The Last Great Wilderness

Starring:Alastair Mackenzie, Jonathan Phillips, Ewan Stewart, David Hayman, Victoria Smurfit, Louise Irwin, Jane Stenson, John Comerford, Ford Kiernan, Sheila Donald, Martin Bell (VII), Jack Marsden, Clare Kerrigan, Gerard Horan, William Harris, Stephen McRobbie, Katrina Mitchell (II), Eugene Kelly (II), Bill Wells, Tom Crossley
Director: David Mackenzie
Studio: TLA Releasing
Product Type: DVD

Description

A sly, unpredictable thriller about two men seeking refuge at a strange inn, The Last Great Wilderness is a weird hybrid of Rosemarys Baby and The Wicker Man. After their car runs out of gas, two men, in the middle of nowhere, seek refuge at an isolated country house. Although greeted warmly, the inhabitants of the house are an odd assortment of folks who appear to be hiding a dark secret. Are they harmless eccentrics, or possibly menacing cult members? The Last Great Wilderness is a bizarre and enjoyable mix of mystery, horror and the occult.

Customer Reviews:

Not the Archie we are use to seeing!!!.......2006-02-27

Being a hugh fan of "The Monarch of the Glen" and of Alastair Mackenzie I searched for his other acting credits and found this movie.....At first I didn't know what to think and almost gave up on it, but then something about it made me not be able to stop watching...And I am glad I didn't!!!! I must say I am more than ever a fan of Alastair...

A perfect film?.......2006-02-22

In my opinion, yes, this is a perfect film. It's a very rare thing for me to write a movie review, but this movie hit me like...like...love at first site! I watch a lot of horror, thriller, indie, and sometimes fantasy. I'm not really into big-budget Hollywood action, drama, or comedy, and in fact I usually loathe them. To me, THIS is what a movie should be - brilliant screenplay, acting, cinematography, soundtrack, and even opening credit sequence - and all without a gajillion dollar budget, MTV-looking quasi-actors, or ADD-inspired endless action. This film is engaging due to setting, mood, character development, and a complete lack of predictability.

It has a David Lynchian quality, but is in no way derivative because all the bizarre little events and quirks can be explained somewhat logically, whereas in Lynch's films they'd have no explanation or seemingly no purpose other than to shock the viewer. It reminds me of The Reflecting Skin, but even that movie lies a bit closer to the Lynch camp. There are also elements of Trainspotting and even What's Eating Gilbert Grape (or maybe that's just me?). It's a tough film to classify. Very tough. I think that's one of the reasons I like it so much. You don't know where the movie is taking you until after it's over. To call it horror is quite a stretch, but there is an overall dark, creepy atmosphere and constant unease about where the film is going to take you. "Psychological thriller" seems appropriate enough, but it is so much more than that.

Highly recommended for anyone with intelligence and an attention span.

Bought because of Alastair, but overall this was very good........2006-01-16

For those of us who are used to American type movies: fast action, go, go, go... you may not have patience for this film.

I am referring specifically to being on the road in the beginning. But for me the car ride scene made me feel like I was in the car with them.

I was pleased to see Alastair Mackenzie play a different character from Archie MacDonald. The 1st season of Monarch of the Glen brought my attention to him, but honestly, Archie MacDonald sort of reminded me of a character from a Disney film.

Just to see the actor smoke and swear seemed a bit shocking.

Regarding the intimate scene with Alastair: I didn't need to see him naked. Yikes! It made me uncomfortable. I guess that scene was to show how the two were vulnerable and exposed(?)

(I did feel uncomfortable seeing the actor Jonny Phillips private parts too. But I was thinking more along the lines of 'That's unrealistic': The woman just dismounted him and he's clean & soft. LOL)

When Charlie and Vincent were stranded and found the house, I thought it was going to be another one of those horrific films: a dark, creepy place with not much hope for the inhabitants. I was relieved to find it was something unexpected.

I believe that Vincent simply felt empathy with the ghost perhaps because he himself had one foot in the grave.

By the way, Jonny Phillips (Vincent) played a spiritual character in an episode of Monarch of the Glen.

There are a couple of violent moments, but mercifully, they don't last long.

In the end, Charlie is on the road again. All is forgiven, but not forgotten.

I'm glad that I bought this. It's worth viewing many times.

Note: My spelling of names was taken from the back of the DVD.

THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM..........2005-06-16

This is a quirky, unusual film that is best categorized as gothic, as it is an interesting melange of mystery and horror, with a smattering of the occult thrown in for good measure. It is quite atmospheric, as it appears to have been filmed amongst the misty crags and moraines that constitute much of the Scottish highlands.

The story itself is not too complicated. Two unlikely young men, strangers to each other, hook up and take to the road together. One of them is a former gigolo, who is fleeing the wrath of the husband of one of his clients. The other is a formerly married man who lost his wife to her rock star lover and is now hell-bent on seeking revenge.

While enroute to their respective destinations, they run out of gas and are forced to seek assistance in the desolate countryside in which they find themselves stranded. They come upon a house whose inhabitants seem to be a beat off. The house appears to be a retreat of some sort for some pretty dysfunctional odd ducks. Coupled with the fact that their leader seems to engage in some unusual practices and the ghost of a young woman appears to be walking around at all hours of the day or night, it is a highly atmospheric and slightly creepy place in which to be.

The two men are initially determined to leave as soon as possible, but before they know it, the gigolo seems to have become spellbound by the ghost and his companion has become involved with one of the residents of the house. When they try to leave, fate seems to have interjected itself in a way that prevents them from leaving as planned. The film then careens to a startling conclusion that is quite shocking to the senses.

While the performances range from adequate to brilliant, the problem is that the film ends up being neither fish nor fowl, as it seems that it cannot make up its mind what direction it wishes to take. Consequently, the film ends up losing some of its initial coherence. Still, the film holds promise and is certainly worth a rental.

Great movie .......2005-05-22

I thought his movie was well done - across the board: great story, setting, acting, filming. The story and characters draws you in and the ending is very dramatic. It has some querky odd scenes that raise some eyebrows and got a laugh from me. Each of the characters (to include the ghost) have issues and in time the script unravels them masterfully. The soundtrack is pretty good fare as well. I do question as to why the viewers are subjected to seeing the 'full monty' in a few sex scenes. I think that these scenes didn't do anything to enhance the movie - but I s'pose that's the Puritan in me. The film's mood has a Macbeth-like darkness that catches bits of bright light now and then and so the setting of a desolate rural area in Scotland is the perfect choice. In closing, I liked The Last Great Wilderness enough that I took the time to come on here and write a review and I'd watch it again - and that means it gets five stars from me.

Average customer rating:

Not the Archie we are use to seeing!!!
A perfect film?
Bought because of Alastair, but overall this was very good.
THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM...
Great movie

The Last Great Wilderness [Region 2]
Starring: Alastair Mackenzie , Jonathan Phillips , Ewan Stewart , David Hayman , and Victoria Smurfit
Director: David Mackenzie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Monarch of the Glen - Series Four
Monarch of the Glen - Series Five
Monarch of the Glen - Series Three
Monarch of the Glen - Series Two
Monarch of the Glen - Series Six

ASIN: B0000C66AX

Customer Reviews:

Not the Archie we are use to seeing!!!.......2006-02-27

A perfect film?.......2006-02-22

Bought because of Alastair, but overall this was very good........2006-01-16

THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM..........2005-06-16

Great movie .......2005-05-22

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Alejandro Fernandez: La Trayectoria