Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Mehdi Hoffman
There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.
Kayden
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Simon Alford
Where do we start with this one?Houseboat Horror is really a love it or hate it film. No doubt it is an extremely poor effort in filmmaking. That fact alone will alert most viewers to never allow this DVD into their player, or even their house. If you are looking for a finely crafted filmic experience, this is definitely not the film for you. I fully accept that fact.However....if you are looking for an awesome, low-brow and incredibly stupid night of unadulterated fun, don't go past this movie! Admittedly, this is not what the filmmakers had in mind when they made this feature (and if they did, they are geniuses!). It is seriously so bad...it's good! Some of the lines are so stupid they are awesome.To sum up: 1. The script is infantile. 2. The quality of the filmmaking is amateur hour. 3. The acting is utterly....well, let's not go there.For these reasons, I loved watching it with a few mates (and plenty of beers!). However, I still can't give it more than a 3.
Muldwych
Houseboat Horror is a great title for this film. It's absolutely spot-on, and therefore the only aspect of the film for which I can give 10 out of 10. There are houseboats, there is horror, there's even horror that takes place on houseboats. But if there were ever a tagline for the film poster, it would surely be 'Something shonky this way comes...' for Houseboat Horror is easily the worst Australian horror film I've ever seen, not to mention one of the worst horror films I've ever seen, and a fairly atrocious attempt at film-making in general. The good news is, it's so bloody awful, it sails straight through the zone of viewer contempt into the wonderful world of unintentional hilarity. It's worth watching *because* it's bloody awful.The category of 'worst' comes not from the storyline, for the simple reason that there actually is one: a record producer, a film crew and a rock band drive up to the mystifyingly-named Lake Infinity, a picturesque rural retreat somewhere in Victoria (in reality Lake Eildon) to shoot a music video. Someone isn't especially happy to see them there and, possibly in an attempt to do the audience a favour, starts picking them off one by one with a very sharp knife. Even more mystifying is how long it takes the survivors to actually notice this, On the surface, it looks like a very bog-standard B-movie slasher. You've got highly-annoying youths, intolerant elders, creepy locals (one of whom, a petrol station attendant, would easily win a gurning competition), and let's face it, my description of the murderer could easily be Jason Voorhees. Ah, but if only the acting and production values were anywhere near as good as the comparative masterpiece that was Friday The 13th Part VII. Unfortunately, Houseboat Horror is completely devoid of both these things.But in the end, this only makes what you do get so ridiculous and amusing. Fans of one-time 'Late Show' and 'Get This' member Tony Martin will already be aware of some of the real dialogue gems ('Check out the view...you'll bar up!'), while the actual song to accompany the music video is so bad it has to be heard to be believed - I can't help wondering if writer/director Ollie Wood hoped it would actually become a hit. The horror element is comparable I think to B-slashers of the genre and particularly of the period, but there were times when I couldn't help imagining someone biting into a hamburger off-screen and seeing a volley of tomato sauce sprayed at the wall on-screen.Indeed, if you've been listening to Tony Martin recommending this film as hilarious rubbish like myself, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Any fans of 'so-bad-it's-good' horror should not pass up the opportunity. Whether you'll 'bar up' or not though is another matter. If, on the other hand, you are in search of genuine excellence in the Australian horror genre, get yourself a copy of the incomparable 'Long Weekend' and don't look back.
Travis Yates
I remember seeing this movie years ago very late at night.So my recollection is a bit sketchy. But from memory it was a poorly made horror. But damn funny. It was pretty much Friday the 13th but set on a houseboat on a lake. Very Aussie setting (reminds me of my home) so it's nostalgic for me.It had Animal that used to be on Hey Hey it's Saturday and bunch of other half baked Aussie celebrities. Not to mention Alan Dale who's now gone all Hollywood and jagged roles in 24 among others.So of course it's a bad movie but I reckon it's one of those so bad it's good types. Check it out, but don't pay more than 50c to see it.Anyone who says this is the worst Aussie film ever has obviously never seen Muriels Wedding. Now that was a steaming pile of you know what.
Michael_Grech
This film is utter crap. Yes if you are really drunk then you will have a laugh at how bad it is, but seriously it is definately the worst Australian movie ever made. The only mildly amusing moment was hearing Alan Dale (Jim Robinson from Neighbours) say the F word.