The Controversial Australian Horror Movie That Was Almost Lost Forever – /Film

For its reputation as one of the key films that kicked off the Australian New Wave, "Wake in Fright" was considered lost for decades. If it wasn't for the persistence of Anthony Buckley, who worked as editor on the film, this brutal masterpiece might have joined the list of long-lost classics like "London After Midnight" and "The Story of the Kelly Gang."

How did "Wake in Fright" get lost in the first place?The sad answer is that in the past, sound and image recordings weren't always regarded as something worth keeping. In Australia, even after the National Film & Sound Archive was established in 1984, it was still standard practice to destroy prints of movies after the theatrical run was over. Especially if it was a flop (via The Conversation), and "Wake in Fright" certainly fell into that category at home.

With the master negative missing and existing copies used until they were irreparably damaged, "Wake in Fright" was fading from existence. Thankfully, in 1996, Buckley set out to find the missing negative. Through a combination of detective work and sheer determination, he eventually traced it to a storage vault in Pittsburgh, where the long lost 35mm negative sat in a container full of material marked "for destruction."The film was salvaged and, eight years after Buckley started his search, "Wake in Fright"arrived back in Australia for the process of restoration.

Thanks to Buckley, "Wake in Fright"still exists in all its grimy, brawling, beer-chugging glory, ready to put the sweats on many future generations of movie lovers.

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The Controversial Australian Horror Movie That Was Almost Lost Forever - /Film