Starman (1984)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Bruce A. Evans (written by) &
Raynold Gideon (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In 1977 Voyager II was launched into space, inviting all lifeforms in the universe to visit our planet. Get ready. Company's coming.

Plot:

An alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona. The government tries to stop them.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Widow | Crater | Diner | Army

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Starman
Karen Allen	...	Jenny Hayden
Charles Martin Smith	...	Mark Shermin
Richard Jaeckel	...	George Fox
Robert Phalen	...	Major Bell
Tony Edwards	...	Sergeant Lemon
John Walter Davis	...	Brad Heinmuller
Ted White	...	Deer Hunter
Dirk Blocker	...	Cop #1
M.C. Gainey	...	Cop #2
Sean Stanek	...	Hot Rodder (as Sean Faro)
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Cook (as Buck Flower)
Russ Benning	...	Scientist
Ralph Cosham	...	Marine Lieutenant
David Wells	...	Fox's Assistant
Anthony Grumbach	...	NSA Officer
James Deeth	...	S-61 Pilot (as Jim Deeth)
Alex Daniels	...	Gas Station Attendant
Carol Rosenthal	...	Gas Customer
Mickey Jones	...	Trucker
Lu Leonard	...	Roadhouse Waitress
Charlie Hughes	...	Bus Driver
Byron Walls	...	Police Sergeant
Betty Bunch	...	Truck Stop Waitress
Victor McLemore	...	Roadblock Lt.
Steven Brennan	...	Roadblock Sergeant
Pat Lee	...	Bracero Wife
Judith Kim	...	Girl Barker
Ron Colby	...	Cafe Waiter (as Ronald Colby)
Robert Stein	...	State Trooper
Kenny Call	...	Donnie Bob
Jeff Ramsey	...	Hunter #1
Jerry Gatlin	...	Hunter #2
David Daniell	...	Letterman
Randy Tutton	...	2nd Letterman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Carpenter	...	Man in Helicopter (uncredited)
Steve Dressler	...	Casino Photographer (uncredited)
Joel Edwards	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits
Bruce A. Evans		(written by) &
Raynold Gideon		(written by)
Dean Riesner		uncredited

Produced by
Barry Bernardi	....	co-producer
Michael Douglas	....	executive producer
Bruce A. Evans	....	associate producer
Larry J. Franco	....	producer
Raynold Gideon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography by
Donald M. Morgan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marion Rothman

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Daniel A. Lomino		(as Daniel Lomino)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Makeup Department
Pete Altobelli	....	makeup artist (as Peter Altobelli)
Rick Baker	....	starman transformation
Jack Bricker	....	starman transformation crew: Stan Winston unit
Norman Bryn	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	starman transformation crew: Stan Winston unit
Allen Coulter	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Doug Drexler	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit (as Douglas Drexler)
George Engel	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit
Tom Hester	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Tim Lawrence	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Marina Pedraza	....	hair stylist
Dick Smith	....	starman transformation
Stan Winston	....	starman transformation
Tony Gardner	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit (uncredited)
John Rosengrant	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tom Joyner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Alves	....	second unit director
Jeffrey Chernov	....	first assistant director: second unit
Jeffrey Chernov	....	second assistant director
Larry J. Franco	....	first assistant director (as Larry Franco)
Nilo Otero	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Joe Alves	....	visual consultant
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master (as Larry Bird)
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
William J. Durrell Jr.	....	set designer (as William Joseph Durrell Jr.)
Bill Gay	....	leadman
Walt Hadfield	....	construction coordinator
Bob Lawless	....	standby painter
Ken Zimmerman	....	assistant property master
Lloyd A. Buswell	....	construction foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer (as Tommy Causey)
Jay Engel	....	adr editor (as Jay Engle)
Hank Garfield	....	boom operator
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	supervising sound editor (as Tom C. McCarthy Jr.)
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael P. Redbourn	....	sound editor (as Michael Redbourn)
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Roy Arbogast	....	special effects coordinator
Bill Lee	....	special effects
Kevin Quibell	....	special effects
David Simmons	....	special effects
Dick Wood	....	special effects
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Barbara Affonso	....	model maker: ILM
Craig Barron	....	matte camera supervisor: ILM
Patricia Blau	....	production coordinator: ILM
Lance Brackett	....	stage technician: ILM
Barbara Brennan	....	assistant animator: ILM
Wade Childress	....	assistant matte cameraman: ILM
Peter Daulton	....	assistant cameraman: ILM
Dick Dova	....	stage technician: ILM
Christopher Evans	....	matte artist: ILM (as Chris Evans)
Scott Farrar	....	visual effects cameraman: ILM
Robert Finley Jr.	....	miniature pyrotechnics: ILM (as Finley Jr.)
Warren Franklin	....	general manager: ILM
Joe Fulmer	....	assistant cameraman: ILM
Michael Gleason	....	chief visual effects editor: ILM
Ralph Gordon	....	optical line-up: ILM
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist: ILM
Toby Heindel	....	assistant cameraman: ILM
Robert Hill	....	assistant cameraman: ILM (as Bob Hill)
Ed Jones	....	optical line-up: ILM
Bill Kimberlin	....	visual effects editor: ILM
James Lim	....	optical camera operator: ILM
Mike MacKenzie	....	equipment engineering supervisor: ILM (as Michael MacKenzie)
Jeff Mann	....	model maker: ILM
Michael J. McAlister	....	director of visual effects photography: ILM (as Michael McAlister)
Ted Moehnke	....	miniature pyrotechnics: ILM (as Moehnke)
Michael Moore	....	assistant editor: ILM
Charlie Mullen	....	animation supervisor: ILM
Bruce Nicholson	....	supervisor of special effects
Kerry Nordquist	....	still photography: ILM
Frank Ordaz	....	matte artist: ILM
Ease Owyeung	....	supervising model maker: ILM
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte painting supervisor: ILM
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical line-up: ILM (as Tom Rosseter)
Kenneth Smith	....	optical camera operator: ILM
Peter Stolz	....	miniature pyrotechnics: ILM (as Stolz)
Pat Sweeney	....	visual effects cameraman: ILM
Larry Tan	....	model maker: ILM
Bruce Walters	....	head effects animator: ILM
Chuck Wiley	....	model maker: ILM
Joan Collins Carey	....	CGI producer: laser animation (uncredited)

Stunts
Marguerite Happy	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts (as Bob Jauregui)
William T. Lane	....	stunts (as Bill Lane)
Terry Leonard	....	stunt coordinator
Kerry Rossall	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts (as John Scott)
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Amorelli	....	best boy
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer (as Sidney Baldwin)
Hugo Cortina	....	gaffer
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
George Kohut	....	camera operator: Tennessee
Peter Kuttner	....	camera assistant: second unit
Marc Margulies	....	second assistant cameraman
George Mooradian	....	assistant camera: Tennessee
Steven Poster	....	director of photography: second unit (as Steve Poster)
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant cameraman
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator (as Chris Schweibert)
Eric Smith	....	best boy
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip (as Cal Sterry)
Joseph F. Valentine	....	panaglide operator (as Joe Valentine)
Dean Williams	....	still photographer: Tennessee
Clay H. Wilson	....	second grip (as Clay Wilson)
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Hood	....	electrician (uncredited)
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Henry Minski	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Serge Poupis	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Jeff Wolf	....	assistant camera: Tennessee (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pennie DuPont	....	additional casting (as Pennie Du Pont)
Stacey Rhodes	....	extras casting: Arizona & Tennessee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robin Michel Bush	....	costumer: women
Andy Hylton	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Virginia Katz	....	assistant editor
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter
Craig Ridenour	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brian Banks	....	music performer
Brian Banks	....	music programmer
Anthony Marinelli	....	music performer
Anthony Marinelli	....	music programmer
Curt Sobel	....	supervising music editor
Brooks Arthur	....	music producer (uncredited)
Anthony Marinelli	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Turner	....	transportation captain (as Dave Turner)
Eddie Lee Voelker	....	transportation coordinator
Roger Wooge	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Theresa Curtin	....	assistant: Messrs. Carpenter and Franco
James Deeth	....	aerial coordinator (as Jim Deeth)
Bill Evans	....	pilot
Harry Hauss	....	pilot
Michael Hill	....	production accountant (as Mike Hill)
Sandy King	....	script supervisor
Larry Kirsch	....	pilot
Kevin LaRosa	....	pilot
Ken Lavet	....	location manager: second unit
Patricia Ledford	....	location manager: Tennessee
Scott Maher	....	pilot
Carl Mazzocone	....	researcher
Bridget Murphy	....	assistant: Messrs. Carpenter and Franco
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Douglas A. Raine	....	location assistant (as Doug Raine)
Robin Rogers	....	pilot
Carol Rosenthal	....	assistant: Mr. Bernardi
Peter J. Silbermann	....	ad-pub coordinator
Steve Sirk	....	pilot
Duane Williams	....	pilot
Anna Zappia	....	production coordinator
Ron Bledsoe	....	head animal trainer (uncredited)
Mark C. Haskins	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (as Columbia Pictures)
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (co-production)
• Delphi II Productions (from) (as Columbia-Delphi Productions II)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1989) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Phonovision (1994) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Phonovision (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1990) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
• Videosonic Arts (1985) (Greece) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (special visual effects)
• Video Image (computer graphics)

Other Companies

• Michelson Food Services  catering
• Arrangment, The  catering
• Doster, Keigley & Rhodes  location casting
• Rich Mar Casting  extra casting: Los Angeles (as Richmar)
• Goldman & Associates  extras casting: Nevada
• J. Dolan Projection Units  location projection
• Laser Media  special laser effects
• Laserium  special laser effects (as Laser Images, Inc./Laserium)
• Jetcopters Inc.  helicopters
• University of North Carolina  special thanks (as University North Carolina)
• Northrop Corporation  special thanks
• Tennessee Film, Tape & Music Commission  special thanks
• Arizona Governor's Office  special thanks
• Nevada Motion Picture Division  special thanks
• Iowa Film Commission  special thanks
• Colorado Motion Picture and Television Advisory Commission  special thanks
• Pacific Title  titles

Also Known As:

"John Carpenter's Starman" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #27562) | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Manchester, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

According to John Carpenter in the audio commentary on Big Trouble in Little China (1986), the main reason for which he directed 'Starman' was that after the box-office disaster of The Thing (1982), he needed to make a movie that was the complete opposite of what 'The Thing' was so he could continue to work in Hollywood.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: (at around 1h 26 mins) They talk about the meteor crater being south of Winslow, AZ when in fact, the crater is approx 18 miles WEST of Winslow, AZ.

Quotes:

Cook:What's your line?
Starman:Line?
Cook:Work. Whaddya do when you're not hitchin' rides?
Starman:Oh, I make maps.
Cook:Make any money?
Starman:I make maps.
Cook:Well, you don't get rich cookin' either!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ghostbusters II (1989)

Soundtrack:

Theme from New York, New York

When you wish upon a Starman

Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors and it's a shame that he has not yet won an Oscar. He has been acting for thirty-five years and only been nominated four times. Starman (1984) gave him his third nomination and while he had tough competition that year, F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce in Amadeus, his performance is brilliant and every bit as good. The way that Bridges takes the character and the little glitches in his movement and speech are fascinating. It is a complete transformation and it's flawless. I was reminded of how Dustin Hoffman played his character in Rain Man with all his little stutters and twitching, but Hoffman studied the disease and had something to work with. Bridges pulls this performance off from scratch and hits a bullseye. Karen Allen and Charles Martin Smith are both good as well and the score is wonderful. The story may be a bit derivative and there are some story lulls, but who cares. This is a must-see movie simply for Bridges performance.

*** out of ****