IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
A New Zealand man recently estranged from his family gets unwittingly caught up in a revolution.A New Zealand man recently estranged from his family gets unwittingly caught up in a revolution.A New Zealand man recently estranged from his family gets unwittingly caught up in a revolution.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
William Johnson
- Cousins
- (as Bill Johnson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first New Zealand produced film to attain general release in the USA.
- GoofsAn authentic assault rifle would be too heavy to "float" on the surface of the motel's swimming pool. (See the 'Trivia' section regarding the film's use of firearm replicas.)
- Quotes
Col. Willoughby: [to Smith] I got my eye on you, boy. I got my eye on you really good.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Cowboys of Culture (1990)
- SoundtracksGoing to Coromandel
Ariel Railway
Courtesy of EMI New Zealand
Featured review
Solid if not spectacular
Based on the novel Smith's Dream by academic C. K. Stead, Sleeping Dogs is set in a totalitarian New Zealand. Smith moves to the country to escape trouble but is framed by the state as a terrorist.The rest of the film involves his attempts to avoid arrest and his eventual fate.
Released in 1977, the film possessed a poignancy for New Zealanders, who at the time viewed the then Muldoon National Government with some suspicion. A scene involving riot police in an Auckland street was a chilling portent of events during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to New Zealand, and indeed on its release in the USA, some Americans confused the film's images with media reports of the tour protests.
Notable for Sam Neill's role as Smith, the movie started a late 1970s revival in the New Zealand film industry, including movies such as The Scarecrow, Skin Deep, and Smash Palace.
Released in 1977, the film possessed a poignancy for New Zealanders, who at the time viewed the then Muldoon National Government with some suspicion. A scene involving riot police in an Auckland street was a chilling portent of events during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to New Zealand, and indeed on its release in the USA, some Americans confused the film's images with media reports of the tour protests.
Notable for Sam Neill's role as Smith, the movie started a late 1970s revival in the New Zealand film industry, including movies such as The Scarecrow, Skin Deep, and Smash Palace.
helpful•70
- stekelmoll
- Jun 18, 2002
- How long is Sleeping Dogs?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- NZ$450,000 (estimated)
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