Der Skipper (1990)

Director:

Peter Keglevic

Writer:

Peter Keglevic (written by)

Release Date:

5 April 1990 (West Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A washed-out German sailor, in a drunken state, agrees to take two British women from Gibraltar to the West Indies in his sail boat...

Plot Keywords:

Sailor | Sailing | Gibraltar | Boat | Drunkenness

Cast

Jürgen Prochnow	...	The Skipper
Patsy Kensit	...	Su
Elizabeth Hurley	...	Lou
Franz Buchrieser	...	Owner 'California'
Grazyna Szapolowska	...	Mona
Carmel S. Aquilina	...	Port Captain
Manuel Cauchi	...	1. Official
John Suda	...	2. Official
Elton Mamo	...	Boy in 'California'
Mario Stock	...	Paul Pelikan
John Ciantar	...	Waiter
Kimba	...	Willie the Dog

Directed by
Peter Keglevic

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Keglevic		written by

Produced by
Matthias Wendlandt	....	producer

Original Music by
Brynmor Llewelyn Jones		(as Brynmor Jones)

Cinematography by
Edward Klosinski		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Susanne Schett

Casting by
Angela Marquis
Rose Tobias Shaw		(as Rose Tobias-Shaw)

Production Design by
Mario Stock

Costume Design by
Ulrike Schütte

Makeup Department
Martina Angeletti	....	makeup artist
Jez Harris	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Christoph Moritz Hänska	....	production manager (as Christoph Hänska)
Herbert Kerz	....	production manager
Malcolm Scerri-Ferrante	....	production trainee
Matthias Wendlandt	....	production supervisor

Art Department
Alfred Andrews	....	painter: decorations
Wolfgang Kallnischkies	....	property master
Nicolas Kerz	....	property assistant
Joe Pisani	....	prop buyer
Claudia Wipfler	....	storyboard drawings

Sound Department
Rainer Brandt	....	dubbing
Matthias Bütow	....	assistant sound mixer
Hartmut Eichgrün	....	sound mixer
Sigrid Halversleben-Gaul	....	dialogue editor (as Sigrid Halvensleben)
Gunther Kortwich	....	sound re-recordist
Hans-Walter Kramski	....	sound effects
Karl-Heinz Laabs	....	sound re-recordist (as Karl Laabs)
Susanne Peuscher	....	sound editor
Wolfgang Widmer	....	sound

Special Effects by
Mario Cassar	....	special effects supervisor
Joe Galleja	....	special effects: Malta
Albert Gatt	....	special effects technician
Ernst Lanninger	....	special model effects technician
France Mifsud	....	special effects technician
Joseph Scibberas	....	special effects technician
Joe Sevasta	....	special effects technician (as Joseph Sevasta)
Mario Stock	....	special effects
Thomas Vögel	....	special model effects technician
Anthony Zammit	....	special effects technician
Tarcisio Zammit	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Moshe Asher	....	model effects cameraman
Bob Ballan	....	model maker
Raymond Ellul	....	assistant model maker
Tadeusz Obuchowicz	....	model effects camera assistant
Joost van der Velden	....	model maker (as Jost Van Der Velden)
Michael White	....	special model effects supervisor

Stunts
Thomas Vögel	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Andre Belitzki	....	gaffer
Klaus Bieling	....	electrician
Paul Bottone	....	electrician: Malta
Alfred Caruana	....	electrician: Malta
Alfred Chircop	....	electrician: Malta
David Ciantar	....	electrician: Malta
Edgar Grech	....	electrician: Malta
Wolfgang Jahnke	....	still photographer
Chris Karmel	....	special dolly grip constructor
Franco Mallia	....	key grip
Charles Newbould	....	electrician: Malta
Tadeusz Obuchowicz	....	assistant camera
George Pulis	....	electrician: Malta
Heinz-Jürgen Scherz	....	assistant camera
Marvic Sladden	....	key grip
Michael Stöger	....	special dolly grip constructor (as Michael Stoeger)
Klaus Peter Venn	....	dolly grip (as Klaus-Peter Venn)
Matthias Wendlandt	....	underwater camera operator
Sugar Zammit	....	electrician: Malta

Casting Department
Joe Zammit Cordina	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvonne Zarb Cousin	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Susanne Peuscher	....	assistant editor
Elke Weisser	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brynmor Llewelyn Jones	....	conductor (as Brynmor Jones)

Transportation Department
Jens Brink	....	captain: "Melora III"
Paolo Buttigieg	....	production driver
Mario Cassar	....	driver
John Ciantar	....	production driver
Vanni Farrugia	....	production driver
Charles Guiliano	....	production driver
Christoph Moritz Hänska	....	driver (as Christoph Hänska)
Nicolas Kerz	....	production driver
Mario Stock	....	driver
Kai Varduhn	....	production driver
Matthias Wendlandt	....	driver

Other crew
Donald Arthur	....	translator
Paul Avellino	....	production consultant: Malta
A.J. Benatar	....	production consultant: Gibraltar
Ino Bonello	....	location manager: Malta
Manuel Bonnici	....	caterer
Jens Brink	....	double
Jens Brink	....	nautical supervisor
Cindy Cheever	....	translator
Ulrike Engel	....	apprentice director
Ulrike Engel	....	double
Wilhelm Engelhardt	....	assistant to director
Wilhelm Engelhardt	....	double
Mavis Formosa	....	studio secretary
Rita Galea	....	production secretary
Christoph Moritz Hänska	....	boat handler (as Christoph Hänska)
Christoph Moritz Hänska	....	double (as Christoph Hänska)
Christoph Moritz Hänska	....	nautical supervisor (as Christoph Hänska)
Herbert Kerz	....	double
Erika Kretschmer	....	production accountant
Georg Liebman	....	aggregates
Andrea Lohse	....	crew: "Melora III"
Andrea Lohse	....	double
Susan Nielebock	....	continuity
Susan Nielebock	....	script supervisor
Dagmar Petzold	....	cashier
Dagmar Petzold	....	production secretary
Paul Portelli	....	boat handler
Melvin Quiñones	....	dialogue coach
Melvin Quiñones	....	dialogue supervisor
Melvin Quiñones	....	translator
Ernest M. Russo	....	production consultant: Gibraltar
Joachim Veers	....	sea rescue devices
Matthias Wendlandt	....	boat handler
Stephen Xuereb	....	dog trainer

Production Companies

• Rialto Film
• Rocket Pictures

Distributors

• BCI Eclipse (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2001) (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Digiview Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Direct Source (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1990s) (USA) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Platinum Disc (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (video)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Treasure Box Collection (1990s) (USA) (DVD)
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Adrift: Murder at Sea" - USA (reissue title)
"The Skipper" - International (English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Gibraltar

Company:

Rialto Film

I'm taking her out to sea again, there's no point of me staying here

(There are Spoilers) Surviving a violent Mediterranean Sea storm the skipper, Jurgen Prochnow, was unable to save the life of his friend and fellow seaman Paul Pelikan, Mario Stock, and his former, and now Mario's, lover Mona, Gvalyna Szapolowska. The Skipper hold's himself responsible for their deaths even though he was cleared of any wrong doing by a Seaman/Mariner Court.

Losing his nerve and getting drunk the Skipper hangs out all day and night, for six months, at the local Califorina Club drinking instead of going back out to sea on his ship the Bella Donna. Things change for the Skipper when he's approached by a young British duet of singer and dancer Su & Lou, Patsy Kensit & Elizabeth Hurley. The two are dying to get out of this boring ghost town of Gibraltar and sail to sunny and swinging Barbados in the West Indies. A trip of some 2,500 miles that would take over a month.

The Skipper needing a reason to go back to sea on his ship jumps at the idea that the girls proposed to him and the next day the Skipper together with Su & Lou and their pet pooch Willard sails past the "Pillars of Hercules" into the wide open and dangerous Atlantic Ocean. It turned out to be a voyage straight into hell.

Great scenic and ocean photography with a number of spectacular sunrise and sunsets can't overcome the film "Kill Cruise" unconvincing script and totally unbelievable surprise ending. The ending is so off-the-wall that it makes you wonder if you fell asleep while watching the film and missed something that would make it at least plausible to the movie's story.

A less then glamorous Elizabeth Hurley and down in the dumps-looking Patsy Kensit make up the trio, or quintet if you include the cute little dog Willard, on the cruise yacht Bella Donna. Thing start to get edgy when Su becomes jealous of the Skipper taking her friend, and possibly lesbian lover,Lou away from her as they both have a sexual tryst right in front of her. Su plans to murder the Skipper, as well as Lou, by first letting them drown at sea as they were both swimming, and making out underwater, by taking off with the boat Bella Donna. Later Su hides the insulin that the Skipper needs for his diabetic condition and his life is saved by Lou who finds it just in time, hidden by Su inside a world globe, just before in went into insulin shock.

With the crazed jealous and murderously inclined Su on deck the movie then immediately changes course where we see the three on board with Su & Lou dancing and singing as if everything that we saw up until then was forgotten about. Then were hit with an ending that's straight out of nowhere.