The psychopathic cackle of Mick Taylor haunts every Australian.
John Jarratt brought the infamous serial killer to life in Aussie horror film Wolf Creek (2005), and sequel Wolf Creek 2 (2014).
I missed the boat by about 12 years - and found myself watching the original on Stan for the first time far more recently than I care to admit.
Actor John Jarratt perfectly depicts the Aussie redneck who spends his time trawling stretches of outback in an attempt to kidnap backpackers. Once he has his prey captured, Taylor's sadistic tendencies take over: he tortures; he kills; he mutilates.
Meshel Laurie speaks with crime author Emily Webb about Australia's most notorious murders, on Nitty Gritty Committee. (Post continues after audio).
There's an obvious link to draw: Mick Taylor bears an astounding resemblance to notorious Aussie killer Ivan Milat. It's not just the odd adoption of 'the cowboy hat' - it's the unwarranted hate of backpackers; of anyone visiting Australia who wasn't originally born here.
But after watching the film, I noticed something else: The plot of Wolf Creek bares an eerie resemblance not only to the murders carried out by Ivan Milat - but also to the most recent episode of Casefile true crime podcast - Case 44: Peter Falconio. And, with some digging, I found this connection to be a path far less explored than the one with Milat.
28-year-old backpacker Peter Falconio was driving from Adelaide to Darwin in an orange Volkswagen Kombi with girlfriend Joanne Lees on July 14, 2001.
In the opening scenes of Wolf Creek, backpacker Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips) buys a dilapidated Ford Falcon in preparation for a road trip with two girlfriends. An orange VW Kombi appears in the background of the scene, a clear reference to the one bought by Falconio.
Top Comments
It's not widely recognised? Really? I always thought that's exactly what Wolf Creek was based on in the first place...