Turkey Shoot (originally released in the US as Escape 2000 and also known in the UK as Blood Camp Thatcher) is a 1982 Australian dystopian action film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. Its ensemble cast — an eclectic mix of international stars, Aus…
Turkey Shoot (originally released in the US as Escape 2000 and also known in the UK as Blood Camp Thatcher) is a 1982 Australian dystopian action film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. Its ensemble cast — an eclectic mix of international stars, Australian soap opera veterans and character actors[2] — is led by Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig, Noel Ferrier, Carmen Duncan, Roger Ward and Lynda Stoner. The film marks the first of three directorial collaborations between Trenchard-Smith and producer Antony I. Ginnane — the others being The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989) and Arctic Blast (2010) — although the director had previously made promotional reels and trailers for Ginnane's earlier films.[1]
Described by the director as a cross-genre piece in which "1984 meets The Camp on Blood Island where they play 'The Most Dangerous Game'",[1] the film depicts a concentration camp in a totalitarian society which allows rich adventurers to participate in human hunting games with its "deviant" convicts. Its story follows a political activist (Railsback) and an innocent prisoner (Hussey) as they work together to survive one such game and turn the tables on their oppressors.
Filmed on location near Cairns, Turkey Shoot underwent a troubled production as a result of a budgetary shortfall that reduced the shooting schedule; this also necessitated multiple scenes being rewritten or cut entirely, extensive simultaneous second unit photography directed by executive producer David Hemmings, and use of stock footage during post-production.[1] Widely considered to be a seminal example of the Ozploitation cycle, the film is notable for its extreme depictions of graphic violence and sadism; Time Out declared that the film "makes modern day grindhouse imitations such as Machete and Planet Terror seem like anaemic shadows in comparison".[2] Despite receiving negative reviews from such Australian critics as David Stratton and Phillip Adams, Turkey Shoot is recognised as a cult film,[1] has been championed by Quentin Tarantino,[3] and was prominently featured in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008).[4]
A remake, directed by Jon Hewitt, produced by Ginnane, executive produced by Trenchard-Smith, and starring Dominic Purcell and Viva Bianca, was released in 2014.
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