Sky High (1985)

Director:

Nico Mastorakis

Writers:

Robert Gilliam (screenplay)
Nico Mastorakis (story)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

A group of American students traveling in Greece find themselves accidentally involved with a new type of drug--and the gang that wants it. |

Plot Keywords:

Greece | Drugs | Murder | Espionage | Mind Control

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Daniel Hirsch	...	Les
Clayton Norcross	...	Bobby
Frank Schultz	...	Mick
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Lawrence
Jeff McGrail	...	FBi Agent
Kimon Mouzenidis
Spyros Papafrantzis
Dimitris Piatas
Julie Robb	...	Barbie - hooker (as Julie Simone)
Nikos Skiadas
Apostolos Souglakos	...	Bad Guy #1
Janet Taylor
Lauren Taylor
Giorgos Tromaras	...	Bad Guy #2
Gary Van Haas	...	Gary

Also Known As:

Blown Sky High (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

Greece:109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Norway:16 (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Greece

Company:

Omega Entertainment

Quotes:

Mick: [talking about Greece] Les, you do know how they separate the men from the boys here, don't you?
Lee: How?
Mick: With a crowbar.

SHOULD BE PASSED OVER.

Director Nico Mastorakis is responsible for some fairly well-crafted linear output, but with this piece it is obvious that he lacks a point of view as to the nature of the type of film he wishes to create, with a result being an inordinately silly affair that is opposed to constraints of taste or the merest intelligence. The storyline wanders in all sorts of directions, beginning with a scene of suspense, then abruptly shifting into being after a teenage sex farce, all the while touching upon themes of what could have been, if handled appropriately, mystery and romantic love, with ancillary liaisons to slapstick, psychedelic music videos, and entirely too much else. A chaotic plot outlines antics of three male U.C.L.A. students who have taken a year off from school to gambol about in Greece but, instead of just chasing young women, they also find themselves prey for what may be C.I.A. operatives, since it is believed that the collegiate trio has by chance come to possess an astounding audio visual tape that may destroy civilization. This is rather stupidly presented and is exacerbated by some atrocious acting, largely by tyros who seemingly receive little directoral supervision, although veteran supporting player John Lawrence adds needed ballast. The self-indulgent director is responsible for having organized digital effects design and trite sound FX, as evidenced in tiresome scenes mindful of MTV, and also offers meaningless voyeuristic shots of topless beach bathers. As in many films lacking coherence, a goodly amount of footage is of scenery, in this case featuring the beautiful Greek islands of Rhodes, Santorini and, especially, of Mykonos, where most of the sunlit action is to be found. As some of the locations are responsible for backing of this puerile effort, camera eye roving of the picturesque is understandable on that account, but no rationale can be found for the greatest portion of a film that one avoids, to one's advantage.