Space Rage
Directed byConrad E. Palmisano
Screenplay byJim Lenahan
Story byMorton Reed
Produced byMorton Reed
StarringSee below
Cinematography
Edited by
Music by
Distributed byVestron Pictures
Release date
November 21, 1986[1]
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.2–3.5 million
(before reshoots)[2][3]

Space Rage, also known as Space Rage: Breakout on Prison Planet is a 1985 American space Western film directed by Conrad E. Palmisano.[4]

Premise

Two centuries in the future, a dangerous lunatic named Grange (Paré) is sentenced to a penal colony, Botany Bay, on the planet Proxima Centauri 3. There, a bounty hunter (Laughlin) and an ex-policeman (Farnsworth) team up to prevent him from escaping.[5]

Cast

Production

The film was the brainchild of Beverly Hills psychologist Morton Reed. During a luncheon with film industry friends Roger Corman and Elliott Slutzky, he heard them complain about how hard it was to make films based on fresh concepts. Reed, who had moonlighted as a writer, told them on a dare that he could easily come up with an exciting movie.[6] He formed his own company Morton Reed Productions[7] and found a partner in Vestron, a distributor of genre films looking to branch out into production.[8][9] His project was the most expensive of Vestron's initial three-picture slate, which also comprised two chillers from Friday the 13th producer Steve Minasian, the compilation film Don't Scream, It's Only a Movie! and April Fool's Day (later renamed Slaughter High).[2] The film's budget was initially estimated between $3.2 million and $3.5 million.[2][3] It was helmed by stunt coordinator Conrad Palmisano, in his main unit directorial debut.

Filming began on January 26, 1985.[10] During a promotional appearance for a prior feature in early March, Farnsworth confirmed he had just completed principal photography on the picture, which was shot under the title A Dollar A Day.[11] Shortly after however, it had been re-titled to Trackers: 2180 or just Trackers.[2][6] Some sources mention another considered title, The Last Frontier.[7] Farnsworth, who was contemplating retirement, expressed satisfaction with the shoot, on which he felt more at ease than on the troubled equestrian drama Sylvester.[11] Reed conceded that he had been surprised by the demands of filmmaking, saying: "It's incredible, such hard hours, that I don't think there can be a really, totally bad filmmaker in the world. If you finish, you're a hero. No matter how you did it, it's incredible."[6]

Following test screenings however, the result of Reed's work was deemed unsatisfactory and the movie was ordered to undergo reshoots, which were directed by production executive Peter McCarthy.[10]

Release

Theatrical

The film received a theatrical premiere in Stamford, Connecticut, the hometown of production company Vestron, on Christmas 1985.[10] At that time, it was still being promoted as Trackers: 2180.[12] It was then shelved and retooled before its actual release in Ohio, starting on November 21, 1986.[1] However, unlike some other Vestron releases that used a touring regional model, no information could be found about the film being shown in other markets.

Home media

The film was released on Betamax and VHS cassettes via Vestron subsidiary Lightning Video on July 21, 1987.[13]

Reception

The Variety reviewer identified as Lor. was negative, opining: "there is almost no futurism to the picture's design, an instant disappointment for sci-fi fans. A good cast is wasted, particularly Lee Purcell [...]". Leonard Maltin wrote that Farnsworth "should've turned [his laser-beam six-shooter] on the negative of this bomb."[14] TV Guide rated it two out of four stars and called it "an uneasy blend of science fiction and western", though it praised the unconventional casting of Paré as a villain.[15] Bantam Books' Movies on TV and Videocassette felt that the film's "futuristic trappings fail to enliven this tired shoot-'em-up."[16]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes song by alternative rock bands The Spikes, The Screaming Believers, Exploding White Mice, Dream Syndicate and Blood Money.

References

  1. ^ a b "Area Showtimes". The News-Messenger. Fremont. November 20, 1986. p. Time Out 3  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  2. ^ a b c d Zuckerman, Faye (March 23, 1985). "Vestron launches Feature Film Division" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. Vol. 97, no. 12. New York: Billboard Publications. p. 22. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ a b Canton, Rolf (2007). "Producers: Patrick Wells". Behind the cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II. Minneapolis: Micawber's. p. 22. ISBN 9781932472530.
  4. ^ Green, Paul (2016). Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns. McFarland & Company. p. 227. ISBN 9781476662572.
  5. ^ Brennan, Sandra (2007). "Space Rage (1986)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 24, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "Psychologist becomes a filmmaker on a dare". The Daily Press. Victorville. Associated Press. May 17, 1985. p. C-3.
  7. ^ a b "Space Rage (1985)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Leahy, William, ed. (1988). "Space Rage". The 1988 Motion Picture Annual (covering films of 1987). Evanston: CineBooks. p. 214. ISBN 9780933997172.
  9. ^ Lor. (1987). "Space Rage review". Variety. New York – via imdb.com.
  10. ^ a b c "Space Rage: Miscellaneous Notes". tcm.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Carter, Tom (March 10, 1985). "State trying to draw filmmakers: arts fund plans drive". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. D2  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  12. ^ "The '86 Pix Mix". Los Angeles Times. January 12, 1986. p. 12  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  13. ^ "Home Video Guide". Palm Beach Post. July 17, 1987. p. 23  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  14. ^ Maltin, Leonard (2014). Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780698183612.
  15. ^ "Space Rage". TV Guide. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  16. ^ Scheuer, Steven H., ed. (December 1989). Movies on TV and Videocassette 1990–1991 (14th ed.). New York: Bantam Books. p. 739. ISBN 0553282883.

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