Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1983) (TV)

User Rating:

2.1/10   

Director:

Douglas Williams

Writers:

John Varley (short story)
Corinne Jacker (teleplay)

Release Date:

1983 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

They want to control his mind but can't even find his body.

Plot:

The mind of a computer programmer is removed by a totalitarian government and accidentally trapped in a virtual reality simulation.

Plot Keywords:

Casablanca | Virtual Reality | Brain | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Fat Man

Cast

Linda Griffiths	...	Computech Apollonia James
Raul Julia	...	Aram Fingal / Rick Blaine
Donald Moore	...	Novicorp Chairman / The Fat Man (as Donald C. Moore)
Wanda Cannon	...	Felicia Varley / Lola
Helen Carscallen	...	Dr. Darwin
Rex Hagon	...	Shuttle Passenger (as Rex Hagan)
Patrick Brymer	...	Nirvana Clerk
Chapelle Jaffe	...	Djamilla
Denise Pidgeon	...	Doppling Medico (as Denise Pigeon)
Bunty Webb	...	Teacher
Audra Williams	...	Desirée
Hadley Kay	...	Marco
Gary Farmer	...	Tooby
Arnie Achtman	...	Slavin
Maury Chaykin	...	Gondol
Paula Barrett	...	Lexicorp Reporter
Sugith Varughese	...	Transcorp Reporter
Larry Schwartz	...	Plinth
Vivian Reis	...	Flavia Drancy
Sheila Moore	...	20th Century Doctor
Steve Payne	...	Watson
Jackie Burroughs	...	Emmaline Ozmondo Fingal
Lou Pitoscia	...	Thug No. 1
Louis Negin	...	Pierre
Don Lamont	...	Fingal / Rick's Double
Al Maini	...	Arab in Alley
Joyce Gordon	...	Data Supervisor
James Kidnie	...	Thug No. 2
Marvin Goldhar	...	HX368 / Computer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Smitrovich	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Douglas Williams

Writing credits
John Varley		(short story)
Corinne Jacker		(teleplay)

Produced by
Geoffrey Haines-Stiles	....	executive producer
Robert Lantos	....	producer
David R. Loxton	....	executive producer (as David Loxton)
Stephen J. Roth	....	producer

Original Music by
John Tucker

Cinematography by
Barry Bergthorson

Film Editing by
Rit Wallis

Casting by
Liz Ramos

Production Design by
Carol Spier

Set Decoration by
Elinor Rose Galbraith

Costume Design by
Mary Jane McCarty
Delphine White

Makeup Department
Shonagh Jabour	....	makeup artist
Ivan Lynch	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gerry Arbeid	....	production manager
Jennifer Black	....	post-production supervisor
Jeff King	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Bannerman	....	trainee assistant director
Mac Bradden	....	first assistant director
Louise Casselman	....	second assistant director
Neil Huhta	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Dan Davis	....	assistant art director
Alta Louise Doyle	....	art department trainee (as Louise Doyle)
Joe Hampson	....	assistant property master
Bill Harman	....	construction manager
Peter Lauterman	....	property master
Christine MacLean	....	assistant set decorator
Bruce McKenna	....	assistant set dresser
Martin Weinryb	....	assistant set dresser

Sound Department
Ralph Brunjes	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas Hidderley	....	location sound mixer (as Thomas Hidderly)
Catherine Hutton	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Hutton	....	sound effects editor
Peter Jermyn	....	special synthesizer effects
George Novotny	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael O'Connor	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Erna Akuginow	....	special effects coordinator
Jim Goessinger	....	special effects editor
Jim Goessinger	....	special video effects
Geoffrey Haines-Stiles	....	special video effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Allen	....	gaffer
Edie Craddock	....	focus puller
Brian Danniels	....	best boy grip (as Brian Daniels)
Alex Dukay	....	still photographer
Tom Fennessey	....	third electrician
Martin Harrison	....	best boy
A. Randy Jones	....	generator operator (as Randy Jones)
Grant Ranalli	....	tape operator
Norman Smith	....	key grip
Norbert Von Der Heidt	....	video tape operator (as Norbert Von Derheidt)

Casting Department
Merri Toth	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Jane McCarty	....	wardrobe mistress
Sherry McMorran	....	first assistant wardrobe

Editorial Department
Jim Goessinger	....	editor: video tape

Other crew
Bill Bannerman	....	production assistant
Jo Bates	....	assistant to producer (as Jo-Anne Bates)
Jim Bearden	....	dialogue coach
Jennifer Black	....	graphic artist: dubner graphics
Alison Dyer	....	production coordinator
Nancy Eagles	....	continuity
Gabe Fallus	....	production assistant
John Grimsditch	....	technical producer
Heather Haldane	....	operator: dubner graphics (as Heather Goldin)
Andras Hamori	....	assistant to producer
Dan Howard	....	location manager (as Duane Howard)
Cyrus Levinthal	....	computer graphics facility: Columbia University (as Prof. Cyrus Levinthal)
David Maltese	....	production assistant
Harry Parnass	....	provider: futuristic clothing
Steve Payne	....	craft service
Nicola Pelly	....	provider: futuristic clothing
Ethan Rill	....	production assistant
Norma Rose	....	accountant
Linda Shapiro	....	unit publicist

Thanks
John Godfrey	....	thanks
Jeanne Mulcahy	....	thanks

Production Companies

• RSL
• SFTV
• WNET Channel 13 New York

Distributors

• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Starmaker Video

Special Effects

• Cartos System, Columbia University (additional computer graphics)
• Cranston-Csuri Productions (additional computer graphics)
• Digital Effects Inc. (additional computer graphics)
• Evans and Sutherland (additional computer graphics)
• General Electric C.A.E. International (additional computer graphics)
• Geosource Research & Development (additional computer graphics)
• Mobile Image of Canada (computer graphics)
• Omnibus Video Inc. (ADO effects)

Other Companies

• A.E. Lepage Limited  thanks
• Alcan Canada Foils  thanks
• Bard Canada Inc.  thanks
• Brooks Athletic Shoes  athletic footwear provided by
• Faces and Places  extras casting
• Fine Arts Editions  thanks
• Linda Shapiro Public Relations  unit publicity
• Mobile Image of Canada  post-production facilities
• Parachute  futuristic clothing provided by
• RMP Athletic Locker Ltd.  athletic footwear provided by
• The Skyld Group  Canadian financial arrangements by

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

RSL

Trivia:

Part of a series of literary adaptations for Public Broadcasting Service, which included The Lathe of Heaven (1980) (TV) as well.

Goofs:

Plot holes: We see that for the six hours of real time, the equivalent of several months pass for Aram Fingal inside the computer. However, in numerous scenes, Appollonia (in the real world) speaks to Fingal at a normal pace. To Fingal, these few seconds should have seemed to stretch out for hours; he should not have been able to comprehend them as they were spoken.

Quotes:

Fingal: I'm taking care of the Chairman. He's going on a month's compulsory rehab.
Appollonia: You're putting him in Daisy!
Fingal: Daisy's too good for the bastard. He's going on as an anteater!

Movie Connections:

References All About Eve (1950)

Pure, Asinine Genius.

I'm giving this movie a 10, not because it's a classic, but because for the B-movie genre, it's one of the best I've ever seen. The cheesy computer effects are hilarious. It's one of those films where you wonder "How much weirder is this going to get?" If you can get into the mind of a sentimental dreamer, this won't disappoint. How can you resist Julia dressed as Humphrey Bogart? Pure, asinine genius. If you go into this with a sense of humor. It's a lot of fun. Even with it's obvious continuity flaws it manages to entertain. If you like anteaters, be forewarned. There's a lot of anteater bashing. The plot is like a low-budget "Total Recall." Heat the popcorn and get ready to laugh.