Dark Age (film)


Dark Age is a 1987 Australian horror adventure film directed by Arch Nicholson, produced by Antony I. Ginnane and starring John Jarratt.

Plot

Steve Harris is a ranger who has been assigned to deal with a massive saltwater crocodile that's been attacking and killing people in Queensland. He finds himself at odds with the local Aborigines, who believe the crocodile should be preserved since it contains the spirit of their past. Steve must develop a plan to respect the wishes of the Aborigines and also protect the residents threatened by the crocodile.

Cast

The film was part of a two-picture deal between executive producer Antony I. Ginnane and Hollywood studio RKO which also included The Lighthorsemen. Shooting took place five weeks in Cairns and one week in Alice Springs, starting 22 April 1986.
The plot shares many similarities to Jaws and contains homage shots such as the shot involving a shooting star.

Release

The movie was never seen in Australia theatrically and took a long time to be seen on DVD.

Reception

Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews gave a positive review, calling the film "well-produced and acted, and an intelligent environmental adventure film results."
Quentin Tarantino spoke enthusiastically of the film in the documentary , commenting "You could re-release Dark Age in 2,000 screenings and people would go see it." In 2009, Tarantino hosted a screening for it in Sydney.
Filmink later said "The phenomenal box office success of Jaws meant producers inevitably looked towards Australia’s deadly fauna as a source of inspiration... In hindsight, it’s actually weird that more films about killer animals weren’t made in the 10BA era."