The Survivor (1981)

Director:

David Hemmings

Writers:

David Ambrose (screenplay)
James Herbert (novel)

Release Date:

9 July 1981 (Australia)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

A tale of death, and of an evil which transcends death

Plot Keywords:

Burnt Face | Plane Crash | Airline | Amnesia | Airline Pilot

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert Powell	...	Keller
Jenny Agutter	...	Hobbs
Joseph Cotten	...	Priest
Angela Punch McGregor	...	Beth (as Angela Punch-McGregor)
Peter Sumner	...	Tewson
Lorna Lesley	...	Susan
Ralph Cotterill	...	Slater
Adrian Wright	...	Goodwin
Tyler Coppin	...	Boy
Kirk Alexander	...	Dr. Martindale
Jon Nicholls	...	Jackson
Roger Cardwell	...	Flight Engineer
Jenufa Scott-Roberts	...	Stewardess
John Edmund	...	Goswell
Denzil Howson	...	Rogan

Runtime:

87 min | Australia:99 min (original release)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Crystal Films

Trivia:

This was the first Australian movie to cost more than $1 million (Aust) to make.

Goofs:

Continuity: The pilot is seen switching off the "No Smoking" and "Fasten Seat Belt" signs almost immediately the plane is airborne, yet just a few seconds later it can be seen that the wheels have not been retracted. The signs would have been kept lit until the plane was well into the air, which would be some time after the wheels had been retracted.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

Nice idea lost in the edit

Part of an ill-fated two-picture deal (alongside Harlequin) that Robert Powell signed in the wake of Jesus of Nazareth's success, Australian horror movie The Survivor is a fairly good idea undone by clumsy writing and rushed execution, although the film looks like it's either been heavily edited or they ran out of money and couldn't film everything in the script. Ideas are left hanging, motives unexplained and characters disappear after fleeting introductions (third-billed Angela Punch McGregor gets a single line in one brief scene). Powell's pilot is the sole survivor of a crash on take-off and as he falls under suspicion during the crash investigation, those exploiting the tragedy (most notably an unscrupulous photographer) start to die at the hands of the dead victims and Jenny Agutter's psychic tries to enlist his help in giving their spirits peace before the body count rises. All of which sounds much more interesting than the execution, as David Hemmings' direction veers more to the competent than the inspired, though a replay of the spectacular crash scene near the end is highly effective.