| Out of the Blue | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Sarkies |
| Produced by | Steven O'Meagher Tim White |
| Written by | Graeme Tetley Robert Sarkies |
| Starring | Karl Urban Matthew Sunderland Lois Lawn Simon Ferry Tandi Wright Paul Glover William Kircher Georgia Fabish Fayth Rasmussen |
| Editing by | Annie Collins |
| Distributed by | The Weinstein Company (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | September 11, 2006 (Toronto) October 12, 2006 (New Zealand) |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Language | English |
| Budget | NZ$6 million |
Out of the Blue is a 2006 New Zealand film directed by Robert Sarkies and starring Karl Urban. The film premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival in Canada and was released in New Zealand on 12 October 2006 to minor controversy. The film has since grossed well over $1 million at the New Zealand box-office taking it into the top ten highest grossing local films.[1]
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The film is based on the Aramoana Massacre that occurred over a period of two days on 13 November and 14 November 1990 in New Zealand. In the southern part of the South Island of New Zealand, just 17 miles north of Dunedin, the small coastal community of Aramoana stretches along a narrow sandy spit that pokes out into the mouth of New Zealand's Otago Harbour. The name Aramoana is Maori for "pathway to the sea". Aramoana is an idyllic and peaceful place to live; a beautiful coastal part of the Pacific rim, near where albarosses come to roost (opposite the harbour channel, on Taiaroa Heads) after their long global journey. But on 13 November 1990, Aramoana turns into hell on earth. Resident David Gray, an unemployed gun fanatic and collector, goes on a rampage in which he fatally shoots 13 people before being killed by police.
The production faced some opposition from the town, and as a result, little filming was done in Aramoana itself, though the community did allow some scenes to be shot in the settlement. Some members of the community were against the movie being filmed, but they agreed when it was settled that they would see the movie first, and it would not be called 'Aramoana.' Most of the filming was shot in Long Beach, a settlement six kilometres from Aramoana.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification has classified the film Out of the Blue as R15[2] (restricted to viewers under 15 years of age) with the descriptive note "violence and content that may disturb". The film was restricted because the murders it depicts are likely to cause younger viewers distress and threaten their sense of personal safety. "Out of the Blue deals with recent events involving real people. For that reason we consulted with the families of victims and the Aramoana community. We were impressed by the articulate and heartfelt comments they made at our meetings" said Chief Censor Bill Hastings.[2]
The film deals with violence in a realistic but restrained way. The effect the film has on its audience is likely to depend on the circumstances of the viewer. Mr Hastings said "for some of those closely involved in the events it portrays the film may be upsetting and traumatic. Other people may view it as a sensitive portrayal of the responses of ordinary people to horrific events."[2]