The Quiet Earth (1985)

A man awakens to find himself alone in the world.

Director:

Geoff Murphy

Writers:

Craig Harrison (novel), Bill Baer,

Stars:

Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith

10 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bruno Lawrence	...	Zac Hobson
Alison Routledge	...	Joanne
Pete Smith	...	Api (as Peter Smith)
Anzac Wallace	...	Api's Mate
Norman Fletcher	...	Perrin
Tom Hyde	...	Scientist

Storyline

A man wakes up to find himself literally alone in the world, and goes about trying to find other survivors, as well as to find out what happened. He suspects that a government research project he was involved in had something to do with the disappearance of everyone. Eventually he finds several other people, and once they begin to trust each other they try to figure out why they were left on earth.

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Plot Keywords:

apocalypse | laboratory | hair dryer | experiment | maori | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terra Tranquila

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,595,097 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinepro, Mr. Yellowbeard Productions Limited & Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Zac checks in at work he hits a few buttons and the monitor starts buzzing and repeatedly displays the words, "Response....Negative." He is signaling all other stations in the worldwide grid to see if they are manned. The negative response tells him that everyone is gone in those countries, too.

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Goofs

In the scene where Zac cries "aaa!" in the cathedral, you can see a white car passing in the distance.

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Quotes

Joanne: God blinked, and the whole world disappeared.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits the scene cuts to a close up of Zac Hobson staring in stunned disbelief at what he's beholding. Then he realizes he's still holding his mini-tape recorder in his left hand, and after a moment of contemplation lets it drop to his side, as if there are no words to describe the sight.

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Connections

Featured in Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Prelude No. 2"
Performed by Kenny Burrell

User Reviews

The Quiet Earth

This movie sticks in your mind for days. The opening scenes immediately pull you into this eerie, lifeless world as we see our hero driving around ghost towns, looking for signs of life. A terrifying concept that hooks you. There are classic moments throughout the first half of the movie as we witness the various states of madness our hero goes through before he accepts his situation and takes control. It's this part of the movie that made it a cult classic. As soon as the plot starts to thicken and the focus is taken away from his desolate existence, the magic starts to ebb. However, you are still left on the edge of your seat until you get an answer to any of the questions the story line produced. The end scene, is beautiful, perplexing but I've got to say, a bit of a cop-out. However, its' lack of answers keep you guessing. A superb, off the wall film, that stays inside you.