Turkey Shoot (2014 film)

Turkey Shoot

Movie poster
Directed by Jon Hewitt
Produced by Antony I. Ginnane
Screenplay by Jon Hewitt
Belinda McClory
Story by David Lawrence
George Schenck
Robert Williams
Starring Dominic Purcell
Viva Bianca
Belinda McClory
Robert Taylor
Music by Cezary Skubiszewski
Cinematography Warwick Field
Edited by Jes Simpson
Production
company
Thatcher Productions
FG Film Productions
Distributed by Potential Films (Australia)
Release dates
 December 2014 (Australia)
Running time
 90 minutes
Country Australia
Language English

Turkey Shoot, is a 2014 Australian dystopian futurist exploitation film directed by Jon Hewitt and co-written by Hewitt and his wife Belinda McClory. Shot in Australia, the film stars Dominic Purcell, Viva Bianca, Robert Taylor and Belinda McClory. Inspired by Brian Trenchard-Smith's 1982 Turkey Shoot, the film features appearances by that film's Carmen Duncan, Roger Ward and the voice of producer Antony I. Ginnane as television network head Charley Varrick.

Synopsis

In the near future, SEAL Commander Rick Tyler is sent to Libya to assassinate its leader. After apparently completing the mission he finds himself in a prison charged with war crimes for murdering the population of a village during the currently ongoing "World War Africa" and his mission apparently failed as the Libyan leader is still alive. Sentenced to death, he is given a temporary reprieve to appear on a popular reality television show called "Turkey Shoot" where he is pitted against a series of professional killers voted for by the audience. If Tyler, who has no weapons, survives three levels of hunting he will receive a pardon.

Cast

Production

Jon Hewitt co wrote and directed the film. He said "I loved Turkey Shoot but I did not want to remake it. This is a complete reinvention."[1] "[The original] was a bit cheesy and camp," he added. "We're playing it for real. There's no camp irony."[2]

Hewitt admitted that he was also influenced by The Running Man (1987).[1] He said the film:

Tries to deliver what its target demographic would want. I’ve still got my moments of heady violence and exploding heads. We just wanted to make a serpentine thriller that delivered the goods to a pretty undemanding audience, but had some meat on its bones... We speculated sooner or later people are going to be putting their lives on the line for entertainment on screen.[3]

He later elaborated:

We wanted to make an Australian action-adventure film for a relatively undemanding international audience, speaking the universal language of genre, but Belinda and I wanted to put a bit of meat on its bones and give it a satirical edge and comment on the state of the world at the moment. You know, to ask ‘Why are we actually at war?’ is one theme. Nobody seems to be actually talking about it. Are all these wars going on for the benefits of the countries or are they going on for the benefit of Google through YouTube and CNN and stations like that? Those are making a gazillion dollars. They’re the worst offender. We wanted to speculate on that but put it in the subtext that people also want some sort of stalk and chase thriller could get into it as well.[4]

Investment came from a number of sources including Screen Queensland and the Post Lounge, who did visual effects.[1]

Liam McIntyre was originally announced for the role of Rick Tyler.[5] However he had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict and was replaced by Dominic Purcell.

Shooting began in Melbourne on 5 February 2014.[1]

Release

The film was given a limited theatrical release in Australia.[3] Hewitt:

Theatrical [release] is over for about 90 per cent of any film made anywhere in the world. You just have to look at what's released in cinemas now to understand that, but we are still compelled and forced to release every Australian film that gets made to give it a theatrical release, because of the way things are financed. So that's led to a lot of negativity because there’s a lot of movies that just won’t work theatrically. Theatrical is whole different thing now, it's about tent-pole movies and blockbusters and tent-pole art-house films – there's no theatrical play for movies like Turkey Shoot or The Mule or most Australian films.... The reason we haven't gone for the whole shebang – the simultaneous everything – is that I don’t want the film available digitally until it's exploited in the US. Otherwise we are going to screw ourselves on an international sales front. That's the reason we haven’t done it.[4]

Reception

The remake of Turkey Shoot received negative reviews from critics and audiences, earning a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Don Groves, "Turkey Shoot Reloaded set to roll", If Magazine 10 January 2014 accessed 25 January 2015
  2. ↑ Philippa Hawker, "Turkey Shoot remake: Fast cars, guns and heads exploding", Sydney Morning Herald 9 December 2014 accessed 25 January 2015
  3. 1 2 Michael Bodey, "Film release strategy: The Mule and Turkey Shoot are different animals", The Australian, 3 December 2014 accessed 25 January 2015
  4. 1 2 Emily Blatchford, "Turkey Shoot director counts on overseas deals to find audience", If Magazine 10 December 2014 accessed 25 January 2015
  5. ↑ "SPARTACUS'" Liam McIntyre goes on new "TURKEY SHOOT" Fangoria 17 May 2013 accessed 25 January 2014
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