Dogs in Space (1986)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Richard Lowenstein

Writer:

Richard Lowenstein (writer)

Release Date:

1 January 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The film is set in a house occupied by a collection of social misfits. The main storyline is that of a strange musician's relationship with a girl...

Plot Keywords:

Punk | Australia | Melbourne Victoria | Drug Addiction | New Wave Music

Cast

Michael Hutchence	...	Sam
Saskia Post	...	Anna
Nique Needles	...	Tim
Deanna Bond	...	The Girl
Tony Helou	...	Luchio
Chris Haywood	...	Chainsaw man
Peter Walsh	...	Anthony
Laura Swanson	...	Clare
Adam Briscomb	...	Grant
Sharon Jessop	...	Leanne
Edward Clayton-Jones	...	Nick
Martii Coles	...	Mark
Chuck Meo	...	Charles
Caroline Lee	...	Jenny
Fiona Latham	...	Barbara

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Burrowes Film Group

Trivia:

This film is based on real life and several of the people the characters are based upon appear in the movie as extras. At the car flip-over party, the runaway girl sits on the lap of the real Sam, Michael Hutchence's character. The real Tim, filmmaker Richard Lowenstein, is seen in a blue and white striped shirt and wearing a head scarf at the same party. The real little guy in the trench coat appears outside the restroom where the movie little guy in a trench coat is shooting up. Chuck plays himself; that is the real Chuck Meo on screen. The real Sam can also be seen at the club, watching the woman doing the Nick Cave cover.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film is set in 1978 but involves a sub-plot focusing on debris from the space station Skylab, which didn't crash until 1979.

Quotes:

Charles: Bloody crazy sex maniacs!

Movie Connections:

References "Star Trek" (1966)

Soundtrack:

True Love

A snap-shot of the moment between youth and reality.

This is one of my favorite movies, but for personal - not cinematic - reasons.

During high school I lived without parents, and frequently my house resembled the house in the pic. It was filled with teens and early twenty-somethings who were trying to either get the hang of standing alone as adults or ignoring the fact that they'd passed childhood up altogether.

Most people may not realize that the movie gives a fairly accurate description of that (sur)reality. It may seem shallow or pretentious, and it may lack in "deep" plot twists and turns. The thing is, at that age, and in that type of life you live without worrying about the next day because it's just too big a concern to deal with. Most will never live, or think/feel this way.

On the cinematic side: the movie is not for someone sitting down to "view a good book." It's more a chance to turn off higher functions and experience another side of the world (not just Australia, but the time period and lifestyle). It's also important to note that this is not a Hollywood "teen" or "young adult" comedy - it's a drama with a lot of nonsense included, because that's what life is like.

It really is a shame that the movie isn't more widely available. I still own it from the original release, and only one of the rental stores (family owned) in my area has a copy. I'm sure it would more than meet the price to release to DVD. (I'm certain that a double disk including the original soundtrack would actually sell quite well!)

If you find it, watch it.