Dead Calm (1989)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Charles Williams (novel)
Terry Hayes (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

A Voyage Into Fear.

Plot:

A mass-murderer kidnaps and seduces a young woman after leaving her husband to die on the vessel whose crew he's just slaughtered.

Plot Keywords:

Sea | Sailing | Kidnapping | Rape | Bare Breasts

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Rae Ingram
Sam Neill	...	John Ingram
Billy Zane	...	Hughie Warriner
Rod Mullinar	...	Russell Bellows
Joshua Tilden	...	Danny
George Shevtsov	...	Doctor
Michael Long	...	Specialist Doctor
Lisa Collins	...	'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Paula Hudson-Brinkley	...	'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Sharon Cook	...	'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
Malinda Rutter	...	'Orpheus' Cruise Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Benji	...	Dog (as Benji U.D., A.D.)

Also Known As:

Dead Calm: A Voyage Into Fear (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

96 min | Turkey:83 min (TV version)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (cut) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Kennedy Miller Productions

Trivia:

The movie is based on the novel "Dead Calm" by Charles Williams. Orson Welles had filmed it under the name of "The Deep" (previous title: "Dead Reckoning"), based on his own script. The film starred Jeanne Moreau, Laurence Harvey, Michael Bryant, Welles' then-wife Oja Kodar, and Welles himself. The original story had more characters in it than the 1989 film version. Filming lasted from 1967 till 1969. A few scenes could not be filmed, due to the death of Laurence Harvey in 1970, and so Welles' version never reached the big screen.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scene where Rae is loading the shotgun, you can see the primers of the shotgun shells that have already been fired.

Quotes:

[Rae has just done away with a psychotic killer and rescued her husband from being lost at sea]
Rae Ingram: You know what I'd love for lunch? Fresh asparagus, then, um, pasta - angel hair pasta with heaps of basil, garlic, olive oil and, uh, apple pie. Uh, John, have you got a towel?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Mitchell (#6.12)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

WIRED FOR SOUND

One location 3 actors

A terrific thriller set on the sea with three fine actors portraying characters of control, resurrection, and unbalance. Sam Neil portrays the fearless, in control naval captain. His abilities combined with the institution of marriage display a refine existence. Compare Neil's abilities with Billy Zane's self induced party boy image who survives by the primitive nature of man and you will see structure verses chaos. Zane's character is sexy and alluring therefore irresistible to sexual stimuli. Nicole Kidman is faced with recovering from the loss of her child; shown, in the start of the film, being thrown out of the front of a car windshield. There, in the dead calm of an open sea, she must resurrect her abilities of courage and strength. She faces off the unbalanced nature of Zane's character using her sexual allure as well but in a very different capacity. It is all about survival using the tools given to you and the tools you acquire. A brilliant thriller set in one location. Directed with sexual tension. ***