Boyd	....	production accountant
James Bramley	....	representative: Fox Studios Australia
Stephanie Bridger	....	production assistant to director
Nafiz Chowdhury	....	overnight security
Pauline Clague	....	script consultant
Emma Cohen	....	unit nurse
Adam Dowell	....	runner: pickups unit
Lee Glen Edmunds	....	unit assistant
Sophie Gleitzman	....	runner: pickups unit
Anna Hamilton	....	locations manager: pre
Katie Harris	....	unit nurse
Jill Hewitt	....	representative: Moneypenny
Danni Janus	....	production coordinator
Cynthia Keyte	....	representative: Fox Studios Australia
Sean Kirby	....	grunt
Jennifer Leacey	....	schedule: pre
Liane Lee	....	post-production accountant
Harley Legge	....	grunt
Amanda Liok	....	production assistant
Amanda Liok	....	runner: pickups unit
Kate Meyer	....	representative: Moneypenny
Josh Reed	....	grunt (as Josh Eggleston)
Suzanne Richards	....	unit nurse
Alan Robinson	....	budget: pre
Kent Sansom	....	animal wrangler
Neil Sharma	....	production runner
Robert Simper	....	safety report
Kurt Skorski	....	grunt
Kerry Smith	....	unit nurse
Andrew Teo	....	caterer: Gypsy Kitchen
Brett Thornquest	....	representative: Moneypenny
Brett Thornquest	....	tax services
Lisa Thornquest	....	representative: Moneypenny
Kristin Voumard	....	script supervisor
Sonja Wilder	....	unit nurse (as Sonia Wilder)
Andy Attenhofer	....	assistant to director (uncredited)
Gabriel Jiménez	....	assistant: producer: Costa Rica unit (uncredited)
Jose D. Rocha	....	production intern (uncredited)
Erin Tambellini	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Thanks
Sophie Ashton	....	extra special thanks
Simon Leadley	....	in memoriam: 1956-2010

Production Companies

• Primal Films (presents)
• AV Pictures (in association with)
• Known Associates
• Talisman Films

Distributors

• Falcon Films (2013) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• IFC Midnight (2010) (USA) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (all media)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Red Cartel (visual effects: cave creature) (as Red Cartel, Sydney)
• Sharp FX

Other Companies

• McGregor Casting  casting by
• Moneypenny Services  accounting (as Moneypenny)
• Hamish Watson Lawyers  legal services (as Hamish Watson)
• Gypsy Kitchen  caterer
• Screen Cuisine  additional catering
• Safeguard Investigation and Security Services  security: overnight (as Safeguard Security Services)
• Talisman Films  editing facility
• Labsonics  foley facility (as Labsonics Australia)
• Audioloc Sound Design  sound mix facility (as Audioloc)
• Trackdown Scoring Stage  music mixing facility (as Trackdown Scoring Stage, Sydney)
• Egotripp  opening titles design
• Lemac Film & Video Equipment  supplied by: RED® Cameras (as Lemac, Sydney)
• Anaconda Camping Supplies  camping equipment
• Tin Can Telecom  two way radios (as Tin Can Radios)
• HW Wood Australia  insurance (as H.W. Wood Australia)
• Contrarian Tax Unit, The  tax services (as Contrarian Tax Services)
• Christopher Coote & Co.  auditor (as Chris Coote & Co.)
• Technicolor  post-production (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Australia:R (2011) | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 | USA:Not Rated | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Heathcote Scout Training Centre, Heathcote, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Primal Films

Trivia:

Lux Interior, of The Cramps, died a month before Primal started shooting. Director Josh Reed and costume designer Emily Schulz made a "RIP LUX" tee shirt which Warren wears throughout the film in his honor.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Chad and Anja are talking at the campfire, a mic appears at the top edge of the picture.

Soundtrack:

Shapeless

All those teeth...

I mostly hate those so-called 'slasher flicks' which feature a group of witless, narcissistic and dim-witted teenagers (or vapid 20 somethings) who go out into the woods and are picked off one by one by either a madman seeking vengeance or some restless supernatural entity. This one pretty much follows the formula except it's a rather good example of the genre. The acting isn't that bad and the pacing is really good. The campers all have distinct characters. Once you accept the premise that some kind of supernatural virus is on the loose in an isolated part the Outback which turns people into carnivorous predators you can watch the group try to work together to survive. Sometimes they get hysterical, and sometimes they do really stupid things but sometimes they actually make intelligent moves. In any case I was entertained.