Play

00:00

Captions

Volume

The first of two parts of this full length NFU film.

The second of two parts of this full length NFU film.

The credits from this NFU film.

The first of two parts of this full length NFU film.

The second of two parts of this full length NFU film.

The credits from this NFU film.

Such a Stupid Way to Die

Short Film (Full Length) – 1971

Add to watch list

Wayne Jacobsen

29 Mar 2024 - 01.49pm

The film certainly had impact on the pupils I showed it to, and provoked lots of interesting discussion and follow-up work before heading off to Camp Wakarara and the walk up to Sunrise Hut.

Adrian

31 Dec 2019 - 10.10pm

"Thomas Coogan, will tomorrow night, BE DEAD" *Cue Nightmare sounds*

This line was burned into my eight year old brain at school (despite us not going on any sort of camp).

Chris

24 Jun 2019 - 09.23pm

The music where the guy died was Pink Floyd's "Come In, Number 51. Your Time Is Up"

Philip Monolagi

25 Jan 2015 - 11.57pm

Never EVER go out bush unprotected!!!!

Stu Mountjoy

3 Dec 2014 - 11.29am

I remember watching this one, Onslow College I think, and I thought it was about a serious thing - and I wasn't even into tramping! Mind you, some of the sex education films were also met with laughing.

david

2 Nov 2014 - 08.03pm

I saw this in 1977 at my form 1 week long camp at Piha beach, when I grew up in Auckland. At that time it was a relatively recent film and in those days was one of many educational films - they were our av component of our learning.

Very impressionable film and quite dramatic with its quite emotional film score, and always remember the serious (and far younger) Ray Henwood and the overacting. Not very common to see smoking trampers these days!

Shaun Barnett

30 Oct 2013 - 04.45pm

A classic piece of Kiwi film-making; I remember seeing it at primary school in the mid-1970s, and it certainly stuck in my mind: jeans and alcohol were the bushcraft crimes that lead to death by hypothermia, a term I'd never heard before.

Terry

19 Mar 2013 - 01.46pm

I remember seeing this when I was in the Army years ago. It was given as an advisory piece before we went bush on an exercise. I found it a bit scary as did quite a few others of us gallant young part-time soldiers!

7 Aug 2011 - 08.41pm

Heh, I remember seeing this in intermediate school back in 1983 or thereabouts. Sounds like the music was swiped from the Beatles' "A Day in the Life".

Shaun

22 Aug 2010 - 10.55pm

it would be interesting to watch this video here i found on the NFU's website, its dated 1955 and covers Bushcraft and mountain saftey
http://audiovisual.archives.govt.nz/wiki/index.php/SAFETY_IN_THE_MOUNTAINS_-_BUSHCRAFT

24 Jun 2010 - 06.27am

I too saw this before 3rd form camp to TripleX hutt in the Ruahines.
I found the films opening statement with its music quite eerie.

Thomas Coogan
Palmerston North
I knew every year when a new class had just seen the vid.

Shaun

18 May 2010 - 04.58pm

I remember them showing this film to us in 1997 before our school camp, i thought it was old even then! lol

David Smith

26 Jan 2009 - 09.48pm

Hi. Archives NZ has the film info sheets for all of the NFU films including the Pictorial Parade editions from about 1950 onwards. These cover key production staff on each film including composers when they were commissioned. According to the film info sheet the music used on Such a Stupid Way To Die came from music library disks. If you really want to know you could try looking at the original production file at Archives NZ which may have the music cue sheet with the disk and track names listed. Cheers David

25 Jan 2009 - 11.50pm

Unfortunately the credits were often not complete on the early NFU material. Even the actual credits clip doesn't show them for this one!

chris white

25 Jan 2009 - 05.09pm

Shame there are no credits for the music/composer. Is it possible to find out?