John Jarratt as Mick Taylor in Wolf Creek 2.
Australia’s most watched film reviewers, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, have refused to review Wolf Creek 2 despite the film nabbing the top spot in last weekend’s box office.
The co-hosts of the now ten-year-old program At the Movies have not offered an explanation as to why they snubbed the film, but it can be assumed it was due to its graphic content.
This comes in spite of the fact both Pomeranz and Stratton have reviewed the original Wolf Creek (giving it four stars each), and other violent flicks such as Snowtown and Saw in the past. The inconsistencies in their approach are yet to be explained, with an At the Movies representative declining to comment.
Presumably to avoid shirking the box office number one altogether, an interview with director Greg McLean and star John Jarratt was posted to the At the Movies site, though neither Stratton or Pomeranz (or any other presenter, for that matter) are included in the clip.
Stratton alone penned a blistering review for Wolf Creek 2 for The Australian, writing:
“This is not the place to discuss the worldwide appeal of torture porn and extreme screen violence; knowingly, McLean injects the grimmest of the grim humour into the mix (including a bizarre reference to the Rolf Harris classic Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport) and I imagine Quentin Tarantino is one of the movie’s biggest fans. But the end result is manipulative and ugly.”
Director Greg McLean, along with many of his fans, has taken to Twitter to express his disappointment, tweeting: “Apparently there's a new category of movie review from David and Margaret called – no review at all! That's gotta be a first, right?”
@AttheMovies has also tweeted in defence of the pair, responding to a question put by Twitter user: “They didn't want to review it – totally their decision.”
But public opinion as to whether the pair have shirked their responsibilities as film reviewers is divided, with many asking if, at the very least, an explanation behind the decision should be provided.
Others noted that, ironically, the snub has provided the film with more publicity than either a favourable or scathing review could have.
Wolf Creek 2 is showing in cinemas now.
EDITOR'S NOTE: John Jarratt in character as Mick Taylor also graces the latest cover of IF (on sale now.)
For the record, we’re proud to have him there.