BA_Harrison Offbeat Aussie horror oddity Contagion stars John Doyle as real estate agent Mark, who is driving to a business deal at night when he spots a female hitch-hiker being attacked in the woods by a man. Stopping the car and getting out to investigate, Mark finds himself falling victim to a trio of hicks, one of whom rapes him before tying him up. Luckily, Mark is able to escape, and stumbles upon a mansion occupied by financier Roderick Bael (Ray Barrett), and two attractive young women, Helen (Pamela Hawkesford) and Cleo (Nathalie Gaffney), who tempt him with the promise of sex and great wealth. All Mark needs to do is to prove himself worthy by displaying courage, determination and ruthlessness… by killing those who stand in his way! Meanwhile, Mark's girlfriend Cheryl (Nicola Bartlett) is understandably curious about her boyfriend's behaviour and decides to investigate.As with Kubrick's The Shining, I'm in two minds about the true nature of Contagion: are Roderick, Helen and Cleo malevolent ghosts or simply figments of Mark imagination, the guy having completely lost the plot after his harrowing assault? It's never made absolutely clear either way, but that doesn't prevent the film from being an effective little chiller, made all the more entertaining by a smattering of nudity from Hawkesford and Gaffney, and, towards the end, a spot of gore, including a severed finger and a pitchfork through the neck. Some may be put off by the film's off-kilter atmosphere, but those who enjoy their horror a little off the beaten path should find enough to enjoy about this obscure '80s flick to make it worth seeking out.

HumanoidOfFlesh Mark is driving late at night through a desolate wooded area when suddenly his headlights shine on a young female hitch hiker being assaulted by an unknown assailant.Stopping to help,Mark finds himself being abducted and chased by a group of backwoods rednecks.Mark believes he has found escape when he stumbles upon an old mansion which is inhabited by a strange old man and 2 mysterious women.They promise him great wealth.. for a price.Soon Mark is caught in a web of madness and murder,but is everything as it really seems?Is Mark going insane or was this chain of events already planned out for him?"Contagion" is an overlooked Australian supernatural slasher full of surprising plot twists.There is also a bit of nasty violence and graphic nudity thrown in.The film is incredibly rare and very hard to find,which is a shame.8 out of 10.

EyeAskance When a young man named Mark is driving through a desolate wooded area in the dark of night, his headlights espy the assault of a young hitchhiker. He stops to help the girl, but in the process becomes abducted by a group of dangerous backwoods heathens. By and by, he escapes to an incommunicado mansion where a strange tycoon and two mysterious blonde beauties promise him great wealth...at a cost. A killing spree ensues, and Mark spirals deeper and deeper into madness under the watchful eyes of the ghostly three.This is a genuinely creepy supernatural body-count film, and highly original stuff...why it has lingered for so long in relative obscurity is anyone's guess. 7/10

FieCrier A surprisingly good movie!It begins with an aerial shot over a road with a growling voice-over that seems to be quoting from some revelatory text. A wire is strung across the road, and a motorcyclist garroted.A female hitchhiker is picked up by a trucker, and a man is sent on a business trip. He meets her on the road in the dark after the trucker kicks her out, and she's dragged into the woods. After debating the matter, he decides to go after her, and is himself attacked and raped by strange bums living in the scrub. He escapes and is found by a well-dressed blonde who leads him to a mansion inhabited by another fancy blonde, and a wealthy old man. They make him promise to return.The man, Mark, grows increasingly obsessed with the people and the house, and the possibilities for sex and wealth. He decides to follow their three-fold path.While the movie could be called a slasher, it is more than that. It's a strange, overlooked movie that deserves to find some new viewers.