6.7/10
543
21 user 10 critic

Static (1985)

R | | Comedy , Drama | 10 September 1986 (USA)
Static Poster
An eccentric but possibly brilliant young man, troubled by the death of his parents, claims to be readying a world-changing invention.

Director:

Mark Romanek

Writers:

Keith Gordon, Mark Romanek

Stars:

Keith Gordon, Amanda Plummer, Bob Gunton | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
1 win & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

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See all 3 photos »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keith Gordon ... Ernie Blick
Amanda Plummer ... Julia Purcell
Bob Gunton ... Frank
Barton Heyman ... Sherriff William Orling
Lily Knight ... Patty
Jane Hoffman Jane Hoffman ... Emily Southwick
Reathel Bean Reathel Bean ... Fred Savins
Kitty Mei-Mei Chen Kitty Mei-Mei Chen ... Li
Joel Krehbeil Joel Krehbeil ... Deputy Tom Terrence
Eugene Lee Eugene Lee ... Dale
Jack Murakami Jack Murakami ... North
Mike Murakami Mike Murakami ... South
Uma Ridenhour Uma Ridenhour ... Sarah
Janice Abbott Janice Abbott ... Sonya
Tamma Allgood Tamma Allgood ... T.V. Interviewer
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A quirky, out-of-of place worker at a crucifix factory in the Bible Belt invents a device he claims can show pictures of Heaven. Discouraged and confused by the inability of those around him to see anything but a screenful of static, he charismatically hijacks a bus of friendly elderly people in order to get media attention for his invention. Written by Keith Tyler <romulus@shore.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

invention | bus | crucifix | paradise | inventor | See All (26) »

Taglines:

STATIC... it's on a different wavelength.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1986 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Necessity See more »

Filming Locations:

Lake Powell, Utah, USA See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

NFI Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of only two theatrical films where Mark Romanek wrote the screenplay for his films. The other was One Hour Photo (2002). See more »

Goofs

Boom Mike seen swiveling between actors in a two-shot. See more »

Quotes

Ernie Blick: My invention lets you see heaven.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Closure (1997) See more »

Soundtracks

Weightless
Composed by Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno
Performed by Brian Eno
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Gem
4 January 2007 | by jonbandit – See all my reviews

Static is a gem of a film. As moving and dramatic in its finale as any film whilst concerning itself with small town bible land USA. Its pace is slow and its mood is quiet except for 15 minutes in which the main character seeks his Warhol moment. Excellent direction and use of little known cast. White Noise has never been more intriguing. I caught this film on late night television and then sought out the video which I was pleased to get my hands on. If you like Coen brothers work like Fargo and Raising Arizona I reckon you would appreciate Static. Ernie Flick played brilliantly by Keith Gordon (whatever happened to him?) is a character to empathise with and for whom the escape that we all probably desire was his only survival tool.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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