Picnic At Hanging Rock (DVD)

Whether you have seen it before, or are in fact experiencing it for the first time, there has never been a better time to see Peter Weir's 1975 movie Picnic At Hanging Rock; based on the novel by Joan Lindsay. After years of being somewhat overlooked on DVD UK company Second Sight have released the movie in a special three disc DVD edition, featuring the movie in it's often seen directors cut, a collection of special features, and a real first the original version of the movie canned due to it's dark nature, a print of the movie never seen before in the UK or US. On Valentines Day 1900 a group of students from the Appleyard College left for a day trip to ...  Read the complete review

St Valentine's Day 1900 was bathed in sparkling sunlight in the village of Woodend, near Melbourne in Australia. This was the day of the annual school outing for the girls and teachers of Applegate College on the outskirts of the village, and there was much excitement as they drove out to enjoy a picnic at a local beauty spot, Hanging Rock. By the end of the day four of the party had vanished. Three were never to be seen again. This is the premise for Peter Weir's 1975 film PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK. The film is based on Joan Lindsay's 1967 book of the same name, which in turn is said to document a true story. Quite apart from being one of the most ...  Read the complete review

Introduction I caught this movie by chance on one of the ITV channels, and having initially dismissed it because of the title as something not worth watching, I was quickly drawn into the film. There is definitely something hypnotic and mesmerising about it, partly, I think, because the film is based on a book about actual events, also called 'Picnic on Hanging Rock' by Joan Lindsey, but also because of the direction and cinematography. I am a (reluctant) reader of true life crime, particularly when the ends of the story cannot be completely tied up, and this is a very good example. The director The film, made in 1976, is directed by Peter Weir, who ...  Read the complete review

Picnic at Hanging Rock is an adaptation of a book written by Joan Lindsay. It is set in 1900 and tells of a group of girls who attend a private school in Australia. One Valentine's Day they get a treat and are allowed to go to hanging rock for a picnic. They are packed into the horse and cart and given a stern warning by the headmistress, Mrs Appleyard, not to wander off and they need to be back at school by 8 pm sharp. When they arrive at the rock, the driver notices that his watch has stopped at just past twelve midday, to which one of the teachers adds that her watch has also stopped at the same time. The girls set about lazing around reading books or ...  Read the complete review

Peter Weir directed picnic at Hanging Rock; Peter made this film early on in his career. He had a fascination with Australia; he was fascinated with the mystical power of the land, mainly because the white people could not comprehend it. The film is about a group of schoolgirls and their teacher, who decide to have a picnic at the beauty spot Hanging Rock. It's a beautiful sunny day, three of the girls decide to explore the rocks, but for some strange reason they disappear without trace, there teacher follows them and she also disappears. Although the film doesn't offer any explanation as to why they disappeared, the film is still intriguing ...  Read the complete review