Deadly (film)
Deadly is a 1991 Australian film directed by Esben Storm.
Deadly | |
---|---|
Directed by | Esben Storm |
Produced by | Richard Moir |
Written by | Esben Storm Raland Allen |
Starring | Jerome Ehlers |
Music by | Graeme Revell |
Distributed by | Beyond International Group |
Release date | 1991 |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | A$4 million[1] |
Box office | A$25,421 (Australia)[2] |
Production
Storm first wrote the script in 1987. He wanted to tell the story of Aboriginal deaths in custody and chose a thriller format to make the movie as accessible as possible.[3]
The movie was shot on location in Wilcannia over seven weeks. It was the first of five features funded by the Film Finance Corporation's Film Trust Fund.[4]
Plot
From the UK VHS slick for the movie:
Streetwise cop Tony Bourke is sent to a small town to complete a routine report on the death of Jimmie Bryant found hanging whilst in police custody.
His orders are clear - keep the affair away from the media and close the case within 24 hours. The local police claim that Bryant committed suicide but the investigation exposes a number of inconsistencies in their story.
In the face of growing suspicion and hostility Bourke befriends the victim’s brother - his cellmate on the night of the killing. Together they are determined to see justice prevail … at any cost.[5]
Release
Ozmovies says of the film:
The film was given a brief outing in a few Hoyts cinemas, beginning in Sydney on 13th August 1992 and the same day in Hoyts Melbourne... The film received mixed to negative reviews in its limited domestic theatrical release.[6]
References
- "Production Survey", Cinema Papers, August 1990 p68
- "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" at Film Victoria accessed 12 November 2012
- "Interview with Esben Storm", Signis, 22 August 1995 Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed 21 November 2012
- Andrew Urban, "Deadly", Cinema Papers, December 1990 p14-17
- 'Deadly' at Ozmovies, accessed 14 October 2017.
- 'Deadly' at Ozmovies, accessed 14 October 2017.