The Quiet Earth Geoff Murphy Digital Life DVD

The Quiet Earth
starring: Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith (III), Anzac Wallace, Norman Fletcher
directed by: Geoff Murphy

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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: STARZ HOME ENTERTAINMENT
EAN: 0013131414691
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Region Code: 1
Release Date: June 13, 2006
Running Time: 91 minutes
Sales Rank: 9218
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: October 18, 1985

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Editorial Review:

Description:
At exactly 6:12 am, government research scientist Zac Hobson (a powerhouse performance by Bruno Lawrence of SMASH PALACE and UTU) awakens to discover that he may be the last man on earth: homes, highways and entire cities are deserted. Empty planes have fallen from the sky. Every living thing has disappeared. But for Hobson, the ultimate shock is still to come months later when he finds that he is not alone. With the addition of a beautiful young woman (Alison Routledge) and a Maori trucker (Pete Smith), the apocalypse suddenly becomes very personal. What has happened to everyone else on the planet? Why has Zac himself survived? Will sexual tension lead to sudden violence? And what is the ultimate responsibility for a man of science when the end of the world may be just the beginning?

Amazon.com:
The 'last man on Earth' sci-fi sub-genre is reasonably well represented by director Geoff Murphy's The Quiet Earth, a 1985 film from New Zealand that earned plenty of Kiwi kudos in its day but still fails to measure up to the great expectations engendered by its premise. Bruno Lawrence is Zac Hobson, a techie who's involved in 'Project Flashlight,' a vast energy grid that allows war planes to circle the planet without ever refueling (leave it to 'the Americans,' who are blamed for the whole ensuing mess, to come up with such a diabolical idea). When what Zac drolly describes as 'a malfunction' (thereafter known as 'the Effect') occurs early one morning, he awakens to discover that he's apparently the only survivor, human or otherwise, of a catastrophe that has altered the very fabric of the universe. Lawrence is terrific in these early scenes, which find him gradually losing his marbles as the gravity of his situation sets in; wearing nothing but a woman's slip, he stands on a balcony and grandly addresses an 'audience' of cardboard standups (from Queen Elizabeth and Hitler to Bob Marley and Alfred Hitchcock), declaring himself 'president of this quiet Earth.' But effectively sustaining such weirdness is tough, and although Murphy, to his credit, doesn't over-rely on special effects and scientific gobbledygook, the film isn't up to it. Turns out Zac isn't the only survivor, and when first a pretty young woman (Alison Routledge) and then a Maori man (Peter Smith) appear, the director tries to balance the human dynamics with the sci-fi elements (seems the Effect may not be over after all) to awkward and unsatisfying effect, and the film loses most of its momentum. As for the ending, well, safe to say that it will leave some viewers perplexed, others feeling that they've been bamboozled, and still others thinking that its mystery and lack of explicable closure are perfect. --Sam Graham

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- Too Quiet for some?
The invasion scene where the giant invasion ship spikes into the planet and the millions of ruthless troops run out is amazing on the big screen, hold on, thats "Chronicles of Riddick," yes, this film was made with a budget of about 20 quid, and could almost be a stage play for its "set-piece-iness", but this is a thoughtful and interesting film.

Following a late viewing on a sunday night some years ago, it caused significant discussion on monday morning in the office as to the fate of the main character in the end scene. Mind you, the lyrics to "Martikas Kitchen" also provoked similar discussion so don't let that guide you too much.

Seriously, this will probably be remade by George Clooney soon, but he will be doing well to make it as good as this. So if you like spaceships and explosions and stuff, dont buy this. And as another reviewer points out, Ms Routelidges' behind truly is a sight ... Read More

Rating:

- The Quiet Earth
I wasn't expecting much for a low budget New Zealand movie but was pleasantly surprised. Very good movie that has no dialogue for the first 6 minutes and and not a lot afterwards but it doesn;t really need a lot. With only 3 people left you'd expect to see the blood sucking zombies come out at any minute but guess what there are none just a good story well filmed that really held my attention. The commentary track is also very good an explains a lot of how the picture was made and some interesting insights into the New Zealand view of the world.

Rating:

- Boring - save your money
The Quiet Earth Of all the fine Sci-fi there has been throughtout the years this has to be one of the worst. The design on the cover and the claims of being spectacular are the only good things about this movie. It would be better unviewed and the cover saved a "Space Art" then to actually watch it. Cannot believe they can actually get (or pay) people or companies to endorse movies such as this.

Rating:

- slow and predictable
I didn't like it at all, It was to slow for my taste and the ending was predictable to say the least :(

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