Blue Sunshine (1976)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Jeff Lieberman

Writer:

Jeff Lieberman (writer)

Release Date:

20 March 1978 (Denmark)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller | Horror

Plot:

At a party, someone goes insane and murders three women. Falsely accused of the brutal killings, Jerry is on the run...

Plot Keywords:

LSD | Bald | Person On Fire | Murder | Fall From Height

Cast

Zalman King	...	Jerry Zipkin
Deborah Winters	...	Alicia Sweeney
Mark Goddard	...	Edward Flemming
Robert Walden	...	David Blume
Charles Siebert	...	Detective Clay
Ann Cooper	...	Wendy Flemming
Ray Young	...	Wayne Mulligan
Alice Ghostley	...	O'Malley's Neighbor
Stefan Gierasch	...	Lt. Jennings
Richard Crystal	...	Frannie Scott
Bill Adler	...	Ralphie
Barbara Quinn	...	Stephanie
Adriana Shaw	...	Barbara O'Malley
Bill Sorrells	...	Ritchie Grazzo
Jeffrey Druce	...	Junkie
Meegan King	...	Gun Salesman
Argentina Brunetti	...	Mrs. Rosella
Laura Booker	...	Samantha
David Schwartz	...	Jason
Steve Tannes	...	Joe
Brion James	...	Tony
Jim Storm	...	Tommy
Sandy Robertson	...	Margaret
Mary Moon	...	Francine
De Ette Adams	...	Tina
Bill Cameron	...	John O'Malley
Brandy Carson	...	Campaign Worker
Marcy Hanson	...	Campaign Girl
Phyllis Glick	...	Hospital Receptionist
Rock Riddle	...	Bouncer
Richmond Johnson	...	Guard
James Lough	...	Pete

Directed by
Jeff Lieberman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeff Lieberman		writer

Produced by
Joseph Beruh	....	executive producer
Edgar Lansbury	....	executive producer
George Manasse	....	producer
Nan Pearlman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Charles Gross

Cinematography by
Don Knight

Film Editing by
Brian Smedley-Aston

Casting by
Joan Barnett

Art Direction by
Ray Storey

Makeup Department
Norman Page	....	makeup artist

Production Management
R.R. Thomas	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen P. Dunn	....	second assistant director
Richard T. Schor	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
William B. Kaplan	....	sound mixer
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator
William S. Scharf	....	sound

Special Effects by
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Speed Stearns	....	stunt coordinator
David S. Cass Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pamela Sellman	....	wardrobe

Other crew
Darrell Jonas	....	production office coordinator
Sandy King	....	script supervisor
Gary Lieberman	....	medical consultant
Max Mendes	....	location manager
Bonnie Sher	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Ellanby Films

Distributors

• CMV Laservision (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Cinema Shares International Distribution (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Siren Visual Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Synapse Films (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (video)

Runtime:

89 min | Australia:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | USA:R

Company:

Ellanby Films

Trivia:

The film was nearly sold as a TV movie at one point, but when the network demanded all the violence to be cut Lieberman decided to keep the film a theatrical release.

Quotes:

Wendy Flemming: [in tears] Stephanie, something's wrong with me and I don't know what it is. I've been having these awful nightmares, these headaches, the hair, it's driving me up the wall.
Stephanie: Have some coffee.

Soundtrack:

Disco Blue

Jeff Lieberman--underrated and overlooked director

A small group of Stanford college grads, who had taken a bad batch of LSD called "Blue Sunshine," start feeling the side-effects ten years later. Instead of bad acid flashbacks, they start losing their hair and deteriorate into erratic, sweaty, screaming, zombie-like killers that hate loud sounds.

Ambitious low-budgeter has decent performances, a few good shocks and an interesting plot to offset some dated aspects to the story (like an unintentionally funny attack at a disco) and a seemingly incomplete ending (that seems to suggest this is based on an actual case!). Political satire remains relevant today and when one of the affected lurks around a mall at the end, DAWN OF THE DEAD (which was made later) will instantly come to mind.

Star Zalman King, also in GALAXY OF TERROR (1981), went on to direct and produce a record number of 90s erotic movies and TV series (RED SHOE DIARIES). The director also made SQURIM, JUST BEFORE DAWN and REMOTE CONTROL, all above average low-budgeters.

Score: 6 out of 10