Scarfies

Scarfies (released as Crime 101 in the United States) is a 1999 New Zealand black comedy film set in the southern university city of Dunedin. The film's original title comes from the local nickname for university students, scarfie, so called because of the traditional blue and gold scarves worn by students during the city's cool winters in support of the Otago Rugby Football Union.

This article is about film. For the student nickname, see Scarfie.

Scarfies
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Sarkies
Written byDuncan Sarkies
Robert Sarkies
Produced byLisa Chatfield
StarringWilla O'Neill
Neill Rea
Ashleigh Seagar
Taika Cohen
Charlie Bleakley
Jon Brazier
Mark Neilson
CinematographyStephen Downes
Edited byAnnie Collins
Distributed byBecker Entertainment
Release date
  • 5 August 1999 (1999-08-05)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million

Plot

Scarfies starts off as a light comedy centred on a group of five students who get together after moving into a flat that is seemingly abandoned, but still has the power on, making it a free but filthy accommodation.

The film twists into something darker part way through, with elements of both black comedy and thriller. The discovery of a large crop of marijuana being grown in the basement leads firstly to euphoria, then paranoia and arguments amongst the flatmates about what will happen when the real owners come back to collect it. When Kevin, the crop's owner appears, the students fear for their lives and lock him in the basement. Events unfold against a backdrop of the city's biggest sporting event for years, the final of New Zealand's national rugby championship.

Cast

Production

Despite the deliberate use of shots focusing on the city's dowdier and darker elements, much of the film's photography and soundtrack is an homage to the city, including the use of several Dunedin sound songs in the soundtrack (top local band The Clean even make a cameo appearance during the film).

The film initially had a small production budget of $250,000, but later received an additional $1.6 million in funding from the New Zealand Film Commission.[1]

Reception

Scarfies was well-received, described as "...the most outlandishly entertaining New Zealand film for years...",[2] and did well at the box-office.[3]

Soundtrack
  1. Save My Life – Bike
  2. Outer Space – 3Ds
  3. George – Headless Chickens
  4. Doledrums – The Chills
  5. Let There Be Love – JPS Experience
  6. Tally Ho – The Clean
  7. Suck – Love's Ugly Children
  8. Cactus Cat – Look Blue Go Purple
  9. Gaze – Bike
  10. Randolph's Going Home – Shayne Carter and Peter Jefferies
  11. Death and the Maiden – The Verlaines
  12. She Speeds – Straitjacket Fits
  13. Grey Parade – JPS Experience

References
  1. "Scarfies: The Film That Gave Taika Waititi His Big Break". Critic – Te Arohi. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. Baillie, Russell (31 July 1999). "Scarfies". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. Beston, Anne (26 February 2005). "Audiences spooked as film flops". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2011.


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