LOST THINGS
Australia, 2003, 83 minutes, Colour.
Leon Ford, Lenka Kripac, Steve le Marquand, Charlie Garber, Alex Vaughn.
Directed by Martin Murphy.
Lost Things is a B-budget film, with unknown actors, written by playwright Stephen Sewell. It is very much derivative of ideas from the I Saw What You Did Last Summer series as well as The Blair Witch Project. Unfortunately, the acting is very stilted, which takes away from the basic plot which has some merits, especially the group coming on their weekend and ultimately being revealed as ghosts. The film relies a great deal on swearing rather than solid dialogue, which also detracts from its quality and entertainment value. It is a scary movie in parts, although a lot of the earlier part of the film is given to creating the atmosphere. Produced in association with Showtime Australia, it will occupy an hour and a half of television time.
1. An Australian B-budget horror film? Derivative of such films as I Saw What You Did Last Summer and The Blair Witch Project? A satisfying blend - for an Australian audience, world-wide audience?
2. The popularity of this kind of horror film, the touch of the slasher, youth, youth concerns, fear, the supernatural?
3. The basic plot idea - the young people killed at the beach site, the new group going, their encountering Zippo, the sinister interactions, the sense of déjà vu, memories coming back? The irony that it was the same group condemned to live again their past experiences? A type of purgatory/hell?
4. The set-up with Zippo talking to Emily before the credits? The clue given? The group going on holidays, the farewell to the parents, the cautions?
5. The weekend away, going to the beach, getting lost, Brad and his déjà vu? Their arrival, joking, bickering? The boys and their sexual expectations? The girls and their teasing, leading the boys on but resisting? The arrival, the encounter with Zippo and their fears?
6. Going to the beach, the possibility of surfing, swimming, walking? The sudden tensions, the girls baring their breasts and teasing the boys? The boys and the surfing? Seeing one or other of the party standing still and looking out over the beach?
7. The day progressing, Emily being missing and not having a sense of lost time? The encounters with Zippo, his place, the relics? His sharing the meal? The concern about Emily? Walking, talking, bickering? The revelation of character? Brad and his considering himself a dork, last year at school, devoted to Emily, the talk on the beach - later reprised and her rejection? The growing fears?
8. The coming of night, trying to get away, Zippo attacking, Brad stabbing him? Their burying him, his appearing again as they drove away? Emily trying to get them to remember? Looking at the moon, looking at the sun? The memories coming back, the re-enactment of the events? Their deaths? Their looking out over what had happened in the past? The parents coming to lay wreaths - and the scenes of dead flowers and finding the ring in the sand?
9. The eerie atmosphere, the frights? The lack of wit in the dialogue, especially with the constant reliance on swearing instead of intelligent dialogue which would have furthered the plot and deepened the atmosphere?
