Slipstream (1989 film)
Encyclopedia
Slipstream is a 1989
post-apocalyptic
science fiction
adventure
film
. The plot has an emphasis on aviation
and contains many common science-fiction themes, such as taking place in a dystopia
n future in which the landscape of the Earth
itself has been changed and is windswept by storm
s of great power. There are also numerous sub-plots, such as free will
and humanity
amongst artificial intelligence
.
Slipstream was directed by Steven Lisberger
, who had previously directed the cult classic
1982
science fiction film
Tron
. The executive producer
of Slipstream was Gary Kurtz
whose prior list of credits include Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
, The Dark Crystal
, Return to Oz
, and American Graffiti
.
Slipstream reunited Gary Kurtz with Star Wars
star Mark Hamill
who portrays the central antagonist
in Slipstream and had previously portrayed Luke Skywalker
in Star Wars
. Other stars of Slipstream include Bill Paxton
, Bob Peck
and Kitty Aldridge
, and there are also cameo appearances from Robbie Coltrane
, Sir Ben Kingsley, and F. Murray Abraham
.
has occurred, referred to as the "Convergence". Exactly what the causes of this natural disaster
were are unclear, but is stated that many parts of the world were flooded, whereas others were buried under cataclysmic earthquakes and rapidly shifting continents, leaving the land a bleak wasteland of high windswept plateaus, deep valleys, towering mountains and canyons of razor-sharp rock (panoramic aerial views of Cappadoccia, Turkey
, are used for such shots). However the worst part of this apocalypse
was not geological but meteorological; the atmosphere
churned with such ferocity that the jet stream
expanded to the planet's surface and swept it clean of human civilization with winds far surpassing anything ever seen before, even the strongest hurricanes. Cities and entire nations were blown away like leaves in a strong gale.
Many bizarre communities have survived in the valleys and caves, some regressing to primitive states, others embracing advanced technologies. Many are isolationist and some are blighted by marauder
s. Ironically though, transport is no longer possible at ground level due to the atmospheric conditions, but only for skilled pilots in the air and by travelling in the direction of the fierce winds and moving with the flow in the same way a canoe
may follow the river currents; this is known as "riding the slipstream
". As such, the remnants of society have become airborne and reside on high precipices or beneath the howling slipstream. Flying in airplanes, biplane
s, gliders
, gyrocopters, Zeppelin
s or hot air balloon
s is now the main, if not only, form of long distance transportation. It is stated that nobody has ever been to the ends of the slipstream, as the extreme turbulent atmospheric conditions at the ends of the slipstream make human survival impossible.
) running down a canyon, being harassed by an airplane. Byron takes refuge from his pursuers on a precipice overlooking the canyon. The plane lands and its occupants, two obsessive law enforcement officers named Will Tasker and Belitski (Mark Hamill
and Kitty Aldridge
), chase the man on foot. They shoot the fugitive through the arm with a grappling hook
. The fugitive looks at his arm, but does not seem injured, only intrigued. Tasker pulls on the rope now connected to the fugitive. He tumbles down the side of the canyon, but once again is not harmed. Immediately after his fall, the fugitive recites the words of famous World War II
aviator
and poet
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
, "I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth - put out my hand and touched the Face of God.", from the poem High Flight.
They take the man prisoner and fly to a busy civilian airstrip (not unlike Mos Eisley Cantina
in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
) where he stands beside them, handcuffed, as they eat in the airstrip's diner. A roguish young wanderer and hustler, Matt Owens (Bill Paxton
), makes a pass at Belitski and she nearly breaks his arm. Owens tries to sell contraband grenade
s to Tasker. It is then revealed that Tasker and Belitski are part of the remnants of a law enforcement agency, trying to keep the peace in what is left of society. Byron is wanted for murder, and they are bringing him to justice. Tasker seizes Owens' weapons. Later, as the cops are preparing to leave, Owens forces them to give up Byron and flees in his own plane, but not before Belitski shoots him with a dart, both poisoning him and planting a tracking device in his body. Owens then flies off "downstream", planning to turn Byron in to the authorities for a reward. Belitski and Tasker are in hot pursuit.
Owens and Byron land at the home of a cult
of people that worship the Slipstream and have recently been under attack by bandits. After Byron heals a boy who was born blind, Owens knows that he is more than what he appears to be. It is then revealed by Byron that he is an android. When the wind cult finds out about Byron's abilities, they tie him to a massive kite, and let the wind decide what to do with him. The bounty hunters arrive in the middle of a windstorm, and Belitski and Owens are forced to work together to get Byron down. Belitski then allows Byron and Owens to get away (or as she says, she is just giving Owens a head start), along with another visitor to the valley, a woman Ariel who has become very attached to Byron.
Ariel takes them to her home. She grew up with a group of hedonists, who inhabit an underground museum. Byron and Ariel develop feelings for each other and spend the night holding each other among an African Savannah exhibit. Owens gets drunk and has a one-night stand with a sexy, but depressed local girl. Later that night, Owens and Byron have a heartfelt talk, in which Byron explains more of his past, that the man he killed was his master, although an educated man, Byron was little more than a slave to him and in killing him, he freed both of them. Byron also excitedly tells Matt that he actually slept for the first time had a dream. In fact he was more excited about that than having sex, showing his innocence. And he dreamt the special place he was heading, to which Owens is won over and tells Byron he is cutting him loose and setting him free, and that he is now able to make his own decisions and find his own way in life. Byron is overwhelmed and unsure what to do with his new found freedom and asks Matt is he free to stay as well, to which Matt says yes and Byron whoops for joy. Meanwhile the committee elders debate on what to do with the outsiders, as they do not wish for more outsiders to come in their wake.
Indeed they do. Tasker and Belitski track the trio to the museum, which they storm. They kill the gate guards and some of its inhabitants. Tasker, after bashing the curator, forces the rest to seek out Byron. Byron and Owens (who has just managed to persuade him to join him as an equal) are taken by surprise; Byron is seized and Owens floored. They leave and Belitski faces him holding a gun. Shooting him in the chest Owens punches her, almost knocking her out, but when she explains it was the antidote to the poison he realises his mistake. Instead of killing her, he handcuffs her to a bed while he sets off after Tasker with Belitski's shotgun. The two do however flirt a little, although Belitski still resists his advances.
In the lobby Owens gets the drop on Tasker, but his aim is poor and his first shot goes wide. Byron will not let Owens kill Tasker and stands in his way as Owens shoots. Tasker then shoots Owens in the shoulder. Ariel does not want a shootout, but picks up a gun near her to protect Byron and fires at Tasker. Tasker shoots and kills her. Tasker, for the first time, when he sees Byron's reaction regrets his action, but it is too late as Byron cradles Ariel as she dies in his arms. Byron finally lets go of his passive nature and sets out to kill Tasker. Tasker now knows he is in trouble. Matt warns Byron that he will lose if he goes after Tasker and Byron says "I already have." Tasker now has a grieving, vengeful and almost invincible android after him, no longer passive and subservient, and having made it back to his plane retrieves an assault rifle
and shoots at Byron, to no effect. Tasker tries to flee in his plane, which Byron manages to jump and hold onto, and then smash his way inside. Eventually, Byron relents to actually committing murder, using his free will for good and forgiveness, and attempts to control the plane with wires as the steering column was damaged in the altercation. However, Byron is unable to fully control the plane, and as it banks it just clips a mountain top which causes it to crash in a fiery ball of flame. Tasker's second last words are that of John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
, "I have put out my hand and touched the Face of God," the same poem which Byron first recited to him, and is relieved that he believes at first that they will make it. Tasker is killed in the crash, but Byron, being an android, is blackened and burned but otherwise unharmed. He relents his anger and returns to the museum to find that Belitski and Owens have developed a budding romance. The film ends on a sanguine note. Byron hikes off by himself to look for some of his own kind he knows is far West, at the ends of the ocean, high up above the canyons, at the far ends of the slipstream, while Owens and Belitski leave to open their own airstrip with Matt's dream of the hot air balloons, filling the sky.
, where it was considered a flop, and Australia
, where the film grossed just $66,836 during its entire theatrical run. The film was never released in theaters in North America
and enjoyed only moderate VHS
sales. The film was released on videocassette by M.C.E.G. Virgin Home Entertainment in 1990. Several DVD copies of Slipstream have been released, all without any special features. Fans awaiting a director's cut
have been disappointed after producer Gary Kurtz said in an interview that the script was originally much more violent, but that these violent scenes that would have made the plot more coherent were never even filmed.
It has also been released as a DVD double feature by "Destra Entertainment - Payless", the other feature being 1967's "In the Year 2889
."
The film currently has a "rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes
of 20%.
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
adventure
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. The plot has an emphasis on aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and contains many common science-fiction themes, such as taking place in a dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n future in which the landscape of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
itself has been changed and is windswept by storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
s of great power. There are also numerous sub-plots, such as free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
and humanity
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
amongst artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
.
Slipstream was directed by Steven Lisberger
Steven Lisberger
Steven M. Lisberger is an American film director, producer and writer famous for directing Tron in 1982.Lisberger was born in 1951 in New York City and grew up in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. He is a 1974 graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts...
, who had previously directed the cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
1982
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
Tron
Tron (film)
Tron is a 1982 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Lisberger, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Jeff Bridges as the protagonist Kevin Flynn; Bruce Boxleitner in a dual role as security program Tron and Tron's "User", computer programmer Alan Bradley; Cindy...
. The executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of Slipstream was Gary Kurtz
Gary Kurtz
Gary Kurtz is an American film producer whose list of credits include American Graffiti, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. He later produced The Dark Crystal and Return to Oz after departing from the Star Wars series...
whose prior list of credits include Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the...
, Return to Oz
Return to Oz
Return to Oz is a 1985 film which is an unofficial sequel to Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz. The film is based on the second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz...
, and American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
.
Slipstream reunited Gary Kurtz with Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
star Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
who portrays the central antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
in Slipstream and had previously portrayed Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
in Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
. Other stars of Slipstream include Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton
William "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
, Bob Peck
Bob Peck
Bob Peck was an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:He went to Leeds Modern School in Lawnswood...
and Kitty Aldridge
Kitty Aldridge
Kitty Aldridge is a British actress and writer.-Biography:After training as an actress at the Drama Centre London, Aldridge worked in film, theatre and television as an actress. She released her first novel Pop in 2001, and her second Cryers Hill was published on 1 March 2007. Aldridge is married...
, and there are also cameo appearances from Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
, Sir Ben Kingsley, and F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
.
Setting
Slipstream takes place in an undetermined point of the future in which Man's abuse of the natural world has finally paid him back. A voice over at the beginning of the film explains that a doomsday eventDoomsday event
A doomsday event is a specific, plausibly verifiable or hypothetical occurrence which has an exceptionally destructive effect on the human race...
has occurred, referred to as the "Convergence". Exactly what the causes of this natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
were are unclear, but is stated that many parts of the world were flooded, whereas others were buried under cataclysmic earthquakes and rapidly shifting continents, leaving the land a bleak wasteland of high windswept plateaus, deep valleys, towering mountains and canyons of razor-sharp rock (panoramic aerial views of Cappadoccia, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, are used for such shots). However the worst part of this apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
was not geological but meteorological; the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
churned with such ferocity that the jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
expanded to the planet's surface and swept it clean of human civilization with winds far surpassing anything ever seen before, even the strongest hurricanes. Cities and entire nations were blown away like leaves in a strong gale.
Many bizarre communities have survived in the valleys and caves, some regressing to primitive states, others embracing advanced technologies. Many are isolationist and some are blighted by marauder
Marauder
A marauder is a bandit, outlaw, raider or such like who moves about in roving fashion looking for plunder.Other uses of marauder, usually derived from the above include:in " Football"...
s. Ironically though, transport is no longer possible at ground level due to the atmospheric conditions, but only for skilled pilots in the air and by travelling in the direction of the fierce winds and moving with the flow in the same way a canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
may follow the river currents; this is known as "riding the slipstream
Slipstream
A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid is moving at velocities comparable to the moving object . The term slipstream also applies to the similar region adjacent to an object with a fluid moving around it...
". As such, the remnants of society have become airborne and reside on high precipices or beneath the howling slipstream. Flying in airplanes, biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
s, gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
, gyrocopters, Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s or hot air balloon
Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...
s is now the main, if not only, form of long distance transportation. It is stated that nobody has ever been to the ends of the slipstream, as the extreme turbulent atmospheric conditions at the ends of the slipstream make human survival impossible.
Plot
The film opens with a mysterious man, later referred to as "Byron" (portrayed by Bob PeckBob Peck
Bob Peck was an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:He went to Leeds Modern School in Lawnswood...
) running down a canyon, being harassed by an airplane. Byron takes refuge from his pursuers on a precipice overlooking the canyon. The plane lands and its occupants, two obsessive law enforcement officers named Will Tasker and Belitski (Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
and Kitty Aldridge
Kitty Aldridge
Kitty Aldridge is a British actress and writer.-Biography:After training as an actress at the Drama Centre London, Aldridge worked in film, theatre and television as an actress. She released her first novel Pop in 2001, and her second Cryers Hill was published on 1 March 2007. Aldridge is married...
), chase the man on foot. They shoot the fugitive through the arm with a grappling hook
Grappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
. The fugitive looks at his arm, but does not seem injured, only intrigued. Tasker pulls on the rope now connected to the fugitive. He tumbles down the side of the canyon, but once again is not harmed. Immediately after his fall, the fugitive recites the words of famous World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr. was an American aviator and poet who died as a result of a mid-air collision over Lincolnshire during World War II. He was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which he joined before the United States officially entered the war. He is most famous for his poem "High...
, "I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth - put out my hand and touched the Face of God.", from the poem High Flight.
They take the man prisoner and fly to a busy civilian airstrip (not unlike Mos Eisley Cantina
Mos Eisley Cantina
The Chalmun's Cantina is a fictional bar of the Star Wars universe located in the "pirate city" of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine...
in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
) where he stands beside them, handcuffed, as they eat in the airstrip's diner. A roguish young wanderer and hustler, Matt Owens (Bill Paxton
Bill Paxton
William "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
), makes a pass at Belitski and she nearly breaks his arm. Owens tries to sell contraband grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s to Tasker. It is then revealed that Tasker and Belitski are part of the remnants of a law enforcement agency, trying to keep the peace in what is left of society. Byron is wanted for murder, and they are bringing him to justice. Tasker seizes Owens' weapons. Later, as the cops are preparing to leave, Owens forces them to give up Byron and flees in his own plane, but not before Belitski shoots him with a dart, both poisoning him and planting a tracking device in his body. Owens then flies off "downstream", planning to turn Byron in to the authorities for a reward. Belitski and Tasker are in hot pursuit.
Owens and Byron land at the home of a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
of people that worship the Slipstream and have recently been under attack by bandits. After Byron heals a boy who was born blind, Owens knows that he is more than what he appears to be. It is then revealed by Byron that he is an android. When the wind cult finds out about Byron's abilities, they tie him to a massive kite, and let the wind decide what to do with him. The bounty hunters arrive in the middle of a windstorm, and Belitski and Owens are forced to work together to get Byron down. Belitski then allows Byron and Owens to get away (or as she says, she is just giving Owens a head start), along with another visitor to the valley, a woman Ariel who has become very attached to Byron.
Ariel takes them to her home. She grew up with a group of hedonists, who inhabit an underground museum. Byron and Ariel develop feelings for each other and spend the night holding each other among an African Savannah exhibit. Owens gets drunk and has a one-night stand with a sexy, but depressed local girl. Later that night, Owens and Byron have a heartfelt talk, in which Byron explains more of his past, that the man he killed was his master, although an educated man, Byron was little more than a slave to him and in killing him, he freed both of them. Byron also excitedly tells Matt that he actually slept for the first time had a dream. In fact he was more excited about that than having sex, showing his innocence. And he dreamt the special place he was heading, to which Owens is won over and tells Byron he is cutting him loose and setting him free, and that he is now able to make his own decisions and find his own way in life. Byron is overwhelmed and unsure what to do with his new found freedom and asks Matt is he free to stay as well, to which Matt says yes and Byron whoops for joy. Meanwhile the committee elders debate on what to do with the outsiders, as they do not wish for more outsiders to come in their wake.
Indeed they do. Tasker and Belitski track the trio to the museum, which they storm. They kill the gate guards and some of its inhabitants. Tasker, after bashing the curator, forces the rest to seek out Byron. Byron and Owens (who has just managed to persuade him to join him as an equal) are taken by surprise; Byron is seized and Owens floored. They leave and Belitski faces him holding a gun. Shooting him in the chest Owens punches her, almost knocking her out, but when she explains it was the antidote to the poison he realises his mistake. Instead of killing her, he handcuffs her to a bed while he sets off after Tasker with Belitski's shotgun. The two do however flirt a little, although Belitski still resists his advances.
In the lobby Owens gets the drop on Tasker, but his aim is poor and his first shot goes wide. Byron will not let Owens kill Tasker and stands in his way as Owens shoots. Tasker then shoots Owens in the shoulder. Ariel does not want a shootout, but picks up a gun near her to protect Byron and fires at Tasker. Tasker shoots and kills her. Tasker, for the first time, when he sees Byron's reaction regrets his action, but it is too late as Byron cradles Ariel as she dies in his arms. Byron finally lets go of his passive nature and sets out to kill Tasker. Tasker now knows he is in trouble. Matt warns Byron that he will lose if he goes after Tasker and Byron says "I already have." Tasker now has a grieving, vengeful and almost invincible android after him, no longer passive and subservient, and having made it back to his plane retrieves an assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
and shoots at Byron, to no effect. Tasker tries to flee in his plane, which Byron manages to jump and hold onto, and then smash his way inside. Eventually, Byron relents to actually committing murder, using his free will for good and forgiveness, and attempts to control the plane with wires as the steering column was damaged in the altercation. However, Byron is unable to fully control the plane, and as it banks it just clips a mountain top which causes it to crash in a fiery ball of flame. Tasker's second last words are that of John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr. was an American aviator and poet who died as a result of a mid-air collision over Lincolnshire during World War II. He was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which he joined before the United States officially entered the war. He is most famous for his poem "High...
, "I have put out my hand and touched the Face of God," the same poem which Byron first recited to him, and is relieved that he believes at first that they will make it. Tasker is killed in the crash, but Byron, being an android, is blackened and burned but otherwise unharmed. He relents his anger and returns to the museum to find that Belitski and Owens have developed a budding romance. The film ends on a sanguine note. Byron hikes off by himself to look for some of his own kind he knows is far West, at the ends of the ocean, high up above the canyons, at the far ends of the slipstream, while Owens and Belitski leave to open their own airstrip with Matt's dream of the hot air balloons, filling the sky.
Cast and characters
- Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
as Will Tasker, a self-proclaimed lawman, although his profession seems to be more akin to that of a bounty hunterBounty hunterA bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
. Tasker sports blond hair, a blond beard, a dirty gray cardigan and a black leatherLeatherLeather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
trenchcoat. Tasker is a great pilotAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and his plane of choice is the lightweight yet durable and powerful Optica OA7Edgley Optica- See also :- External links :** *...
. Tasker is also an expert marksmanMarksmanA marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
and quick on the draw and can eliminate a group of moving targets in moments. He also utilizes gadgets such as grappling hookGrappling hookA grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
s. Tasker has a firm conviction for the rule of law and orderLaw and order (politics)In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
but at the same time is fairly emotionless, merciless, and cold and calculating, and ruthless and efficient in his pursuit of his quarries, and is in fact a master trackerTracking (hunting)Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked...
. He does however seem to have a kind of sense of honor, and grants those he kills with last ritesLast RitesThe Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
he reads from a bibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
after shooting them. He will also only open fire after an opponent resists arrestResisting arrestResisting arrest is a term used to describe a criminal charge against an individual who has committed, depending on the jurisdiction, at least one of the following acts:* threatening a police officer with physical violence while being arrested...
, although in such circumstances will not hesitate to do so. Tasker is the closest thing to an antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
in the movie due to his moralMoralA moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
ambiguityAmbiguityAmbiguity of words or phrases is the ability to express more than one interpretation. It is distinct from vagueness, which is a statement about the lack of precision contained or available in the information.Context may play a role in resolving ambiguity...
. Throughout the movie his primary target is an enigmatic man who is referred to as "Byron" (Bob PeckBob PeckBob Peck was an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:He went to Leeds Modern School in Lawnswood...
) who is a rumoured murderer. The part of Will Tasker was a notably different role for Hamill who had previously portrayed Luke SkywalkerLuke SkywalkerLuke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
in Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and was worried of being typecastTypecasting (acting)In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
as the naïve young hero in science fiction films.
- Kitty AldridgeKitty AldridgeKitty Aldridge is a British actress and writer.-Biography:After training as an actress at the Drama Centre London, Aldridge worked in film, theatre and television as an actress. She released her first novel Pop in 2001, and her second Cryers Hill was published on 1 March 2007. Aldridge is married...
as Belitski, Her first name is not given. Tasker's younger and pretty female companion, is perhaps a rookieRookieRookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
and his protégé. Belitski shows more sympathy towards their hunted fugitives then Tasker. At first she comes across as a hard-ass, but eventually falls to Matt Owens' charms and is taken in by his plans for the future enough to give up her life as a bounty hunter.
- Bill PaxtonBill PaxtonWilliam "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
as Matt Owens, a character not so dissimilar from Harrison FordHarrison FordHarrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
's character Han SoloHan SoloHan Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
in Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, is a low-level smuggler and small-time arms dealer, yet a pilot with unrivalled skill in the cockpit and an overall roguish charm with women. Having been brought up around aircraft in the mountain passes, Owens plans to settle down one day and legitimately open his own airstrip. However upon hearing that there is a large bountyBounty (reward)A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
on Byron's head, Owens is overtaken by greed and kidnaps Byron from Will Tasker's custody so that he can turn Byron in himself and claim the large reward personally.
- Bob PeckBob PeckBob Peck was an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:He went to Leeds Modern School in Lawnswood...
as Byron, a mysterious business suit-wearing fugitiveFugitiveA fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
attempting to evade Tasker and Belitski across the wilderness. For the first half of the film the character remains nameless, and on more than one occasion willingly, peacefully and passively gives himself up to the authorities. The character comes across as a well-spoken gentleman, dances like Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
and often recites poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, and whilst reciting Lord Byron at one point it is mistakenly assumed that his name actually is "Byron" by the fairly ignorant and not very well-read Matt Owens and the name sticks, or "Byro" as a shortened version. The character's real name, if he even has one, is never revealed. Further adding mystery to Byron's character is the fact that he is strong enough to break free of metal handcuffsHandcuffsHandcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
if he wishes to, but chooses not to on many occasions. Also, Byron is able to perform almost miraculous operations without the proper surgical tools, such as curing cataracts in a blindBlindnessBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
boy and restoring his sight, and also fixing gadgets which have not been operational for centuries and building fully functional aeroplanes from junk overnight. Byron also appears to have regenerative qualitiesHealing factorA healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
and is invulnerable to any kind of harm or injury, even after falling down a canyon, being impaled, being shot or blown up. It is later revealed that Byron is an android who killed his elderly master by snapping his neck upon his master's own request as an act of euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
or mercy killing, and this is the "murder" that Byron is being hunted for. Byron feels sorrow and guilt for the act. His artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
is capable of growing and Byron is capable of overriding his own programming and utilizing free willFree will"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
and feeling emotionEmotionEmotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
, although he is scared to do so. This free will eventually manifests itself in the desire to commit an actual murder, the same crime he has been hunted for, in retaliation for Will Tasker's murder of Ariel, a woman whom Byron had begun to develop feelings for. Towards the end of the film Byron falls asleep for the first time and has a dream of finding more of his own kind in the perilous mountains at the end of the Slipstream, where he believes more androids to exist, and which at the end he goes off to find.
- Eleanor DavidEleanor DavidEleanor David is an English actress. She has appeared in multiple films and television programs including Pink Floyd The Wall directed by Alan Parker, Comfort and Joy directed by Bill Forsyth, Paradise Postponed, and Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy...
as Ariel, a woman who joins Owens and Byron in the valley and leads them to the hedonistic underground museum. Byron, despite being an android, quickly develops emotions for Ariel. Ariel sacrifices her life to save Owens, when she stands in front of him as Will Tasker prepares to shoot him. In retaliation, Byron decides to go off and kill Will Tasker as vengeance, but relents in the end.
- Robbie ColtraneRobbie ColtraneRobbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
as Montclaire, a portly associate of Matt Owens in the mountain caves and apparent rogue whose favourite place appears to be a jacuzziJacuzziJacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
. Montclaire along with his entire party are put under arrest by Will Tasker in the woods for carrying contrabandContrabandThe word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
, and when they resist, they are all shot dead by Tasker and Belitski.
- Sir Ben Kingsley as Avatar, the elderly leader of a highly superstitious windWindWind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
-worshipping cultCultThe word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
who see the slipstream as the manifestation of GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Avatar has a particularly nasty test for Byron, which involves him being put into the "Wrath of God", or tied to a kite which is then flown in the Slipstream overnight. Avatar is killed in conflict with unseen marauderMarauderA marauder is a bandit, outlaw, raider or such like who moves about in roving fashion looking for plunder.Other uses of marauder, usually derived from the above include:in " Football"...
s.
- F. Murray AbrahamF. Murray AbrahamFahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
as Cornelius, the curatorCuratorA curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of a vast, preserved, underground museumMuseumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, who wishes to keep it secret from the outside world and is wary of outsiders despite the fact many of his own are hedonistic.
Releases, box office and reception
Slipstream had a short cinema run in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it was considered a flop, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where the film grossed just $66,836 during its entire theatrical run. The film was never released in theaters in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and enjoyed only moderate VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
sales. The film was released on videocassette by M.C.E.G. Virgin Home Entertainment in 1990. Several DVD copies of Slipstream have been released, all without any special features. Fans awaiting a director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
have been disappointed after producer Gary Kurtz said in an interview that the script was originally much more violent, but that these violent scenes that would have made the plot more coherent were never even filmed.
It has also been released as a DVD double feature by "Destra Entertainment - Payless", the other feature being 1967's "In the Year 2889
In the Year 2889
In the Year 2889 is a 1967 apocalyptic science fiction television film about a futuristic nuclear war. The film is the remake of Day the World Ended . In the film, a nuclear war has wiped out almost all of Earth's citizens. It is set in the year 1977; not 2889...
."
The film currently has a "rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
of 20%.
External links
- Slip Stream at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Slipstream page at yahoo movies
- A detailed synopsis and review of the movie at post-apocalypse.co.uk
- Slipstream at Moria film review