Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens
| Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Jim Sharman |
| Produced by |
Matt Carroll Jim Sharman |
| Written by |
Jim Sharman Helmut Bakaitis |
| Starring |
Jane Harders Helmut Bakaitis |
| Music by | Ralph Tyrell |
| Cinematography | David Sanderson |
| Edited by | Malcolm Smith |
Production company |
Kolossal Piktures |
Release dates |
|
Running time |
104 minutes (original cut) 79 mins (1976 re-edit) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$50,000[1] or $17,000[2] |
Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens is a 1972 film directed by Jim Sharman. It is the first feature-length film from Sharman, who subsequently directed The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Plot
In 1950s Sydney, Shirley and her gang discover that aliens have attacked Australia but no one believes them. Shirley is assumed to be insane and is committed to a lunatic asylum.
Cast
- Jane Harders as Shirley Thompson
- June Collis as Dr Leslie Smith
- Tim Elliot as Dr George Talbot
- Marion Johns as Rita Thompson
- John Llewellyn as Reg Thompson
- Marie Nicholas as Narelle Thompson
- Helmut Bakaitis as Harold
- John Ivkovitch as Bruce
- Bruce Gould as Blake
- Kate Fitzpatrick as nurse
- Alexander Hay as Alien
- Ron Haddrick as replica of Prince Philip
- Phil Kitamura as gang member
- Candy Raymond as gang member
- Julie Rodgers as gang member
- Georgina West as gang member
- Max Hess as gang member
- Sue Moir as gang member
Production
The film was shot on 16mm.[1] Sharman paid for the movie with his own money. It was written as a tribute to old B movies.[2]
Sharman later said "it was made quite impulsively and not without passion".[3]
Release
The film was previewed at the National Film Theatre in London in March 1972 and had its premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June and received limited release. In 1976 Sharman re-edited it substantially.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p263
- 1 2 David Stratton, The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival, Angus & Robertson, 1980 p160-161
- ↑ Robyn Anderson & Sue Adler, "Jim Sharman", Cinema Papers, March-April 1979 p269
External links
- Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens at the Internet Movie Database
- Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens at AllMovie
- Shirley Thompson vs the Aliens at Australian Screen Online
- Shirley Thompson versus the Aliens at Oz Movies
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