Stunt Rock
| Stunt Rock | |
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Stunt Rock DVD Cover
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| Directed by | Brian Trenchard-Smith |
| Produced by | Martin Fink |
| Screenplay by | Paul-Michel Mielche Jr. Brian Trenchard-Smith |
| Starring |
Grant Page Monique van de Ven Margaret Gerard |
| Music by | Sorcery Band (Los Angeles Cal) |
| Cinematography | Helmen Ilmer Bob Carras |
| Edited by | Beth Bergeron Robert H. Money |
| Distributed by | Corona Film Ambassador Film Distributors Film Ventures International Code Red DVD |
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Release date
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Running time
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86 minutes |
| Country |
Australia Netherlands |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $450,000 |
| Box office | AU$54,000 (Australia) |
Stunt Rock is a 1978 Australian action film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith and starring Grant Page.
Australian stuntman Grant Page accepts a job on an American television series and travels to Los Angeles, where he reunites with his cousin, Sorcery band member Curtis Hyde. Hyde performs with a heavy metal band called Sorcery, playing the part of The Prince of Darkness who is locked in cosmic combat with Merlin the Magician (Paul Haynes). While the band plays out the story with its signature brand of theatrical but muscular hard rock, Page's first stunt for the cameras goes awry and he is hospitalized, but defies his doctors by escaping out a fifth story window to get back to the set. Such reckless behavior attracts the attention of newspaper reporter (Margaret Gerard) who is writing an article about the career obsessed, as well as a TV star (Dutch star Monique van de Ven) who both gravitate towards the stuntman's professional fearlessness. Together they attend Sorcery concerts, enjoy Hollywood parties with the band and explore the nature of extreme living.
Trenchard-Smith says he was in the shower in December 1977 when the concept of the film came to him. "Famous stuntman meets famous rock group. Much stunt, much rock. The kids will go bananas" He wrote a six-page outline in half an hour, motivated in part by a desire to launch Grant Page as an international star. He sent the outline to a European distributor who had bought Trenchard-Smith's previous film, Deathcheaters and who agreed to finance provided the film could be made in six months.
Trenchard-Smith hurriedly went to America to look for a band. Foreigner was interested but were on a tour and would not be back in time. Trenchard-Smith luckily found the Los Angeles-based band Sorcery. Sorcery was signed to do the picture in Dec. 1977, and signed with EMI Records in January 1978. The soundtrack album was recorded at the Warner Bros. Burbank CA. studios in March 1978. It was produced by Jimmy Haskell, and released on EMI records in the summer of 1978.
The director says he also had to rewrite the script to incorporate a Dutch actress for the Dutch market, and the making of the movie was intensely political and happened in far too quick period of time. "It was a film that went from six page treatment to stereo answer print in 4 1/2 months. That is no way to make a feature and, when you see the film, you will answer why."
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