Dogs in Space (1986)

Director:

Richard Lowenstein

Writer:

Richard Lowenstein (written by)

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

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
Stephanie Johnson	...	Erica
Gary Foley	...	Barry
Glenys Osborne	...	Lisa
Alannah Hill	...	Anna's girlfriend
Robyn McLellan	...	Anna's girlfriend
Troy Davies	...	Skinhead / Leanne's brother
John Murphy	...	Leanne's brother
Owen Roberson	...	Leanne's brother
Helena Phillips	...	Stacey
Kelly Hoare	...	Chainsaw woman
Robyn Lowenstein	...	Chainsaw baby
Robert Ratti	...	The Dealer
Barbara Jungwirth	...	Sam's Mother
Beamish Elliot	...	Hardcore Hippie
Noel Pennington	...	Policeman
Ted Fahrner	...	Policeman
Michelle Bennett	...	Grant's Girl
Lian Lunson	...	Grant's Girl
George Maleckas	...	Crazy George
Hugo Race	...	Pierre
Joe Camilleri	...	Terry Towling Man
Liz Meyers	...	Sales Person
Tim McLaughlin	...	Sales Person
Lillian Wilson	...	Mount Waverley Mum
Emma de Clario	...	Champion Girl (as Emma Di Clario)
Sybil Gibb	...	Champion Girl
Helen Gianeysky	...	TV Interviewer
Jean Osborne
Gavin Wood	...	Himself - Countdown Announcer (voice)
Bohdan
Martha Butler
Harriet Freeman
Kelly Gallagher
Angela Howard
Tim Millikan
Marie Hoy
Sarah Newsome
Ollie Olsen	...	Bowie Fan
Miriam Smith
Miles Standish
Noah Taylor	...	Bowie Fan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kate Doherty
Brooke Andrew	...	Drummer (uncredited)
Anthony C. Francis	...	Uncredited (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Lowenstein

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Lowenstein		written by

Produced by
Robert Le Tet	....	executive producer
Richard Lowenstein	....	producer
Glenys Rowe	....	producer
Dennis Wright	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michael Hutchence

Cinematography by
Andrew de Groot

Film Editing by
Jill Bilcock

Art Direction by
Jody Borland

Costume Design by
Karen Ansell
Lynn-Marie Milburn

Makeup Department
Troy Davies	....	makeup artist
Carolyn Nott	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lynda House	....	production manager
John Kearney	....	executive in charge of production
Kim Lewis	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Grinder	....	second assistant director
Ross Hamilton	....	first assistant director
Margot Saloman	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Steven Jones-Evans	....	art department buyer
Chris Kennedy	....	set dresser
MacGregor Knox	....	stand-by props
Steven Meier	....	props

Sound Department
Tim Chau	....	sound editor
Peter Clancy	....	sound engineer
Bruce Emery	....	sound mixer
Dean Gawen	....	sound editor (as Dean Gawden)
Dean Gawen	....	sound recordist (as Dean Gawden)
Dean Gawen	....	sound supervisor (as Dean Gawden)
Steve Lambeth	....	sound editor
John Murphy	....	sound effects editor
Roger Savage	....	sound mixer
Stephen Vaughan	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Jeff Little	....	special effects
Brian Pearce	....	special effects supervisor
Peter Stubbs	....	special effects

Stunts
Rikki Van Gyen	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Ian Jones	....	Steadicam operator
Mandy Walker	....	clapper loader

Music Department
Ross Cockle	....	music score engineer
Ollie Olsen	....	musical director

Other crew
Tony Ayres	....	attachment: Film Victoria
Jakki Mann	....	production coordinator
Sam Sejavka	....	script consultant
Sue Stephens	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Robert Abboud	....	thanks
Nick Cave	....	thanks
Ian 'Molly' Meldrum	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Burrowes Film Group
• Ghost Pictures

Distributors

• Skouras Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Hoyts Distribution
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Australia:MA (re-rating: 2009) | 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: When Anna is buying Sam a microwave brick at the store, an issue of National Lampoon from 1985 is seen on the magazine rack.

Quotes:

Tim:Better watch out, Sammy. You'll get healthy eating all that crap.

Movie Connections:

Features "Thunderbirds" (1965)

Soundtrack:

Golf Course

a very real depiction of that kind of life

I was obsessed with this movie when it came out. Firstly, I was the age of the characters and into that scene, that music, etc. Secondly, being from Melbourne, it was all very real. Also, Sam Sejavka, who the film is based on, came to my school in the mid-eighties and used some of my friends in a video-clip for his band, Beargarden. My sister's best friend, Deanna, played 'the girl' in the movie.

So we went and saw the movie underaged and followed it with that cult-like devotion, for a while it seemed every afflicted night would end with us trying to or finding the house, etc etc. There was so much to the movie we could identify with. Much later I went and saw 3 or 4 plays that Sejavka had written or directed. On the whole they were brilliant, particularly 'In Angel Gear', and most had the same feel of Dogs In Space. Saskia Post was in one of them.

This is probably no use to those who haven't seen it. But in concurrence with most who have written - it was so, so real.