‘Dead Kids’ success good omen

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 10

‘Dead Kids’ success good omen

The New Zealand film producer. John Barnett, who helped make “Beyond Reasonable Doubt." sees the American success of the New Zealand made film. “Dead Kids." as another good omen for the local film industry. “Although ‘Dead Kids’ had an overseas director and key cast we provided a large amount of local expertise, cast members, extras, and crew. Also about 75 per cent of the money came from local investors," he said.

“The end result is a successful blend of local and overseas talent and experience. The film turned out well both for the investors and our local industry." he said.

The plot of “Dead Kids.” takes off from a series of sinister behaviour modification experiments at a college psychology, department in the small town of Galesville. Illinois. The hero, Pete Brady, becomes a paid volunteer for the experiments. A series of bizarre and horrible murders linked to the experiments leads to a spinechilling conclusion.

The sleepy mid-western town of Galesville will look disconcertingly familiar to many New Zealand filmgoers when “Dead Kids." is released later this year. In reality Galesville Illinois. is Remuera. Auckland, which might sound wrong, but according to David Chute, a film critic on the Los Angeles “Herald Exa-

miner," the setting looked just right. Chute chose “Dead Kids," as the fourth best film in 1981, and the best (horror) film of its kind. Chute wrote: ‘“Dead Kids,’ was actually filmed in New Zealand, which might seem a bizarre choice until you see how well it works. This sleepy leafy, clapboarded hamlet looks uncannily like

our own mid-west about 20 years ago." The leading cast includes Louise Fletcher, who played Nurse Hatched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and Marc McLure, whose credits include Jimmy Olsen in “Superman 1" and “Superman 2." Another leading actor is Michael Murphy who appeared in Woody Allen's pictures, “Annie Hall” and "Manhattan.”

The music in the film is by Tangerine Dream the German electronic rock group and local groups, Pop Mechanix and The Ritz. Apart from some instrumental music by Tangerine Dream all the vocal music is by the two local groups. The “Los Angeles Times," referred to “Dead Kids," as a “fine reminder that the size of the imagination is ever more important than the size of the budget," and the “Village Voice," acclaimed the ‘brilliant directorial debut," of Michael Laughlin. “Dead Kids" is produced by John Barnett directed by Michael Laughlin, and written by William Condon and Michael Laughlin.