Trancers (1985)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Charles Band

Writers:

Danny Bilson (writer)
Paul De Meo (writer)

Release Date:

May 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

2247 collides with 1985 . . . when a 23rd century crime fighter heats it up in L.A., today

Plot:

Jack Deth is a kind of cop/bounty hunter in the bleak Los Angeles of the future. He's become obssessed with chasing Whistler...

Plot Keywords:

Punk | Time Travel | Police | Spoof | Christmas

Cast

Tim Thomerson	...	Trooper Jack Deth / Phil Deth
Helen Hunt	...	Leena
Michael Stefani	...	Martin Whistler / Police Dective Weisling
Art LaFleur	...	McNulty (as Art La Fleur)
Telma Hopkins	...	Engineer Ruth 'Ruthie' Raines
Richard Herd	...	Chairman Spencer
Anne Seymour	...	Chairman Ashe
Miguel Fernandes	...	Officer Lopez (as Miguel Fernandez)
Biff Manard	...	Hap Ashby
Peter Schrum	...	Santa Claus (Murray) (as Pete Schrum)
Barbara Perry	...	Mrs. Santa Claus
Brad Logan	...	Bull
Minnie Summers Lindsey	...	Mom (as Minnie Lindsay)
Richard Erdman	...	Drunken Wise Man
Wiley Harker	...	Dapper Old Man
Alyson Croft	...	Baby McNulty
Michael McGrady	...	Chris Lavery
Ed McClarty	...	Jerry the Punk (as Edward McClarty)
Don Ross	...	Security Guard
Michael Heldebrant	...	Boy with Santa
Kymberly Sheppard	...	Newswoman (as Kim Sheppard)
Steve Jensen	...	Butthead (as Steve 'O' Jensen)
Nicky Beat	...	Butthead
Tony Malone	...	Butthead
Lantza Krantz	...	Butthead
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Kelly	...	Punk Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Band

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Danny Bilson		writer
Paul De Meo		writer

Produced by
Charles Band	....	producer
Debra Dion	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Phil Davies
Mark Ryder

Cinematography by
Mac Ahlberg

Film Editing by
Ted Nicolaou

Casting by
Anthony Barnao

Production Design by
Jeff Staggs

Art Direction by
Christopher Amy

Set Decoration by
Gregory Melton

Costume Design by
Kathie Clark
Jill M. Ohanneson

Makeup Department
Everett Burrell	....	special makeup effects artist
Karen Kubeck	....	makeup artist
Claudia Thompson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Brad Arensman	....	unit production manager
Nancy Israel	....	production manager
Peter Manoogian	....	executive in charge of production
Aron Warner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Betsy Magruder	....	assistant director
Robert Roda	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Frank Darabont	....	art department assistant
Kelly Deco	....	scenic paint foreman
Cyd Smyllie	....	property manager
Chris Woodward	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Robert Alsheimer	....	sound editor
G.W. Brown	....	sound editor
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound editor
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound effects editor
Jonathon 'Earl' Stein	....	sound

Special Effects by
John Carl Buechler	....	special effects makeup
John Naulin	....	miniatures (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Howard Burger	....	visual effects supervisor
Jay Burkhardt	....	visual effects supervisor
Mitch Devane	....	visual effects supervisor
Mike Menzel	....	visual effects supervisor
Gene Winfield	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunt coordinator
Dan Bradley	....	stunts
Scott Alan Cook	....	stunts
Jadie David	....	stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	stunts (as Chris Doyle)
Donna Evans	....	stunts
Donna Keegan	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunts
Ray Lykins	....	stunts (as Ray Likens)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dan Boyd	....	camera operator
R. Michael Givens	....	second assistant camera
Scott Guthrie	....	gaffer
Ron McCausland	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harold D. Neal	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Brad Arensman	....	associate editor
Bill Brame	....	associate editor
Todd Mechelski	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Band	....	orchestrator
Tom Villano	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Dusty Saunders	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Robert Dawson	....	title designer
Glenn Gaylord	....	assistant accountant
Cathy Mickel Gibson	....	unit accountant (as Cathy Michelgibson)
James Gierman	....	location manager
Jill Gurr	....	script supervisor
Marlene Hajdu	....	set decors
Suzan Lowitz	....	script supervisor
Marc E. Spivey	....	insurance broker
Aron Warner	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Altar Productions
• Empire Pictures
• Lexyn Productions

Distributors

• Sinfonia Films (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Empire Pictures
• Entertainment (1985) (UK) (video)
• Full Moon Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (Canada)
• Vestron Video International (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Vestron Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• Mechanical and Makeup Imageries (special effects make-up)

Also Known As:

Future Cop (Philippines: English title)
Trancers I (Australia) (DVD box title)

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Australia:M | Norway:16 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Altar Productions

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: During the scooter chase.

Quotes:

Jack Deth: I'm from another time, another world. I don't even know what you people eat for lunch.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ritana (2002)

the eternal struggle between detectives and zombies!

"Trancers" is one of the most enjoyable B-movies ever made. The time travel plot and "fish-out-of-water" aspects make it similar to the first "Terminator," but try to imagine that classic film with an infinitely lower budget and a more highly developed sense of humor. On some days, I probably prefer the wisecracking antics of "Trancers" star Tim Thomerson to the earnestness of Michal Biehn in Cameron's film; in this instance, cheaper production values and more obscure actors do not necessarily equal an inferior product.

Thomerson is, without a doubt, the glue that holds the whole silly series together. He's a performer, not an actor. He entertains without emoting. And hey, for this material, that's fine. In fact, that's the bomb. He could read his lines right off the page in a monotone, and you'd still want to stand up and cheer.

The only flaw in this film is a slightly boring villain, but everything else is cool - check out Helen Hunt as some kind of trashy '80s biker chick. Best scene? When Thomerson beats up the stupid punks in the disco.

Overall, an effective blend of the sci-fi and detective genres, and a good indicator of what imagination and a good sense of humor can accomplish in the absence of cash.