Dark Age (1987) – Nostalgia Central

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”For more than 40,000 years, Australian Aborigines have lived in harmony with their land. Many of their animals are sacred. The most dangerous and awesome of these is the giant saltwater crocodile, which the Arnhem Land Aborigines call ‘Numunwari’.”

Based on a 1980 novel by Grahame Webb, this horror/adventure Ozploitation film features future Wolf Creek star John Jarratt as Steve Harris, a wildlife ranger in northern Australia who usually spends his time protecting crocodiles from ruthless poachers.

But now the shoe is on the other foot – and the foot is missing – as the legendary giant croc Numunwari appears on the scene with an appetite for human flesh.

After the beast attacks and kills two poachers and an Aboriginal child (in a surprisingly explicit and memorable death scene), Steve is assigned by his boss, Rex Garret (Ray Meagher), to kill the croc.

But Aboriginal elder Oondabund (leading Aboriginal activist Burnham Burnham) refuses to allow this, explaining that Numunwari is a “dreaming crocodile” who carries the spirit of the people of his community.

After the croc kills a thug at a local harbour, Steve convinces Oondabund and his second-in-command Adjaral (David Gulpilil) to help him hunt the beast. In return, Steve will capture and release it in its original home downriver, away from people.

A reluctant Garret agrees to the plan.

Meanwhile, a group of revenge-fuelled poachers led by John Besser (Max Phipps) trap Numunwari in a net but cannot hold it. The croc drags Besser into the water and bites off his arm.

Steve, Oondabund, and Adjaral successfully captured Numunwari and set out to transport the croc via truck. They are pursued by Besser and his pals – although Steve’s journalist ex-girlfriend, Cathy Pope (Nikki Coghill), sets out to warn the trio.

Besser catches up with the group and attacks the croc with an axe while his redneck pals engage Steve, Cathy, Oondabund, and Adjaral in a gunfight. Oondabund is fatally wounded, but the others fend them off.

Meanwhile, Besser is ambushed by Numunwari in the river and dragged underwater to his death.

Sometime later, Adjaral feeds Oondabund’s remains to the beast in accordance with their religion.

Although filmed in 1986 and released overseas in 1987, Dark Age was not released theatrically in Australia (the distribution company that held the rights to the movie went bankrupt before it could be released domestically).

It was finally seen in a 2011 DVD release.

Steve Harris
John Jarratt
Cathy Pope
Nikki Coghill
John Besser
Max Phipps
Oondabund
Burnham Burnham
Adjaral
David Gulpilil
Rex Garret
Ray Meagher
Mac Wilson
Jeff Ashby
Jackson
Paul Bertram
Bluey Noakes
Ron Blanchard
Joe Blunt
Gerry Duggan
Reynolds
Ken Radley
Ann Wilson
Janet Kingsbury
Smithy
James Fitzgerald
Hitchens
Hank Mosby
Hitching
James Mann
King
Jock McCullum
Jacobs
Robert Anderson
Boy Victim
Regan Leftwich
Nancy
Kaylene Leftwich
Receptionist
Trudi Johnson
Gerry
Colin MacDonald
Weighbridge Inspector
Mark Hashfield
Harbour Master
Harry Reid
Skipper
Barry Graham