The Survivor (1981 film)
| The Survivor | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | David Hemmings |
| Screenplay by | David Ambrose |
| Based on | The Survivor by James Herbert |
| Produced by | Antony I. Ginnane |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Tony Paterson |
| Music by | Brian May |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | GUO Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$1.2 million[1] |
| Box office | US$700,000 (international) (est.)[1] |
The Survivor is a 1981 Australian horror thriller film directed by David Hemmings and starring Robert Powell and Jenny Agutter, based on the 1976 novel of the same name by James Herbert. It saw the final film appearance of actor Joseph Cotten before his death in 1994.
Plot[]
A pilot survives the crash of his Boeing 747-200, unhurt despite all of its 300 passengers dying in the accident. With no memories of the accident, he starts to suffer strange supernatural visions, guiding him to suspect that something happened in the crash and that the accident maybe wasn't an accident.
Cast[]
- Robert Powell as Keller
- Jenny Agutter as Hobbs
- Joseph Cotten as Priest
- Angela Punch McGregor as Beth
- Peter Sumner as Tewson
- Lorna Lesley as Susan
- Ralph Cotterill as Slater
- Adrian Wright as Goodwin
- Tim Rice as Newscaster
Production[]
$350,000 of the budget was invested by the South Australian Film Corporation, with a similar amount coming from English investors. The rest came from Greater Union, a TV sale and private investment.[1]
Prior to filming David Hemmings and Antony I. Ginnane discussed whether to make the film gory or more cerebral in the vein of The Innocents (1961). They chose the latter, a decision Ginnane later said was a mistake.[1]
Ginnane asked Brian Trenchard-Smith to cut a ten-minute promotional reel for the film to entice potential buyers at the Milan Film Market before it had been finished. Because Jenny Agutter was scheduled to begin work on the film after the cut-off date from which Trenchard-Smith could draw material from the film's dailies, he shot his own material with her exclusively for the reel. He later cut the trailer for the actual film when it was released.[2]
Reception[]
James Herbert, who wrote the novel upon which the film was based, described the film as "terrible ... absolute rubbish."[3]
Accolades[]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Awards (1981 AFI Awards) |
Best Actress | Jenny Agutter | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | John Seale | Nominated | |
| Best Sound | Peter Fenton | Nominated | |
| Tim Lloyd | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Bernard Hides | Nominated | |
| Sitges Film Festival | Medalla Sitges for Best Screenplay | David Ambrose | Won |
| Prize of the International Critics' Jury | David Hemmings | Won |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p299-300
- ^ Brian Trenchard Smith on The Survivor at Trailers From Hell
- ^ "James Herbert Interview (Others)". David J. Howe.
External links[]
- The Survivor at IMDb
- The Survivor at Oz Movies
- The Survivor at the National Film and Sound Archive
- The New York Times
- Australian Film Commission
- Cinemafantastique (French)
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- 1981 films
- English-language films
- Films shot in Adelaide
- 1980s horror thriller films
- Films based on British novels
- Films scored by Brian May (composer)
- Australian horror thriller films
- Australian films
- 1981 horror films
- 1980s English-language films
- 1980s Australian film stubs
- 1980s horror film stubs