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Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Mad Dog Morgan (Blu-ray) (1976)

Mad Dog Morgan (Blu-ray) (1976)

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Released 3-Apr-2019

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Drama Audio Commentary-Director Philippe Mora
Audio Commentary-Philippe Mora & Jake Wilson
Featurette-To Shoot a Mad Dog: Making Mad Dog Morgan (24:36)
Interviews-Crew-Hopping Mad: Looking Back with Philippe Mora (33:48)
Interviews-Cast-That’s Our Mad Dog: A conversation with Dennis Hopper (28:57
Interviews-Cast & Crew-Extended Not Quite Hollywood Interviews (66:29)
Featurette-Mad Country: Shooting Locations Revisited (14:54)
Interviews-Crew-Radio Interview with Philippe Mora (14:21)
Theatrical Trailer-Umbrella Trailers
Gallery-Photo
Rating Rated MA
Year Of Production 1976
Running Time 102:58 (Case: 98)
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Philippe Mora
Studio
Distributor

Umbrella Entertainment
Starring Dennis Hopper
Jack Thompson
David Gulpilil
Frank Thring
Michael Pate
Wallas Eaton
Bill Hunter
John Hargreaves
Martin Harris
Robin Ramsay
Graeme Blundell
Gregory Apps
Case Standard Blu-ray
RPI ? Music Patrick Flynn


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 (192Kb/s)
English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 1080p
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

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Plot Synopsis

     The goldfields of the Colony of Victoria in the 1850s are lawless and violent, no place for the faint-hearted; prospector Daniel Morgan (Dennis Hopper) barely escapes with his life when an angry mob of white prospectors attack the Chinese camp, slaughtering the Chinese and burning down their huts including the opium den where Morgan was relaxing with a pipe. Shortly after Morgan was arrested for stealing clothing at gunpoint and sentenced to twelve years of hard labour. While in prison Morgan, very much a loner, was buggered, branded and beaten, but with good behaviour he was released on parole after six years.

     Determined to take revenge on the society that had brutalised and marginalised him, Morgan was shot after stealing a horse. Badly wounded, he escaped into the bush where he was found by Billy (a wonderful David Gulpilil), an aboriginal who had been shunned by his own tribe. The two moved across the border into New South Wales, where Billy slowly nursed Morgan back to health and taught him how to survive in the bush. Morgan and Billy then embarked on a string of armed robberies. Morgan’s reputation grew and despite a reward for his capture, dead or alive, that rose from ₤200 to ₤1000 the police, including Magistrate Baylis (John Hargreaves), were incapable of stopping or capturing him. But Morgan still had revenge on his mind so he crossed back into Victoria where Superintendent Cobham (Frank Thring) was marshalling his police forces, including Detective Manwaring (Jack Thompson), to capture him. It would only be a matter of time.

     Mad Dog Morgan was written and directed by Philippe Mora based on the non-fiction book Morgan: The Bold Bushranger by Margaret Carnegie that had come out in 1974. Before making Mad Dog Morgan Mora had mainly directed shorts and historical documentaries and this shows in this film which is replete with short, episodic scenes, montages and an almost documentary feel with dialogue delivered directly into camera including the statement read by Manwaring that starts and ends the film. Mora admits in the extras included on this Blu-ray how inexperienced he was in dealing with the issues that arose in directing a feature made on location in the Australian bush with over 100 speaking parts and with an American star known for his heavy drinking and drug taking in the lead role. Indeed, it is almost impossible to separate Mad Dog Morgan from its star Dennis Hopper given the stories that have grown up around the shoot and his excesses.

     In the extras Hopper is frequently described by Mora and others as giving an “honest” performance as Morgan. I guess they mean that as Morgan was a psychopath and enjoyed rum, it made perfect sense to cast Hopper who at the time was close to deranged himself on alcohol and drugs. His performance is patchy but comes across better in the sequences towards the end when Morgan was tired of being hunted and alone; the sequence where Morgan bails up a squatter and his family and has dinner with them is sad, poignant and unpredictable as well as excellent filmmaking. Elsewhere, Hopper and his method acting often feels stilted and the dialogue sometimes feels modern, but in places it is possible to forget that it is Hopper on screen. He does dominate the film, of course, but is surrounded by a veritable who’s who of Australian talent; as well as David Gulpilil, Frank Thring, Jack Thompson and John Hargreaves, others to feature include Bill Hunter, Michael Pate, Graeme Blundell and Bruce Spence in a tiny role.

     The film was shot on many of the actual locations frequented by Morgan, including his cave in the Benambra State Forest in NSW, by DP Mike Molloy; the Australian bush, scrub, streams, waterholes, forests and ranges, as well as the reconstruction of the Victorian goldfields, look stunning. An interesting point is that the camera operator was John Searle who went on to a great career as cinematographer in his own right, being nominated for five Oscars and winning one for The English Patient (1996). Also of note is the music; the original score by Patrick Flynn is epic in nature, echoing the epic images of the Australian landscapes, but the score also includes extensive sections of Aboriginal digeridoo and singing performed by David Gulpilil which again reflects our ancient Continent.

     Mad Dog Morgan is about injustice and revenge with a strong dose of racism. For its time it was considered quite violent and brutal, including a head disintegrating from a head shot, while the action and shootouts (it is an Australian western after all), including an attack by police on Morgan’s camp that wounds Billy and later when Morgan ambushes a police camp and kills Sergeant Smith (Bill Hunter), are well staged. The film is rated MA but by more recent standards is relatively sedate. (Note: the original theatrical release received an M rating and this is the rating shown on the cover of the DVD releases some years ago, although the Classification Board’s site indicates that the DVD release was rated MA in 2008. I am sure there is a story there somewhere). The film was received reasonably well by critics; it went on to win an award at a side event at Cannes and Mora was nominated for Best Director at the 1977 AFI Awards, losing out to Bruce Beresford for Don’s Party. However, the film really did not resonate with audiences yet forty years on Mad Dog Morgan can be re-appreciated and seen as a classic of Australian cinema.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     For this Blu-ray Mad Dog Morgan has been remastered in 4K from the original 35 mm and is presented in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     Detail is wonderful. The close-ups of the blood and hair on Morgan’s face are strong, while the interiors show all the necessary detail. The exterior scenes of the Australian bush, streams, waterholes, forests and ranges, as well as the reconstruction of the Victorian goldfields, look fabulous with deep and natural colours. Skin tones are natural. Shadow detail and blacks are fine. Brightness and contrast is consistent.

     Light grain is present and other than some minor motion blur against the foliage of trees and some tiny marks I did not notice any artefacts.

     English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available from the remote – they are not selectable from the menu.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio is English DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono, which is how the film was released in theatres. The audio commentaries are both Dolby Digital 2.0.

     Dialogue is clear. Effects, such as galloping horses and gunshots, especially the gunshots and fire as the Chinese camp is burned, are loud and effective. Music, voices during the dance, wind and the bubbles occur in the rears. The original score by Patrick Flynn is epic in nature, including choral sections, echoing the epic images of the Australian landscapes. The score is augmented by extensive sections of Aboriginal digeridoo and singing performed by David Gulpilil which are very effective.

     There are no lip synchronisation issues.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

     There are a decent range of extras although the commentaries and interviews repeat information and anecdotes more than once.

Reversible Cover

     The cover can be reversed, showing the title without the ratings logo.

Audio Commentary Philippe Mora & Jake Wilson

*new

     Mora and film critic / author Jake Wilson sit together and talk about the film, Wilson often asking questions. Sometimes it sounds as if they are in an echo chamber, and there is occasional noise, the murmur of voices in the background and doors closing behind the commentary; a couple of times Mora asks “do you want to stop for a moment”. Their talk is not scene specific as they chat about the history of Australia and bushrangers, Hopper and his reputation and method acting, other cast members David Gulpilil, Frank Thring, the landscapes, racism, surrealism, beards, Mora’s technique as director.

Audio Commentary Philippe Mora

     Recorded quite a while ago for the DVD release, in many ways this is a more interesting commentary than the later one above and more screen specific. Mora talks non-stop about lots of things including the source book and the changes he made to it in his screenplay, including the composite Aboriginal character of Billy, where he took artistic licence with history or the material, his intentions, the racism and bigotry of Morgan’s time and the anti-racist message of the film, the decision to shoot in 2.35:1, day for night scenes, the cast and their careers including Dennis Hopper, David Gulpilil, Frank Thring, his ways of working with Hopper, Morgan’s Irish accent, the anti-hero in Australian culture, the locations, the landscape and the bush, Morgan’s beard, the stunts, the score, the budget, reactions to the film.

To Shoot a Mad Dog: Making Mad Dog Morgan (24:36)

     Shot during the making of the film this features on-set footage of various scenes including a fire stunt that went wrong, Dennis Hopper playing about and talking about his philosophy and Morgan plus a narration by Philippe Mora. Lots of small marks and other artefacts but well worth a look.

Hopping Mad: Looking Back on Mad Dog Morgan with Philippe Mora (33:48)

*new

     In this delightful piece, filmed in 2019 for this release, is entitled more specifically Philippe Mora on Dennis Hopper and Mad Dog Morgan. Mora provides many humorous anecdotes about making the film including why he chose to make a film on Morgan, how Hopper was hired for the role, Hopper’s conduct on set, seeking authenticity including filming in the actual locations used by Morgan, the violence and brutality of the time being reflected in the film, the release of the film and his subsequent career. Mora reflects that while Hopper was into heavy drinking and drug use, when in front of the camera he was professional and delivered a performance that Mora that is very proud of.

That’s Our Mad Dog: A conversation with Dennis Hopper & Philippe Mora (28:57)

     Made by Umbrella in 2008, Philippe Mora sits down to chat with Dennis Hopper in the US. There is an easy rapport as they talk about Hopper’s memories of filming Mad Dog Morgan including his first meeting with Jack Thompson, method acting, issues with horses, David Gulpilil, visiting Morgan’s grave and observations about the 1960s counterculture. This is a soft print and the footage from the film, with its woeful colours, show just how good the restored film on the Blu-ray looks.

Extended Not Quite Hollywood Interviews (66:29)

*new

     These extended interviews were conducted by Mark Hartley for his documentary Not Quite Hollywood which was released in 2008. The interviews play one after the other, without a menu; they are of variable length, the first is about 30 minutes, the second 20 minutes, so the rest quite short.

     * Director Philippe Mora speaks about his influences, seeking to make the film authentic, hiring Hopper, his reputation, antics and his performance, anecdotes about the shoot, his attitudes to stunts, violence in the script, marketing and selling the film and reactions in Australia and the US.

     * Producer Jeremy Thomas talks about his and Mora’s backgrounds, hiring Hopper, after hours mayhem, the myths that have grown up about the shoot and Hooper, reaction to the film at Cannes and in the US.

     * Camera operator John Seale speaks about Hopper, stunts and stuntmen.

     * Jack Thompson reveals that he took the part because of Hopper, and how Bushrangers and the myths are a unique part of Australian heritage.

     * Roger Ward, who played a trooper in the film, admits that he did not like Hopper at all and gives an anecdote about one party in his room.

     * Graeme Blundell speaks about how he was in awe of Hopper and what happened in the one scene they shared.

Mad Country: Shooting Locations Revisited (14:54)

*new

     Also made in 2019 this extra is film footage contrasted with the locations as they are now at Morven, Culcairn, Morgan’s Cave in the Benambra State Forest, Walla Walla, Cookardinia, Jindera and Little Billabong NSW and Beechworth Victoria, with an optional commentary by Philippe Mora who speaks about the effects of the landscapes. Some of the locations, after over 40 years, look almost the same, some buildings used in the film are now derelict, others have been made into museums. The extra ends with a visit to Morgan’s grave at Wangaratta Victoria.

Radio Interview with Philippe Mora (14:21)

     This is a radio interview Mora did with the Australian Information Service in New York for an American audience just before Mad Dog Morgan was released in the US. Mora is asked about Australian bushrangers as folk heroes, gold rushes in California and Australia, the Aboriginal tradition as portrayed in the film, the authenticity of the film and the source book and interest in Australian movies.

Theatrical Trailer (4:06)

*new

Image Gallery

     Almost 190 pages of theatrical and home video artwork from around the world, ephemera, bits and pieces, news articles, reviews, film and behind the scenes stills, the screenplay. No music, the stills advance automatically (taking over 22 minutes) or they can be advanced using the remote.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

     Although there have been previous DVD releases of Mad Dog Morgan in various regions, including a couple here in Region 4 and a US release that was cropped to 1.66:1, this release from Umbrella is the only Blu-ray version currently available.

Summary

     Dennis Hopper is Mad Dog Morgan and his presence and reputation almost overshadows the film itself, although the stunning bush landscapes give him a run for his money. Made over 40 years ago and set in colonial times, the themes of Mad Dog Morgan including bigotry, racism or violence against those considered different or outside of the establishment, is still very relevant today so Mad Dog Morgan has not dated, unlike some Australian films from the 1970s. Mad Dog Morgan is also a ripping good yarn, which no doubt helps to cement its appeal.

     DVDs of Mad Dog Morgan have been released a couple of times in Australia, the last, ten years ago, was reviewed on this site here. This new Blu-ray release, remastered in 4K from the original 35 mm, looks great. The Blu-ray also has most of the extras that were available on the DVD and adds a swag of new extras that are worthwhile, resulting is an excellent Blu-ray package of this Australian classic. Fans, and those interested in Australian cinema, should not hesitate as this it likely to be the definitive version of the film.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Ray Nyland (the bio is the thing)
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Review Equipment
DVDSony BDP-S580, using HDMI output
DisplayLG 55inch HD LCD. This display device has not been calibrated. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
Audio DecoderNAD T737. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
AmplificationNAD T737
SpeakersStudio Acoustics 5.1

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