The Survivor (1981 film)
The Survivor is a 1981 Australian horror thriller film directed by David Hemmings and starring Robert Powell and Jenny Agutter, based on a novel of the same name by James Herbert. It saw the final film appearance of actor Joseph Cotten before his death in 1994.
| The Survivor | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | David Hemmings |
| Produced by | Antony I. Ginnane |
| Screenplay by | David Ambrose |
| Based on | Novel by James Herbert |
| Starring | Robert Powell Jenny Agutter Joseph Cotten |
| Music by | Brian May |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Tony Paterson |
| Distributed by | Greater Union Organization Umbrella Entertainment (AUS) Warner Bros. Pictures (US/International) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$1,200,000[1] |
| Box office | US$700,000 (international) (est.)[1] |
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 trailer to promote the film to potential buyers before it had been finished. This meant he had to shoot some shots of Jenny Agutter. 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 | |
References
- 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)