Slipstream (1989 film)
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| Slipstream | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Steven Lisberger |
| Produced by | Gary Kurtz Nigel Green William Braunstein Steve Lanning Arthur Maslansky |
| Written by | Tony Kayden |
| Starring | Bob Peck Mark Hamill Kitty Aldridge Bill Paxton Robbie Coltrane Ben Kingsley F. Murray Abraham |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Frank Tidy |
| Editing by | Terry Rawlings |
| Distributed by | Management Company Entertainment Group/Virgin Vision |
| Release date(s) |  June 22, 1989 April 10, 1990 |
| Running time | 102 Minutes |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Slipstream is a 1989 adventure/science fiction film starring Bob Peck, Mark Hamill, Bill Paxton, and Kitty Aldridge. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which the landscape of the Earth itself has been changed. The film was released in the United Kingdom, but was never released in theaters in North America. A DVD version of Slipstream, without any special features, was released on March 9, 2004.
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[edit] Plot summary
Slipstream takes place in the near future. A natural disaster (or series of natural disasters) has radically changed the globe. The Earth is ruled by a powerful wind which emerged from the apocalypse, the Slipstream; flying in airplanes or balloons is now the main (if not only) form of long distance transportation.
The film opens with a man, Byron (Peck) running down a canyon, being harassed by an airplane. Byron takes refuge from his pursuers on a precipice overlooking the canyon. The plane lands and its occupants, two bounty hunters named Tasker and Belitski (Hamill and Aldridge), chase the man on foot. They shoot the fugitive through the arm with a grappling hook. The fugitive looks at his arm, but doesn't seem injured. Tasker (Hamill) pulls on the rope now connected to the fugitive. He tumbles down the side of the canyon, but once again is not harmed.
They take the man prisoner and fly to an airstrip, where he stands beside them, handcuffed, as they eat in the airstrip's diner. A roguish young wanderer, Matt Owens (Paxton), makes a pass at Belitski and tries to sell illegal weapons to Tasker. It is then revealed that Tasker and Belitski are part of the remnants of a law enforcement agency, trying to keep the peace in what is left of society. Byron is wanted for murder, and they are bringing him to justice. Tasker seizes Owens' weapons and Belitski nearly breaks his arm. Later, as the cops are preparing to leave, Owens forces them to give up Byron and flees in his own plane, but not before Belitski shoots him with a dart, both poisoning him and planting a tracking device in his body. Owens then flies off "downstream", planning to turn Byron in to the authorities for a reward. Belitski and Tasker are in hot pursuit.
Owens and Byron land at the home of a cult of people that worship the Slipstream. After Byron heals a boy who was born blind, Owens knows that he is more than what he appears to be. It is then revealed by Byron that he is an android. When the wind cult finds out about Byron's abilities, they tie him to a massive kite, and let the wind decide what to do with him. The bounty hunters arrive in the middle of a windstorm, and Belitski and Owens are forced to work together to get Byron down. Belitski then allows Byron and Owens to get away, along with another visitor to the valley, a woman Ariel who has become very attached to Byron.
Ariel takes them to her home. She grew up with a group of hedonists, who inhabit an underground museum. Tasker and Belitski track the trio to the museum, which they storm. They kill most of its inhabitants. When Tasker kills Ariel, Byron sets out to kill him. Tasker leaves without Belitski, who has been captured by Owens. Tasker tries to flee in his plane, which Byron boards and crashes into a mountain. Tasker is killed, but Byron, being an android, is unharmed. He returns to the museum to find that Belitski and Owens have developed a budding romance. The film ends on a sanguine note. Byron hikes off by himself to look for some of his own kind, while Owens and Belitski leave to open their own airstrip.
[edit] Reception
Despite a big name star like Hamill and a moderate budget, Slipstream flopped in theaters in the United Kingdom and was never shown in theaters in North America. The film grossed just $66,836 during its Australian theatrical run.
