Sky Pirates
Sky Pirates | |
---|---|
Belgian Theatrical poster | |
Directed by | Colin Eggleston |
Produced by |
Michael Hirsh John D. Lamond |
Written by | John D. Lamond |
Starring |
John Hargreaves Meredith Phillips Max Phipps |
Music by | Brian May(composer) |
Cinematography | Garry Wapshott |
Edited by |
Michael Hirsh John D. Lamond |
Production company |
John Lamond Motion Pictures |
Distributed by | Roadshow Entertainment |
Release dates | 16 January 1986 |
Running time | 89 minutes |
Country |
Australia USA |
Language | English |
Budget | AU$4.2 million[1] |
Box office | AU $76,170 (Australia)[2] |
Sky Pirates (Also known as Dakota Harris) is a 1986 Australian adventure film written and produced by John D. Lamond, and directed by Colin Eggleston. It was inspired by Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as borrowing liberally from The Philadelphia Experiment, The Deer Hunter, Dirty Harry and Mad Max.[3]
The music was composed by Brian May, who also scored the first two Mad Max films. The soundtrack was produced, edited and mastered by Philip Powers four years later as part of his Australian film music archive project, 4 years later, on the label oneMone Records.
Plot
1945: World War II is about to come to an end. Meanwhile, the Australian military has come across that a certain ancient device which can be used to travel in time. It is imperative that the Allies have it and the Axis powers don't. The experienced aviator Lt. Harris gets assigned to transport the precious item to Washington, D.C.. On his plane are also Rev. Mitchell, Mitchell's lovely daughter Melanie, Gen. Hackett and Major Savage. During the flight the power of the magic cargo makes the laws of nature fade, hereby causing a tremendous tempest which leaves Harris no other choice than to ditch the aircraft. In rescue boats they discover a weird and misty area full of wrecked ships of different eras. Rev. Mitchell claims there was a connection to the so-called Philadelphia Experiment. Harris remains unimpressed and concentrates on the survival of Melanie and his crew, even for the price of immolating the arcane freight against Savage's explicit orders. Back home Savage has Harris sentenced for insubordination by a military court. Harris escapes and seeks to unveil the background of these occurrences. He beseeches Rev. Mitchell's daughter Melanie to team up with him. Together they strive to retrieve the lost magic item. They disclose and confound Savage's hidden agenda before they become a happy couple.
Cast
- John Hargreaves ... Lt. Harris
- Meredith Phillips ... Melanie Mitchell
- Max Phipps ... Major Savage
- Bill Hunter ... O'Reilly
- Simon Chilvers ... Rev. Mitchell
- Alex Scott ... Gen. Hackett
- Adrian Wright ... Valentine
Soundtrack
Sky Pirates: Original Soundtrack Recording was released on CD in 1989.
References
- ↑ Interview with John Lamond, Mondo Stumpo, early 2002 accessed 14 October 2012
- ↑ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria accessed 24 October 2012
- ↑ David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p80
External links
- Sky Pirates at the Internet Movie Database
- Sky Pirates at AustLit
- Sky Pirates at Oz Movies