The Return of Captain Invincible is a 1983 Australian superhero musical comedy film directed by Philippe Mora, and starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. It was a box office disappointment on release but has become a cult film since then.[2]
| The Return of Captain Invincible | |
|---|---|
DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Philippe Mora |
| Written by | Steven E. de Souza Andrew Gaty |
| Produced by | Andrew Gaty |
| Starring | Alan Arkin Christopher Lee Kate Fitzpatrick Bill Hunter |
| Cinematography | Mike Molloy |
| Edited by | John Scott |
| Music by | Richard Hartley William Motzing Richard O'Brien |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Seven Keys |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$7 million[1] |
| Box office | AU$55,110 (Australia) |
Plot
editThe plot involves the super-hero called "Captain Invincible" (also known as "Legend in Leotards", "The Caped Contender" and "Man of Magnet") who is active during Prohibition, The Depression, World War II, and the Early 1950s. Once a popular hero to all Americans, he is forced into retirement by McCarthy-style government persecution in 1953.
A congressional investigation accuses him of being a communist, citing his red cape and "premature anti-fascism". He is charged with violating U.S. airspace by flying without a proper license, impersonating a military officer, and wearing underwear in public. He disappears from the public eye, moving to Australia and becoming an alcoholic.
Thirty years later, his old nemesis, the super-villain "Mr. Midnight", re-emerges and steals a secret government super-weapon: the hypno-ray. The US government asks Captain Invincible to return, and the story follows his attempts to return to super-heroing and redeem his reputation.
Cast
edit- Alan Arkin as Captain Invincible, US superhero who fought for the allies during WWII, but fell on hard times.
- Christopher Lee as Mr. Midnight, Invincible's nemesis; dedicated to evil, his latest plan involves the eradication of the ethnic minorities in New York.
- Kate Fitzpatrick as Patty Patria, Australian policewoman who helps Invincible get back to his former glory.
- Bill Hunter as Tupper / Coach
- Michael Pate as the US president, who as a child met Invincible. The meeting left an impression on him.
- Doug McGrath as Adolf Hitler
- Graham Kennedy as Prime Minister
- Max Phipps as Admiral
- Alfred Sandor as New York Police Captain
- Ron Becks as Black Salesman
- Garth Meade as Polish Salesman
- David Argue as Italian Salesman
Production
editThe Return of Captain Invincible was directed by Philippe Mora, and produced by Seven Keys Production and Willara and distributed by Seven Keys in Australia. It was scheduled for release in the US by Jensen Farley Pictures, but the company went out of business days before the scheduled national opening; it was later offered on American VHS and laserdisc by Magnum Entertainment. A widescreen DVD later followed from Elite Entertainment Inc.
Lyricist Richard O'Brien and composer Richard Hartley, known for their prior collaboration on The Rocky Horror Show and its subsequent film adaptation, contributed three songs, including "Captain Invincible", "Evil Midnight" and "Name Your Poison".
After completion, producer Andrew Gaty, acting on the advice of his American distributor, recut. Mora objected and the matter wound up before the Minister of Home Affairs, Tom McVeigh, who declared that the film was not "Australian" and thus did not qualify for the 150% tax deduction available for investors. Gaty challenged this decision in court and won.[3][4]
Music
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Captain Invincible" | Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley | Richard O'Brien | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Name Your Poison" | Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley | Christopher Lee | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Mr. Evil Midnight" | Richard O'Brien, Richard Hartley | Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Into the Blue" | Brad Love | Alan Arkin | |
| 5. | "We Need a Hero" | Brad Love | Michael Pate | 1:49 |
| 6. | "Bullshit" | Brad Love | Michael Pate | 0:31 |
| 7. | "The World I Knew" | Billy Field, Tom Price | Alan Arkin | |
| 8. | "Amazing How They're Alike" | Jan Bunker, Mike Scarpiollo | Alan Arkin | 2:16 |
| 9. | "Heaven in Your Eyes" | Beth Lawrence, Norman Thalheimer | Beth Lawrence |
Reception
editThe Return of Captain Invincible grossed a mere $55,110 at the Australian box office against a budget of $7 million.[7]
British fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett called the film "a series of bad moments pasted together with great songs and a budget of fourpence," but said that he had watched it a number of times.[8] Colin Greenland reviewed The Return of Captain Invincible for Imagine magazine, and stated that "Featuring hilarious musical routines from the man who wrote The Rocky Horror Picture Show and tongue-in-cheek aerobatics by the effects team from Superman, this eccentric, extraordinary and utterly delightful Australian movie has been unforgiveably denied to British audiences until now. All credit to Entertainment in Video for discovering it."[9]
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Awards (1983 AFI Awards) |
Best Production Design | David Copping | Nominated |
| Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival | Grand Prize | Philippe Mora | Nominated |
| Sitges Film Festival | Caixa de Catalunya for Best Special Effects | Bob McCarron | Won |
References
edit- ^ Anna Dzenis, "The Return of Captain Invincible", Australian Film 1978-1992, Oxford Uni Press, 1993 p137
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (30 December 2019). "10 Aussie '80s Films That Attempted to Jazz Up Things with an Inappropriate Rock Soundtrack". Filmink.
- ^ "Parliamentary Paper No. 173/1987 Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Government Operations: The circumstances surrounding the various court actions relating to the film The Return of Captain Invincible" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p79
- ^ "The Return of Captain Invincible". IMDB. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "The Return of Captain Invincible". RockyMusic. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
- ^ Terry Pratchett Quotes
- ^ Greenland, Colin (June 1985). "Fantasy Media". Imagine (review) (27). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd.: 47.
External links
edit- The Return Of Captain Invincible at IMDb
- The Return of Captain Invincible at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Return of Captain Invincible at Rocky Music
- The Return of Captain Invincible at Oz Movies