Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jim Sharman |
Written by | Jim Sharman Helmut Bakaitis |
Produced by | Matt Carroll Jim Sharman |
Starring | Jane Harders Helmut Bakaitis |
Cinematography | David Sanderson |
Edited by | Malcolm Smith |
Music by | Ralph Tyrell |
Production company | Kolossal Piktures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes (original cut) 79 minutes (1976 re-edit) |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Budget | A$50,000 [1] or $17,000 [2] |
Shirley Thompson vs. the Aliens is a 1972 Australian film directed by Jim Sharman and starring Jane Harders and Helmut Bakaitis. It is the first feature-length film from Sharman, who subsequently directed The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
In 1950s Sydney, Shirley and her gang discover that aliens have attacked Australia but no one believes them. Shirley is assumed to be insane and is committed to a lunatic asylum.
The film was shot on 16mm. [1] Sharman paid for the movie with his own money. It was written as a tribute to old B movies. [2]
Sharman later said "it was made quite impulsively and not without passion". [3]
Sharman subsequently worked again with both Jane Harders and Kate Fitzpatrick when he directed the original 1973 Sydney stage production of The Rocky Horror Show , which starred Harders as Janet, with Fitzpatrick as Magenta. Cast member Helmut Bakaitis went on to international notoriety for his role as "The Architect" in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions . The film marks the first screen credit for Sharman's longtime collaborator, designer Brian Thomson, who worked with Sharman on many notable theatre and stage musical productions, including the original Sydney stage productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show , and Sharman's later films The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Shock Treatment . It was also the first feature film credit for distinguished producer Matt Carroll - a friend of Sharman and Thomson from their student days at the University of New South Wales - who went on to produce many notable Australian feature films and TV series including Sunday Too Far Away , Breaker Morant , the TV miniseries True Believers, Turtle Beach , the acclaimed TV medical drama series G.P. , and the science fiction TV series Farscape .
The film was previewed at the National Film Theatre in London in March 1972 and had its premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in June and received limited release. In 1976 Sharman re-edited it substantially, cutting some 25 minutes of footage from the original 1972 version, which ran 104 minutes. [1]
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 independent musical comedy horror film produced by Lou Adler and Michael White, directed by Jim Sharman, and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also a member of the cast. The film is based on the 1973 musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show, with music, book, and lyrics by O'Brien. The production is a tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s. Along with O'Brien, the film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick and is narrated by Charles Gray, with cast members from the original Royal Court Theatre, Roxy Theatre, and Belasco Theatre productions, including Nell Campbell and Patricia Quinn.
The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the science fiction and horror genres from the 1930s to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist, Dr Frank-N-Furter, unveiling his new creation, Rocky, a sort of Frankenstein-style monster in the form of an artificially made, fully grown, physically perfect muscle man complete "with blond hair and a tan".
"Time Warp" is a song featured in the 1973 rock musical The Rocky Horror Show, its 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and a 2016 TV production. The song title comes from a dance performed during the chorus of the song.
Richard Timothy Smith, known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealander actor, writer, musician, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, which has since remained in continuous production. He also co-wrote the screenplay along with director Jim Sharman for the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), and appeared on-screen as Riff Raff. The film became an international success and has received a large cult following. O'Brien co-wrote the musical Shock Treatment (1981) and appeared in the film as Dr. Cosmo McKinley.
Shock Treatment is a 1981 American musical comedy film directed by Jim Sharman, and co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. It is a follow-up to the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the film does feature characters from the previous film, most portrayed by different actors, as well as several Rocky Horror actors in new roles. The film stars Jessica Harper as Janet and Cliff DeYoung in a dual role as Brad and the film's main antagonist Farley Flavors, with O'Brien and Patricia Quinn playing sibling character actors, Cosmo and Nation McKinley, and Nell Campbell playing Nurse Ansalong.
Helmut Bakaitis is a German-born Australian director, actor and screenwriter and playwright. He is best known for his role in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions as the character the Architect.
Harry Maurice Miller was a New Zealand Australian promoter, publicist and media agent.
Jonathan James English was an English-born Australian singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He emigrated from England to Australia with his parents in 1961. He was an early vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Sebastian Hardie but left to take on the role of Judas Iscariot in the Australian version of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar from May 1972, which was broadcast on television. English was also a solo singer; his Australian top twenty hit singles include "Turn the Page", "Hollywood Seven", "Words are Not Enough", "Six Ribbons" and "Hot Town".
Matthew Carroll OBE is an Australian film and TV producer. He is best known for producing films since the early 1970s including Breaker Morant, Storm Boy and Sunday Too Far Away. Later, he went into television production, producing the television series G.P. for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He was a principal in the production house Roadshow, Coote and Carroll which produced television shows for Australian and international audiences.
Reginald Dawson Livermore is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer, designer, director, lyricist and writer and former television presenter.
James David Sharman is an Australian director and writer for film and stage with more than 70 productions to his credit. He is renowned in Australia for his work as a theatre director since the 1960s, and is best known internationally as the director of the 1973 theatrical hit The Rocky Horror Show, its film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and the film's follow-up, Shock Treatment (1981).
Kerry Kathleen Fitzpatrick known as Kate Fitzpatrick, is an Australian television, film, and theatre actress.
The Old Tote Theatre Company (1963–1978) was a New South Wales theatre company that began as the standing acting and theatre company of Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). It was the predecessor to the Sydney Theatre Company. The Old Tote was one of the leading Australian theatre companies.
Brian Thomson is an Australian theatre, opera and film designer. He has been active in Australian stage design since the 1970s.
Jesus Christ Superstar or Jesus Christ Superstar – Original Australian Cast Recording is an album released in late 1972 on MCA Records. Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera created by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1970. The earliest Australian version was staged from May 1972 to February 1974. This album features Trevor White, Jon English and Michele Fawdon. Together with other cast members, they performed vocals for a studio recording. It was produced by Patrick Flynn, the show's musical director and a conductor for Opera Australia. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Go-Set Albums Chart in June 1973, while it reached No. 13 on the Kent Music Report and remained on its charts for 54 weeks. It appeared in the top 100 on the 1974 End of Year Albums Chart. In May 1973, the album was awarded a gold record for sales of 50,000 albums.
Boney is an Australian television series produced by Fauna Productions during 1971 and 1972, featuring James Laurenson in the title role of Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. Two series, each of thirteen episodes, were filmed.
Summer of Secrets is a 1976 film directed by Jim Sharman and starring Arthur Dignam, Rufus Collins, and Nell Campbell.
The Christian Brothers is a play by Australian writer Ron Blair first performed in 1975. It is a one-man play about a teacher at a Christian Brothers school. It was based on Blair's experience of studying at the Christian Brothers school in Lewisham, Sydney and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic. Peter Carroll performed in the original Nimrod Theatre production, which was directed by John Bell and designed by Larry Eastwood. The play has been revived a number of times, including the 1991 production at the Q Theatre, Penrith with Neil Fitzpatrick, directed by Helmut Bakaitis.
Big Toys is a 1977 Australian play by Patrick White. It was his first play in 14 years.
The Last Impresario is a 2013 documentary film about prolific British theatre impresario and film producer Michael White. The film was directed by Gracie Otto, and made its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2013, where it was positively received by critics.