Def-Con 4 (1985)

Directors:

Paul Donovan
Digby Cook
(more)

Writer:

Paul Donovan

Release Date:

15 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Two men and a woman circle the globe in a satellite armed with a nuclear device. The third world war breaks out...

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Post Apocalypse | Survival | Independent Film

Cast

Lenore Zann	...	J.J.
Maury Chaykin	...	Vinny
Kate Lynch	...	Jordan
Kevin King	...	Gideon Hayes
John Walsch	...	Walker
Tim Choate	...	Howe
Jeff Pustil	...	Lacey
Donna King	...	Alice
Alan MacGillivray	...	Boomer (as Allan MacGillivray)
Florence Paterson	...	Mrs. Boyd
Karen Kennedy	...	WWN Newscaster (as Karen Kenedy)
Ken Ryan	...	Newscaster
Geoff Harrington	...	Vicious Trouper
Al Foster	...	Oldster
Hugh Orr	...	Squad Leader
Bruce Piercy	...	Squad Leader / Trooper
Peter Falconer	...	Boat Guard / Trooper
John Allen	...	Trooper
Elaine Armstrong	...	Trooper
Sam Bardon	...	Trooper
Robert Billings	...	Trooper
Edwin Cameron	...	Trooper
Colin Campbell	...	Trooper
Douglas Carrigan	...	Trooper (as Doug Carrigan)
Paul Church	...	Trooper
Shannon Eamon	...	Trooper
Timothy Egan	...	Trooper
Adam Foss	...	Trooper
John Galloway	...	Trooper
Kenneth Harrington	...	Trooper
Garth Johnson	...	Trooper
Rajeev Khokar	...	Trooper
Clyde Lefort	...	Trooper
Michael MacKinnon	...	Trooper
Margaret MacQuarrie	...	Trooper
Joanne Morehouse	...	Trooper
Alycon Outhit	...	Trooper
Tim Reed	...	Trooper
Michael Roden	...	Trooper
Douglas Scott	...	Trooper
Andrew Short	...	Trooper
David Sloan	...	Trooper
Robert Speirs	...	Trooper
Timothy Stewart	...	Trooper (as Tim Stewart)
Jim Swansburg	...	Trooper (as James R. Swansburg)
Jim Liswell	...	Furnace Operator
Ted Germaine	...	First Hangman
Daniel Boudreault	...	Second Hangman

Directed by
Paul Donovan
Digby Cook		(director: WWN news segment)
Tony Randel		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Donovan

Produced by
Digby Cook	....	producer: WWN news segment
Michael Donovan	....	producer
Paul Donovan	....	producer
Maura O'Connell	....	producer
Cordell Wynne	....	line producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young		(as Chris Young)

Cinematography by
Douglas Connell
Les Krizsan

Film Editing by
Todd C. Ramsay

Casting by
Barbara Jones

Production Design by
Emanuel Jannasch
J.W. Walsh

Art Direction by
Fred Allen
Tom Daly

Costume Design by
Karen Brazill

Makeup Department
Cindy Bulger	....	assistant makeup artist
Annemarie Cassidy	....	assistant makeup artist
Mary Ann Foote	....	assistant makeup artist
Margaret Garrison	....	assistant makeup artist
Jennifer Lindgren	....	hair stylist
Jennifer Lindgren	....	makeup artist

Production Management
W. James Bruce	....	production manager
Tony Randel	....	post-production supervisor (as Anthony Randel)
Cordell Wynne	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Houston	....	first assistant director
Stephen Reynolds	....	second assistant director (as Steve Reynolds)
Andrea Shaw	....	third assistant director

Art Department
John Adamson	....	set builder
Robert Brushett	....	set builder
Ryal Cosgrove	....	property master
Keith Currie	....	assistant props
Peter Greer	....	set builder
Ian Grieg	....	set builder
Gordon Hammond	....	miniatures
Tim Harding	....	set builder
Paul Jardine	....	set builder
Hugh Jones	....	set builder
Roger Merrick	....	set builder
Paul Millington	....	set builder
Paula Musial	....	set builder
Dan Myers	....	set builder
Tom Myers	....	set builder
Max Newby	....	set builder
Gail Stewart	....	set builder
Inga Volmer	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Bob Biggart	....	supervising sound editor (as Bob Biggert)
Marc Chiasson	....	boom operator (as Marc Chaisson)
Kent Daubney	....	sound: WWN news segment
Pierre Dostie	....	location sound mixer
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator (as Herbert Heritage)
Richard D. Rogers	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Rodgers)
Allan Scarth	....	boom operator
Peter Shewchuk	....	location sound mixer
Peter Thillaye	....	sound pre-mix
Gord Thompson	....	location sound mixer (as Gordon Thompson)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John 'Doc' Wilkinson)

Special Effects by
David Albiston	....	special effects technician (as Dave Albiston)
Keith Currie	....	special effects art director
Bruce McKenna	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Gulzar Keshaujee	....	electronic graphics
Geoff Park	....	computer graphics

Camera and Electrical Department
Gary Breithaupt	....	camera operator: WWN news segment
Chuck Calder	....	grip
Tony Cigolotti	....	electrics assistant
Chuck Clark	....	grip
Pia Collaco-Haggart	....	still photographer
Terry Davenport	....	gaffer
Charles E. Doucet	....	camera operator (as Charles Doucette)
Sean Flanagan	....	rigger
David Fray	....	vtr technician: WWN news segment
Mike Gibson	....	clapper loader
Ian Henderson	....	grip
Gordon Langevin	....	first assistant camera
Gordon Langevin	....	focus puller
Chuck Lapp	....	electrician
Paul MacDonald	....	camera operator
Paul Mitcheltree	....	Steadicam operator
Andrew Mulkani	....	key grip
Ken Murphy	....	switcher
Paula Musial	....	grip
Bill Niven	....	still photographer
Harald Ortenburger	....	camera operator (as Harold Oatenburger)
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer (as Chris Porter)
Michael Ruggles	....	electrician
Kevin Shaw	....	camera operator: WWN news segment
Ron Stewart	....	camera electronics designer
David Sturgeon	....	loader

Casting Department
Alan MacGillivray	....	casting assistant (as Allan MacGillivray)
Michael Seay	....	casting assistant (as Mickie Seay)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rebecca Bain	....	wardrobe assistant
Robin Benjamin	....	wardrobe assistant
Lynsie Morris	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Steve Barnett	....	post-production coordinator
Robert Heruavec	....	editorial assistant: WWN news segment
Chris Hinton	....	color timer
Lulu Keating	....	assistant editor
Henry Morton	....	editorial assistant: WWN news segment
Mark Pierce	....	post-production assistant
Debby Ray	....	assistant editor
Peter Smits	....	assistant editor
Marta Nielsen Sternberg	....	assistant editor
Dennis White	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Gigi De Young	....	music coordinator
Jeff Vaughn	....	music recording engineer
Paul Francis Witt	....	conductor

Other crew
Judy Arsenault	....	production assistant
Tim Bider	....	production assistant
Judith Cormier	....	production secretary
Tom Cove	....	underwater specialist
Ernest D. Farino	....	title designer
Mark Hall	....	technical director: WWN news segment
T.H. Hatte	....	production assistant
Barbara Jones	....	dialogue coach
Bruce McKenna	....	production assistant
Neil Millington	....	cook
Robert Nicolle	....	production assistant
Thomas A. Nicolle	....	production accountant
Charlene Pearce	....	production assistant
Dug Rotstein	....	continuity
Andrea Shaw	....	extras coordinator
Royal Stevens	....	production assistant
Greg Varens	....	production assistant
Andrew Ward	....	cook
Gerry Wilkinson	....	floor director: WWN news segment

Thanks
Teri-Anne Brideau	....	special thanks
Joseph Brown	....	special thanks
Robert Chivas	....	special thanks
Allison Crowe	....	special thanks
Raymond Doherty	....	special thanks
Gordon Forsyth	....	special thanks
Thomas Garvin	....	special thanks (as Tom Garvin Esq.)
Diana Gordon	....	special thanks
Jim Harding	....	special thanks
Jim Liswell	....	special thanks
Ethel MacLeod	....	special thanks
Nancy Murray	....	special thanks
Brigetta Pederson	....	special thanks
Jack Robinson	....	special thanks
Edward Wedler	....	special thanks
Robert Weir	....	special thanks
Charles Westaver	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New World Pictures
• Salter Street Films International

Distributors

• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (double feature with "Hell Comes to Frogtown")
• New World Pictures
• Starmaker Video (video)

Also Known As:

"Defense Condition 4" - Canada (English title) (complete title)

Runtime:

88 min | UK:84 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

A Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) card is used as part of a tripwire for the trap on Vinny's farm that explodes approximately 30 minutes into the film. It is the real SIN card for Cordell Wynne, line producer for the movie. It reveals that his middle name is 'Gerald', and his SIN is 710-061-607.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The coordinates for the uncontaminated survival station, 62.17.20N 19.02.40E, are actually in the Gulf Of Bothnia between Sweden and Finland and there is no land mass there.

Quotes:

Vinny:What kind of areola's does she have? Pink, brown, or red?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986)

Revenge of the 80's: Apocaplypse Now!

Def-Con 4 (1985) was a surprisingly good low budget take on World World 3. Despite the low budget and the cast of minor actors, it works. The landscape and the situations the residents on a heavily radioactive Earth are a lot similar to what it would actually be like compared to most movies that were made during this time.

A nuclear warhead equipped space station is circling above the stratosphere when the unthinkable happens. Nuclear holocaust! In a pickle, the crew aboard the space station must make several decisions in order for them to survive in a world that's nearly impossible to survive on. Can they do it? What kind of world awaits their return? A watchable film that will give you a good time if in the right mood.

Recommended.