Firebird 2015 AD (1981)

Director:

David M. Robertson

Writers:

Maurice Hurley (writer)
Biff McGuire (writer)

Release Date:

18 September 1981 (Canada)

Genre:

Action | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A boy... A girl... A car. Only the car is forbidden.

Plot:

In one of many unpopular and unsupported policy decisions, the US government of the near future outlaws...

Plot Keywords:

Renegade | Future | Outlaw | 2010s | Firebird

Cast

Darren McGavin	...	Red
Doug McClure	...	McVain
George Touliatos	...	Indy
Robert Wisden	...	Cam (as Robert Charles Wisden)
Mary Beth Rubens	...	Jill
Barbara Williams	...	Shana
Alex Diakun	...	Dolan
Lee Broker	...	Saunders
Frank Pellegrino	...	Chance
Bill Berry	...	Burner
Tony Sharpe	...	Senator Curtis
Fred Keating	...	Bodyguard #1
Gary Paller	...	Bodyguard #2

Runtime:

97 min | West Germany:93 min (video)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Drumheller, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Mara Film Productions

Trivia:

A clip of this movie is on "The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made" DVD Region 1 NTSC.

Goofs:

Continuity: When some thugs knock down the door during a nude love scene, in the next shot the couple are already fully dressed.

Quotes:

McVain: Give me the ID, I gotta fill out my report.
Dolan: Play me for it.
McVain: We're not kids anymore, Dole.
Dolan: Come on Jase, take your best shot.
McVain: Will you just give it to me!
Dolan: ...play for it!
McVain: No games! I said, NO GAMES!
Dolan: Plaaaay...
[McVain slaps Dolans right hand, and Dolan reveals the ID and hands it to McVain]
McVain: Thanks, kid.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

Psychological futuristic piece with great upside

This is one of those movies that even if you don't agree with the concept, the director does a splendid job of making you think, much like "Unforgiven", in which you are compelled to side with a "murderer or women and children". Here, you are compelled to side with self righteous mechanics of the future. This is extremely difficult since mechanics pretty well control America today. But the writing and directing is very clever. In the future, the government controls gas and motor vehicles. One young man is part of a small family type group that rebels against this and has their own vehicles. He agrees with the government. The girl he is interested in, insists otherwise. Meanwhile, McClure has the catalyst role. He leads some soldiers in the area who are responsible for keeping the regulations. One of the soldiers is an extremely macabre, deranged man. Here again, the film is cleverly drawn to show how the truly dangerous and deranged men are often not the ones who paint their faces, but rather pulling strings. Unlike other movies in this genre, the action is very realistic, and the people react in a way that doesn't make you roll your eyes. They are human and make mistakes. No comically choreographed fight scenes here. This is both a thinking man's piece, and a movie with action. The characters present an upside. One of the best movies of this genre.