Starman (1984)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1984
Running Times: 115 mins
Format: Metrocolor     35mm     70mm (blow-up)     Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby     70mm 6-Track

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation / Delphi II
Executive Producer: Michael Douglas
Producer: Larry J. Franco
Co-Producer: Barry Bernardi
Associate Producers: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Production Manager: Tom Joyner
Production Coordinators: Anna Zappia, Patricia Blau

SCRIPT
Script: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon, Dean Riesner (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Director: John Carpenter
2nd Unit Director: Joe Alves
Aerial Coordinator: Jim Deeth
1st Assistant Director: Larry Franco
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Director / 2nd Assistant Director: Jeffrey Chernov
DGA Trainee: Nilo Otero

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Donald M. Morgan
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Steve Poster
Camera Operator: Chris Schwiebert
Tennessee Camera Operator: George Kohut
Panaglide Operator: Joe Valentine
1st Assistant Camera: Tony Rivetti
2nd Unit 1st Assistant Camera: Serge Poupis
2nd Assistant Camera: Marc Margulies
2nd Unit Assistant Camera: Peter Kuttner
Assistant Camera: Ray Gilberti
Tennessee Assistant Camera: George Mooradian
Gaffer: Hugo Cortina
Best Boys: Eric Smith, Mike Amorelli
Key Grip: Cal Sterry
2nd Grip: Clay H. Wilson
Dolly Grip: Richard Dow
Stills: Sidney Baldwin, Kerry Nordquist
Tennessee Stills: Dean William

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Marion Rothman
Negative Cutter: Brian Ralph
Assistant Editors: Craig Ridenour, Virginia Katz

MUSIC
Music: Jack Nitzsche; George Duning (theme from From Here to Eternity)
Songs: Mike Jagger, Keith Richard (I Can't Get No Satisfaction); John Kander, Fred Ebb (New York, New York Theme); Boudreaux Briant (All I Have to Do Is Dream)
Songs Performed By: The Rolling Stones (I Can't Get No Satisfaction); Frank Sinatra (New York, New York Theme); Vern Gosdin (All I Have to Do Is Dream)
Synthesizer Music: Anthony Marinelli, Brian Banks
Supervising Music Editor: Curt Sobel

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Tommy Causey
Boom Operators: Hank Garfield, Joseph F. Brennan
Re-Recording Mixers: Bill Varney, Kevin O'Connell, Steve Maslow
Supervising Sound Editor: Tom C. McCarthy Jr
Sound Editors: Michael Redbourn, Don S. Walden
ADR Editor: Jay Engel

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Peter Altobelli
Hair: Marina Pedraza
Men's Costumer: Andy Hylton
Women's Costumer: Robin Michel Bush

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Starman Transformation: Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Stan Winston

Dick Smith Unit
Starman Transformation Crew: Douglas Drexler, George Engel, Norman Bryn

Rick Baker Unit
Starman Transformation Crew: Tony Gardner, Allen Coulter, Tim Lawrence, Tom Hester

Stan Winston Unit
Starman Transformation Crew: Ellis Burman Jr, Jack Bricker

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Bruce Nicholson
Special Effects Coordinator: Roy Arbogast
Special Effects: Bill Lee, David Simmons, Dick Wood, Kevin Quibell

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Industrial Light and Magic
General Manager: Warren Franklin
Visual Consultant: Joe Alves
Animation Supervisor: Charlie Mullen
Head Effects Animator: Bruce Walters
Assistant Animator: Barbara Brennan
Supervising Model Maker: Ease Owyeung
Model Makers: Jeff Mann, Barbara Affonso, Chuck Wiley, Larry Tan
Miniature Pyrotechnicians: Moehnke, Stolz, Finley Jr (real names: Peter Stolz, Robert Finley Jr, Ted Moehnke)
Matte Painting Supervisor: Michael Pangrazio
Matte Artists: Chris Evans, Caroleen Green, Frank Ordaz
Matte Camera Supervisor: Craig Barron
Assistant Matte Cameraman: Wade Childress
Optical Camera Operators: James Lim, Kenneth Smith
Optical Line-Up: Tom Rosseter, Ed Jones, Ralph Gordon
Director of Visual Effects Photography: Michael McAlister
Cameramen: Pat Sweeney, Scott Farrar
Assistant Cameramen: Bob Hill, Toby Heindel, Joe Fulmer, Peter Daulton
Chief Editor: Michael Gleason
Editor: Bill Kimberlin
Assistant Editor: Michael Moore
Stage Technician: Dick Dova
Special Laser Effects: Laser Images Inc / Laserium; Laser Media Inc
Titles: Pacific Title
Computer Graphics: Video Image

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Daniel Lomino
Set Designer: William Joseph Durrell Jr
Set Decorator: Robert Benton
Property Master: Larry Bird
Assistant Property Master: Ken Zimmerman
Construction Coordinator: Walt Hadfield
Construction Foreman: Lloyd A. Buswell
Stand-By Painter: Bob Lawless
Production Illustrator: Tom Cranham
Lead Man: Bill Gay

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Sandy King
Production Accountant: Michael Hill
Assistant to Barry Bernardi: Carol Rosenthal
Assistants to John Carpenter and Larry Franco: Bridget Murphy, Theresa Curtin
Transportation Coordinator: Eddie Lee Voelker
Transportation Captain: Dave Turner
Pilots: Bill Evans, Duane Williams, Harry Hauss, Kevin LaRosa, Larry Kirsch, Robin Rogers, Scott Maher, Steve Sirk
Helicopters: Jetcopters Inc
Researcher: Carl Mazzocone
Ad-Pub Coordinator: Peter J. Silbermann
Equipment Engineering Supervisor: Mike MacKenzie
Stage Technician: Lance Brackett
Location Projection: J. Dolan Projection Units
Catering: Michelson Food Services Inc; The Arrangement

LOCATIONS
Locations: Arizona, USA; Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA; Colorado, USA; Iowa, USA; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Lynchburg, Tennessee, USA; Meteor Crater, Barringer, Arizona, USA; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee, USA
Location Manager: Paul Pav
Tennessee Location Manager: Patricia Ledford
2nd Unit Location Manager: Ken Lavet
Location Assistant: Doug Raine

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Terry Leonard
Stunts: Bill Lane, Bob Jauregui, Ben Scott, John-Clay Scott, Kerry Rossall, Marguerite Happy

CASTING
Casting: Jennifer Shull
Additional Casting: Pennie DuPont
Extras Casting: Stacey Rhodes
Los Angeles Extra Casting: Richmar
Nevada Extras Casting: Goldman and Associates
Location Casting: Doster, Keigley and Rhodes

CAST
Jeff Bridges (Starman)
Karen Allen (Jenny Hayden)
Charles Martin Smith (Mark Shermin)
Richard Jaeckel (George Fox)
Robert Phalen (Major Bell)
Tony Edwards (Sergeant Lemon)
John Walter Davis (Brad Heinmuller)
Ted White (deer hunter)
Dirk Blocker (cop 1)
M.C. Gainey (cop 2)
Sean Stanek (hot rodder)
Buck Flower (cook)
Russ Benning (scientist)
Ralph Cosham (marine lieutenant)
David Wells (Fox's assistant)
Anthony Grumbach (NSA officer)
Jim Deeth (S-61 pilot)
Alex Daniels (gas station attendant)
Carol Rosenthal (gas customer)
Mickey Jones (trucker)
Lu Leonard (roadhouse waitress)
Charlie Hughes (bus driver)
Byron Walls (police sergeant)
Betty Bunch (truck stop waitress)
Victor McLemore (roadblock lieutenant)
Steven Brennan (roadblock sergeant)
Pat Lee (Bracero wife)
Judith Kim (girl barker)
Ronald Colby (cafe waiter)
Robert Stein (state trooper)
Kenny Call (Donnie Bob)
Jeff Ramsey (hunter 1)
Jerry Gatlin (hunter 2)
David Daniell (letterman)
Randy Tutton (2nd letterman)
John Carpenter (man in helicopter (uncredited))

PLOT SUMMARY

Jenny Hayden is still grieving the untimely death of her husband when a non-corporeal alien being arrives and uses strands of the dead man's hair to create a body for himself that looks just like him. The alien has been stranded on Earth when his ship crashed and now has to be at a pre-determined site by a specific time to await the arrival of a rescue mission. To get there he needs Jenny's help...

Not the classic it's being hailed as in some quarters but still a very fine film and an unusual choice after the horror hits Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), The Thing (1982) and Christine (1983). A much gentler film than Carpenter's previous work, it benefits from excellent lead performances and is hampered by a typically Hollywoodian sentimental streak. Overall though it's a genuinely charming and likeable film, superbly directed and extremely well acted.

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: RCA / Columbia (081 740-1)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (includes - commentary by John Carpenter and Jeff Bridges; making-of featurette; music video)

UK
Laserdisc Distributor: Phonovision (LDD 1006)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Laserdisc Distributors: Columbia / Tristar (76876); Pioneer (PSE 91-09); RCA / Columbia (30412)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (04129)

Argentina
Rating: 13

Chile
Rating: 14

Finland
Rating: K-12

France
Rating: U

Norway
Rating: 15

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG-13

West Germany
Rating: 12

1985
Academy Awards, USA
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Jeff Bridges) - nominated

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Actor (Jeff Bridges) - winner

Golden Globes, USA
Best Original Score: Motion Picture (Jack Nitzsche) - nomineted
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Drama (Jeff Bridges) - nominated

1986
Young Artist Awards, USA
Family Motion Picture Drama - nomineted

1984
December
14: USA - theatrical release

1985
January
10: Argentina - theatrical release

June
1: Norway - theatrical release

July
3: France - theatrical release
17: Switzerland (French speaking region) - theatrical release
19: Finland - theatrical release
23: Sweden - theatrical release

1990
May
Day Unknown: Germany - laserdisc release (RCA / Columbia (081 740-1))

1994
October
5: USA - laserdisc release (Columbia / Tristar (76876))

November
Day Unknown: UK - laserdisc release (Phonovision (LDD 1006))

1998
August
25: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (04129))

2002
April
9: Germany - DVD distributor (Columbia / Tristar)

June
23: USA - television broadcast (on HBOFP 508)

In 1977 Voyager II was launched into space, inviting all lifeforms in the universe to visit our planet. Get ready. Company's coming.

He has traveled from a galaxy far beyond our own. He is 100,000 years ahead of us. He has powers we cannot comprehend. And he is about to face the one force in the universe he has yet to conquer. Love.

Czlowiek z gwiazd - Polish title
O Homem das Estrelas - Portugese title
Vieras tähtien takaa - Finnish title

SEQUEL
Starman (1986 - 1987)

SEE ALSO
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM
I Dream of Jeannie (1965 - 1970)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Pulse (1988)

MAGAZINES

Première July 1985 p.7 (France)
review (by Jean-Paul Chaillet)

aliens, bereavement, chases, cloning, helicopters, hitchhiking, hunters, las vegas, military, roadblocks, trains, ufos

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008