Midnite Spares

Last updated

Midnite Spares
Midnitesparesvhscover.jpg
VHS cover
Directed byQuentin Masters
Screenplay byTerry Larsen
Story byJohn Fitzpatrick
Produced byTom Burstall
Starring Gia Carides
James Laurie
John Clayton
Max Cullen
Graeme Blundell
Tony Barry
Bruce Spence
David Argue
Jonathan Coleman
CinematographyGeoff Burton
Edited by Andrew Prowse
Music by Cameron Allan
Production
company
Distributed byRoadshow Films
Release date
  • 1983 (1983)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$2.6 million [1]
Box officeA$417,000 (Australia) [2]

Midnite Spares is a 1983 Australian action film starring Gia Carides, James Laurie, Max Cullen, Graeme Blundell, Bruce Spence, David Argue and Jonathan Coleman.

Contents

Plot

Steve Hall (James Laurie) is a young sprintcar driver from Toowoomba who has returned home to Sydney to team up with his dad Ted and his business partner Tomas (Max Cullen) in their towing and panel beating business "T&T Towing", as well as to team up with his dad who is also a Sprintcar driver at the local speedway. He arrives to find his dad has mysteriously disappeared and Tomas is being pressured to be part of an illegal "chop shop" ring.

After continuing to resist joining the ring, Tomas is set up and painfully discovers (having his arm broken by a tyre iron) the group of car thieves involved in "midnite spares" (the stealing and chopping of cars to send interstate) were responsible for Ted's untimely death. The thieves are headed by bent Police Detective Howard (Tony Barry) and dodgy businessmen Vincent (John Clayton) and Sidebottom (Graeme Blundell). Steve and Tomas' tow truck drivers Wimpy (Bruce Spence), Rabbit (David Argue), and their friends pursue the criminals and attempt to capture them, following Tomas' advice to Steve "Don't get angry son, get even."

Steve also meets and falls in love with Ruth Mintos (Gia Carides) and the pair have to convince her old fashioned mother Maria (Tessa Mallos) as well as her Uncle Harry (Terry Camilleri) that they want to be together and get married. Steve also tries to prove his prowess at the wheel of a sprintcar at Sydney's Parramatta City Raceway against Sydney and Australia's leading drivers including Garry Rush, George Tatnell, Rob Worthington (who also doubled as Steve when racing), Terry Becker, Bob Blacklaw and Steve Brazier.

Cast

Production

During shooting, camera operator David Brostoff was killed in an accident at the Parramatta City Raceway. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Cars That Ate Paris</i> 1974 film by Peter Weir

The Cars That Ate Paris is a 1974 Australian horror comedy film, produced by twin brothers Hal and Jim McElroy and directed by Peter Weir. It was his first feature film, and was also based on an original story he had written. Shot mostly in the rural town of Sofala, New South Wales, the film is set in the fictional town of Paris in which most of the inhabitants appear to be directly, or indirectly, involved in profiting from the results of car accidents. The film is considered part of the Australian New Wave genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Coleman (presenter)</span> Australian broadcaster (1956–2021)

Jonathan "Jono" Harry Coleman was an English-born television presenter, radio announcer, writer, comedian, and advertorial spokesperson. He was known for his career in his native country and Australia.

<i>The Odd Angry Shot</i> 1979 film by Tom Jeffrey

The Odd Angry Shot is an 1979 Australian war comedy film written, directed and produced by Tom Jeffrey. It is based on the book of the same title by William Nagle, and follows the experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. The movie, which was shot on location in New South Wales and Canungra, Queensland, traces the tour of duty of an Australian Special Air Service Regiment reconnaissance team from their departure to their return home to Australia. It avoids much of the political comment on Australia’s involvement in Vietnam, unlike Hollywood films which tend to explore the rights and wrongs of the Vietnam War.

<i>Murder Call</i> 1997-2000 Australian television series

Murder Call is an Australian television series, created by Hal McElroy for the Southern Star Entertainment and broadcast on the Nine Network between 1997 and 2000. The series was inspired by the Tessa Vance novels by Jennifer Rowe, both of which were adapted as episodes, while Rowe also developed story treatments for 38 episodes throughout the series.

<i>Avril Lavigne: My World</i> 2003 live album by Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne: My World is the first live album/DVD by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released on November 6, 2003. The DVD consists of 16 songs that Lavigne performed on her first live performance tour, the Try to Shut Me Up Tour at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. Most of the tracks are taken from her debut album, Let Go, while two of the songs are covers. It also features one B-side song. On the live CD, three songs are covers and one is a single.

Rafferty's Rules is an Australian television drama series which ran from 1987 to 1991 on the Seven Network.

<i>Ryan</i> (TV series) Australian TV series or program

Ryan is an Australian adventure television series screened by the Seven Network from 27 May 1973. The series was produced by Crawford Productions and had a run of 39 one-hour episodes.

Dimboola is a 1979 Australian independent film directed by John Duigan about a country wedding reception. It is based on the 1969 play of the same name by Jack Hibberd and was principally filmed on location in Dimboola, Victoria.

<i>Mad Dog Morgan</i> 1976 film

Mad Dog Morgan is a 1976 Australian bushranger film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson and David Gulpilil. It is based upon the life of Dan Morgan.

The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of the event. The nominees for all categories were announced on 19 September, while the winners of the Artisan Awards were announced on that same day.

Underbelly: Razor, the fourth series of the Australian Nine Network crime drama anthology series Underbelly, originally aired from 21 August 2011 to 6 November 2011. It is a thirteen-part series detailing real events that occurred in Sydney between 1927 and 1936. The series depicts the "razor gangs" who controlled the city's underworld during the era and the violent war between the two "vice queen" powers, Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. It is also the last season in the Underbelly franchise that contains 13 episodes. In contrast to the previous Underbelly instalments, which were based on books by John Silvester and Andrew Rule, Razor is based on the Ned Kelly Award-winning book of the same name, written by Larry Writer.

Killing Time is an Australian television drama series on TV1 subscription television channel which first screened in 2011. It is based on the true story of disgraced lawyer Andrew Fraser. In New Zealand it screens on Prime Television.

Peter Cummins is an Australian retired character actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the period.

Greenkeeping is a 1992 Australian film directed by David Caesar.

<i>Janet King</i> (TV series) Australian TV series

Janet King is an Australian television drama program which began airing on ABC1 from 27 February 2014. It was created as a spin-off from the 2011 legal drama Crownies. It follows the story of Senior Crown Prosecutor Janet King, tracking her journey in Series 1 in the Department of Public Prosecutions to a Royal Commission into Serious Firearm Crime in Series 2 to the National Crime Commission in Series 3.

Sydney Speedway was a dirt track racing venue on the site of the Granville Showgrounds in Sydney.

Cameron Beck Allan was an Australian-born American-based composer, record producer, filmmaker and former label owner. In September 1978 he co-founded the record label Regular Records with fellow filmmaker Martin Fabinyi. Their first signing was the new wave group Mental As Anything, and their second was the pub rock band Flowers. Allan produced both groups' early work. His TV and film music compositions include Stir (1980), The Umbrella WomanKojak: Ariana (1989), and Kojak: Flowers for Matty (1990). In 1986 he relocated to the United States and in July 1992 he married Margaret Wertheim, a science writer. The couple had separated by 2007. Cameron Allan died of liver failure, after a transplant, aged 57.

References

  1. Adrian Martin, "Midnite Spares", Australian Film 1978-1992, Oxford Uni Press, 1992 p132
  2. "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria Archived 9 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine accessed 24 October 2012
  3. David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p275-276