Explorers (film)
| Explorers | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Joe Dante |
| Produced by | David Bombyk Edward S. Feldman |
| Written by | Eric Luke |
| Starring | Ethan Hawke River Phoenix Jason Presson Amanda Peterson |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | John Hora |
| Editing by | Tina Hirsch |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 12, 1985 |
| Running time | Theatrical Cut: 109 minutes Home Video Cut: 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $9,873,044 |
Explorers is a 1985 family-oriented science-fiction fantasy film written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante. It was the first feature film for both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.
The special effects in the movie were produced by Industrial Light & Magic, with makeup effects by Rob Bottin.
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[edit] Plot
Three young friends are drawn into a space fantasy adventure. Ben Crandall (Ethan Hawke) is a young visionary who dreams of space travel while watching late-night monster movies, poring over comic books, and playing Galaga in the confines of his bedroom. One night he has a vivid dream of flying over a space-like circuit board and shares his visions with his best friend Wolfgang (River Phoenix), a young scientific genius who is able to translate his dreams into a complex computer program that actually works.
With the help of their new friend Darren (Jason Presson), they create a homemade spacecraft and embark on a secret adventure to another galaxy where they find that things are not always as different as they seem.
[edit] Cast
- Ethan Hawke ... Ben Crandall
- River Phoenix ... Wolfgang Müller
- Jason Presson ... Darren Woods
- Bobby Fite ... Steve Jackson
- Bradley Gregg ... Steve Jackson's Gang
- Amanda Peterson ... Lori Swenson
- Danny Nucci ... Nasty Kid at School
- Dana Ivey ... Mrs. Müller
- Taliesin Jaffe ... Ludwig Müller
- James Cromwell ... Mr. Müller
- Brooke Bundy ... Science Teacher
- Eric Luke ... Darren's Teacher
- Robert Picardo ... Starkiller / Wak / Wak and Neek's Father
- Karen Mayo-Chandler ... Starkiller's Girlfriend
- Robert F. Boyle ... Starkiller's Girlfriend's Father
- Dick Miller ... Gordon Miller
- Meshach Taylor ... Charlie Drake
- Mary Kay Place ... Mrs. Crandall
[edit] Reception and Home Video Release
The film did not do well at the box office, owing in large part to being released on the same weekend that the Live Aid concert occurred,[citation needed] although it did better in video rentals and DVD sales. It has gained a cult following among fans of Dante's work, as well as science fiction fans and those who feel it is an overall family friendly movie.[citation needed]
VHS and DVD releases would be recut to remove two scenes, where Wolfgang has an encounter with some bullies and a brief bit where the boys chase the Tilt-a-Whirl ride after they push it up a hill. Interestingly enough, it does restore a brief sequence at the end where Ben daydreams about the Thunder Road ship restored and in the classroom.[1] Originally before the end credits, in the theatrical cut, the alien Wak "broke the fourth wall" and remarked how he knows people are still out there due to the popcorn smell. In the reedited home video version, he just tells another joke before it cuts to the closing credits.
[edit] Adaptations
A novelization was written by George Gipe.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Explorers at the Internet Movie Database
- Explorers at AllRovi
- Explorers at Box Office Mojo
- Explorers at Rotten Tomatoes
- Fansite http://www.explorersmovie.co.uk/
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