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Sky Riders

  • 1976
  • PG
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
James Coburn, Charles Aznavour, Robert Culp, and Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)
Trailer for Sky Riders
Play trailer2:43
1 Video
13 Photos
ActionAdventure

When an industrialist's wife and kids are kidnapped by terrorists in Greece, the woman's ex-husband comes to the rescue with a plan involving hang gliders.When an industrialist's wife and kids are kidnapped by terrorists in Greece, the woman's ex-husband comes to the rescue with a plan involving hang gliders.When an industrialist's wife and kids are kidnapped by terrorists in Greece, the woman's ex-husband comes to the rescue with a plan involving hang gliders.

  • Director
    • Douglas Hickox
  • Writers
    • Jack DeWitt
    • Stanley Mann
    • Garry Michael White
  • Stars
    • James Coburn
    • Susannah York
    • Robert Culp
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    1.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Douglas Hickox
    • Writers
      • Jack DeWitt
      • Stanley Mann
      • Garry Michael White
    • Stars
      • James Coburn
      • Susannah York
      • Robert Culp
    • 20User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Sky Riders
    Trailer 2:43
    Watch Sky Riders

    Photos13

    Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Barbara Hershey, and Susannah York in The Last Hard Men (1976)
    Robert Culp and Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)
    James Coburn in Sky Riders (1976)
    Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)
    James Coburn in Sky Riders (1976)
    Sky Riders (1976)
    Sky Riders (1976)
    Sky Riders (1976)
    James Coburn and Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)
    Sky Riders (1976)
    Sky Riders (1976)
    James Coburn and Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Coburn
    James Coburn
    • Jim McCabe
    Susannah York
    Susannah York
    • Ellen Bracken
    Robert Culp
    Robert Culp
    • Jonas Bracken
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Aznavour
    • Inspector Nikolidis
    Harry Andrews
    Harry Andrews
    • Auerbach
    John Beck
    John Beck
    • Ben
    Zouzou
    Zouzou
    • Female terrorist
    • (as Zou Zou)
    Kenneth Griffith
    Kenneth Griffith
    • Wasserman
    Werner Pochath
    Werner Pochath
    • Number One Terrorist
    Antonis Antypas
    • Dimitri
    • (as Anthony Antypas)
    Telis Zotos
    Telis Zotos
    • Bracken's secretary
    Nikos Tsachiridis
    Nikos Tsachiridis
    • Gatekeeper
    Ernie F. Orsatti
    Ernie F. Orsatti
    • Joe
    • (as Ernie Orsatti)
    Barbara Trentham
    Barbara Trentham
    • Della
    Henry Brown
    Henry Brown
    • Martin
    Cherie Latimer
    • Cora
    Simon Harrison
    • Jimmy
    Stephany Mathews
    • Susie
    • Director
      • Douglas Hickox
    • Writers
      • Jack DeWitt
      • Stanley Mann
      • Garry Michael White
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The monastery location seen in the film is located at Meteora, Greece. Its the same famed region that featured in the later James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only (1981). The monastery was also used in Boy on a Dolphin (1957), memorable for the scene in which the art dealer played by Clifton Webb uses the old hand-cranked elevator to get to the top, assisted by the establishment's monks.
    • Goofs
      During the supposed night-time rescue operation when the rescuers hang-glided in for the rescue, you can clearly see the shadows of the hang gliders on the rocks below them. So, clearly these scenes were shot in the daytime with a dark filter used to make it look like nighttime.
    • Connections
      Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-in Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999)

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Typical 70's B Movie
    "Skyriders" is a typical action film from the 70's that opened and closed within two weeks and your local theater and drive-in. It contains a few name stars (James Colburn, Robert Culp) but let's face it the action is supposed to be the star. On that score the film is not bad. The problem is it takes much too long to get to the action.

    Colburn stars as a pilot whose ex-wife and child (along with another child fathered by Culp) are kidnapped by mercenaries for ransom. While Culp works on raising the money and cooperating with authorities, Coburn hires a band of expert gliders to aid in a rescue. All of this could have been told in a clean quick manner but it takes forever to get to the rescue. We even have a silly montage of the skydivers training Colburn. Not necessary. We want the action! Contrary to the first comment the skyrider scenes are not too dark even though the desired effect is for it to night time. Actually I think it was shot during the day and a dark filter superimposed on the film to make it look like night. If you look closely at the rocks you can see the shadows of the gliders. I never saw such pronounced shadows at night.

    The gliding scenes are well done and thrilling up to a point. My biggest problem is that the escape plan seems all too easy seeing where the kidnappers are located. Of course it's not all done without a hitch but there are no real twists to keep things exciting. The last part of the film becomes a standard shoot em up film that you have scene hundreds of times before.

    The film is mediocre at best. The good talent is pretty much wasted in an action film with not enough action or a smart script.
    helpful•11
    11
    • jrs-8
    • Apr 4, 2005

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    FAQ2

    • What is the actual location of the monastery where the rescue takes place?
    • What is the actual location of the monastery where the rescue takes place?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 21, 1976 (West Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Greece
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Assault on the Forbidden Fortress
    • Filming locations
      • Pallini, Attica, Greece(villa [Levidis])
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $350,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    James Coburn, Charles Aznavour, Robert Culp, and Susannah York in Sky Riders (1976)
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