Massive Retaliation (1984)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Thomas A. Cohen

Writers:

Richard W. Beban (writer)
Larry Wittnebert (writer)

Release Date:

September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

Three families that are best friends head to their secret retreat when WW3 seems to be nearing. The...

Plot Keywords:

WW3 | Cold War | Ranch | Nuclear Arms | Independent Film

Cast

Tom Bower	...	Kirk Fredericks
Karlene Crockett	...	Marianne Briscoe
Peter Donat	...	Lee Briscoe
Marilyn Hassett	...	Lois Fredericks
Susan O'Connell	...	Jackie Tolliver
Michael Pritchard	...	Harry Tolliver
Jason Gedrick	...	Eric Briscoe
Bob Goldthwait	...	Ernie Rust
Mimi Farina	...	Susie Barker
Johnny Weissmuller Jr.	...	Virgil Griffin
Christopher Burton	...	Carl Fredericks
Molly Cohen	...	Meghan Fredericks
Alex Drude	...	Harry Tolliver Jr.
Doug Santana	...	Peter Fredericks
Lisa Soloway	...	Kimberly Briscoe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sarah Cohen	...	Girl Pushing Wheelchair
Cab Covay	...	Brady
Chuck Dorsett	...	Wilfred Baines
Nancy Fish	...	Wanda
Alverta Harty	...	MCR Operator
Dan Leegant	...	Jack
Joe Lerer	...	Radio Announcer
Linette Lum	...	Jennie Chang
Will Marchetti	...	Gas Station Attendant
Jo Mennell	...	BBC Announcer
Gary Pettinger	...	Johnny
Bill Reddick	...	Jim Patton
Morgan Upton	...	Sheriff Wills
Al White	...	Highway Patrolman

Directed by
Thomas A. Cohen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard W. Beban		writer (as Richard Beban)
Larry Wittnebert		writer

Produced by
Thomas A. Cohen	....	producer
Steve Michelson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Paul Potyen
Harn Soper

Cinematography by
Richard Lerner

Film Editing by
B.J. Sears

Casting by
Ann Brebner

Art Direction by
Carol DePasquale		(as Carol De Pasquale)

Makeup Department
Nancie Marsalis	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Geoffrey de Valois	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Geoffrey de Valois	....	first assistant director
Laura Marks	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Leigh Barbier	....	props
Gregg Carron	....	property master
Martha Swartz	....	props

Sound Department
Stephen Balliet	....	boom operator
Paula Frankel	....	sound: documentary
Vance Frost	....	sound effects editor
Philip Perkins	....	sound mixer
Thomas Scott	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tom Scott)

Special Effects by
Jeff Weller	....	pyrotechnician

Stunts
Rocky Capella	....	stunt coordinator
Marilyn Hassett	....	stunt driver
Kevin Larson	....	stunts
Mike Martinez	....	stunts
Lucy Maytag	....	stunt double: Ms. Farina
Joey Peterson	....	stunts: mountain biker

Camera and Electrical Department
Glen Ellis Baumbach	....	second assistant camera
Richard W. Beban	....	still photographer (as Richard Beban)
Dan Belmore	....	second cinematographer
Eric Bledsoe	....	electronics coordinator
James Childers	....	best boy
Jon Fontana	....	best boy
Len Levine	....	grip (as Lenard M. Levine)
Eric Morgan	....	second cinematographer
Georgia Packard	....	photographer: titles
Caris Palm	....	first assistant camera
William Harlan Richter	....	grip
Jeff Schafsnitz	....	key grip
Marc David Schultz	....	camera operator: documentary (as Marc Schultz)
Ken Seagren	....	gaffer (as Kenneth A. Seagren)
Lane Starling	....	best girl
E.W. Swackhamer	....	second cinematographer (as Bert Swackhamer)
Karen Tezyk	....	second cinematographer
Gary Tieche	....	grip

Casting Department
Susan Arnell	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancie Marsalis	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mary Schuba Stutz	....	wardrobe assistant (as Mary Stutz)

Editorial Department
Glen Scantlebury	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jeff Buenz	....	musician
Michael Hedges	....	musician
Greg James	....	musician
Peter Maunu	....	musician
Paul Potyen	....	musician
Harn Soper	....	music recording engineer

Transportation Department
Ann Diffenbaugh	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Catherine Badin	....	administrative staff
Richard W. Beban	....	publicist (as Richard Beban)
Marie Boker	....	assistant publicist
Suzanne Callum	....	administrative staff
Margaret Crane	....	administrative staff
Carol DePasquale	....	script supervisor (as Carol De Pasquale)
Layla Di Gloria	....	masseuse
Geoff Froner	....	administrative staff
Liz Gazzano	....	production assistant
Alverta Harty	....	assistant to executive producer
Mary Ann Hutson	....	administrative staff (as Mary Anne Hutson)
Mick Laska	....	titles
Stephen Lemmon	....	paramedic
Mike McFarland	....	weapons advisor
Alana Ortiz	....	social worker
Marcy Pecora	....	craft service
Elizabeth Rettig	....	location manager
Diane Richwine	....	production coordinator
Betty Rosen	....	production assistant
Steve Situm III	....	production assistant
Diana St. Amand	....	talent assistant
Jim Wickett	....	business affairs
Richard Yaxley	....	production controller

Thanks
Marguerite Craig	....	thanks
Bill Everts	....	thanks
Kit Everts	....	thanks
Sally Lilienthal	....	thanks
Helene Oppenheimer	....	thanks
Ellen Zank	....	thanks

Distributors

• One Pass-Hammermark (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Vestron Video International (1987) (Belgium) (video)
• Vestron Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Norway:18

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Trivia:

Film debut of Bob Goldthwait.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Near the end of the film the shadow of the boom mic can be seen as the girl is being taken from the van.

Soundtrack:

Children of Darkness

Nothing-little WWIII tripe.

A group of survivalists hole-up in a backwoods cabin, braced for an impending nuclear attack. Meanwhile, their children are trying desperately to join them, facing car troubles along the way.

There are plenty of nuclear war films out there...put this one at the bottom of your "see list". This poorly written low-budget film strives for the same subdued bleakness that made TESTAMENT a powerful experience...the result is a dull soap opera of tawdry interpersonal dilemmas with a World War III back-story. With subject matter as serious as this, MASSIVE RETALIATION should be a rough punch in the gut...sadly, it just tickles your ass with a feather.

3.5/10 - not recommended.