Blackout (1985) (TV)

Director:

Douglas Hickox

Writers:

David Ambrose (screenplay)
David Ambrose (story)

Release Date:

9 August 1985 (Sweden)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Crime | Mystery

Plot:

A police officer suspects that a local husband and father who has recently undergone facial surgery...

Plot Keywords:

Child In Peril | Dead Children | Mass Murder | Radio | Amnesia

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Keith Carradine	...	Allen Devlin
Kathleen Quinlan	...	Chris Graham
Richard Widmark	...	Joe Steiner
Michael Beck	...	Mike Patterson
Gerald Hiken	...	Theo Grant
Don Hood	...	Phil Murphy
Dameon Clarke	...	Battered Child
Martina Deignan	...	Pauline
Paul Drake	...	John Davey
Lawrence Lott	...	Dr. Van Buren
Kenneth Kimmins	...	Dr. Kay (as Ken Kimmins)
Murray Ord	...	Harlan French
Sheila Moore	...	Dr. Alcott
Jason Michas	...	Mark
Shana Lane-Block	...	Kathy
Pierre Lamielle	...	Paul
Dan Shea	...	Comic
Chris Christiansen	...	Reporter
Walter Marsh	...	Dr. Sidney
Danitza Kingsley	...	1st Rape Victim
Gabrielle Rose	...	Victim's Friend
Jerry Wasserman	...	Motel Clerk
Don MacKay	...	Dental surgeon
Howard Storey	...	1st Man in Gym
Bob Hughes	...	2nd Man in Gym
Dave Sayer	...	Younger Man
Stephen E. Miller	...	3rd Man in Gym
Lillian Carlson	...	Mrs. Burns (as Lilian Carlson)
Judith Goergetti	...	Platic Surgeon
Meredith Bain Woodward	...	Forensic Technician (as Meredith Woodward)

Directed by
Douglas Hickox

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Ambrose		screenplay
David Ambrose		story

Produced by
Les Alexander	....	producer
Roger Gimbel	....	producer
Richard Parks	....	producer
Neil Rosenstein	....	associate producer
Richard Smith	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Tak Fujimoto

Casting by
Marsha Kleinman
Kathleen Letterie

Production Design by
Stewart Campbell

Set Decoration by
Marti Wright

Makeup Department
Donna Bis	....	hair stylist
Phyllis Newman	....	makeup artist
Michael Westmore	....	special makeup designer (as Michael G. Westmore)

Production Management
Mary Eilts	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Buchsbaum	....	first assistant director
Casey Grant	....	third assistant director
Matthew O'Connor	....	second assistant director (as Matthew O'Conner)

Art Department
Lesley Beale	....	assistant set decorator
Gary Brolly	....	construction coordinator
Wayne McLaughlin	....	property master
Dan Sissons	....	assistant props

Sound Department
Chris Jargo	....	adr editor
Clancy Livingston	....	boom operator
Rick Patton	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
John Thomas	....	special effects

Stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunt coordinator
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts: Devlin
Betty Thomas	....	stunts: Chris

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas Craik	....	second assistant camera (as Doug Craik)
Theo Eglseder	....	first assistant camera
Les Erskine	....	best boy
Henri Fiks	....	camera operator
Einar Hanson	....	generator operator
Chris Helcermanas-Benge	....	still photographer
Dave Humphreys	....	key grip
James L. Hurford	....	dolly grip (as Jim Hurford)
Roger Huyghe	....	lamp operator
John Page	....	steadicam operator
Ben Rusi	....	second grip
Rick Stadder	....	grip
Ron Williams	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Ingrid Fischer	....	extras casting
Trish Robinson	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrew Brown	....	wardrobe supervisor
Debbie Douglas	....	seamstress
Susan Molloy	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Jan Wesley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Steven Bramson	....	orchestrator (as Steve Bramson)
Steve Livingston	....	music editor

Transportation Department
George A. Grieve	....	transportation coordinator (as George Grieve)
Michael J. Murphy	....	transportation (as Mike Murphy)
Sylvia Nablo	....	assistant transportation

Other crew
Paul Cameron	....	production executive
Candice Field	....	script supervisor
Mary Guilfoyle	....	location manager
Gerri Kuhn	....	craft service
Gerri Kuhn	....	first aid
Andrew McLean	....	production assistant
Valerie McNicol	....	assistant coordinator
Lisa Meechan	....	production coordinator
Wendy Mentiply	....	assistant auditor
Karen Stewart	....	production coordinator
James R. Westwell	....	location auditor (as Jim Westwell)

Production Companies

• Roger Gimbel Productions
• Peregrine Entertainment Ltd.
• Lee Rock Industries Ltd.
• Alexander Smith & Parks Inc.
• HBO Premiere Films

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (1985) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Best Film & Video Corp. (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Marquee Entertainment Inc.
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• VIC Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Marsha Kleinman & Associates  casting
• Penguin Editorial  sound supervision
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Glen Glenn Sound  sound re-recording (as Glen Glenn)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Roger Gimbel Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Pretty intense and disturbing for a TV-thriller!

Well here's another fine example to state why you shouldn't always judge movies on their appearance and production values. I almost deliberately missed out on this "gem" of the 1980's because it's a made-for-TV movie, and those usually stand for no blood, politically correct story lines, derivative plots and an annoying overload of sentimentality. "Blackout" immediately bursts through this clichéd image of the TV-movie with an exceptionally tense and atmospheric opening sequence. The story opens with the disturbing discovery of 3 dead bodies, a mother and her two children, nightmarishly exhibited as if they were celebrating the youngest one's birthday. The elderly cop Steiner promptly becomes obsessed with finding the killer, which undoubtedly is the husband and father. Almost at the same time of the discovery and a couple of States further, a man survives a horrible car accident, albeit with a total loss of memory and in desperate need for plastic surgery. His memory doesn't return, but he starts a new life under the name Allen Devlin and marries the nurse who treated him. Six years later, the meanwhile retired Steiner is still looking for the killer and receives an anonymous letter with a picture of Devlin and his new family. Is he the vanished killer who doesn't remember his past? Or is someone trying to sabotage his newly found happiness? "Blackout" is a truly effective and suspenseful thriller. There are very few possibilities of whom the killer may be, yet the intelligently written script keeps you guessing and doubting till the very last twist. Even with the quite large number familiar themes, like amnesia and love-triangles, the plot feels original and the suspense feels genuine. As expected, there aren't any vile murders shown on screen and the use of blood and make-up effects is kept to a minimum. Hey, it's a TV-movie, remember, and the emphasis lies on tension. Naturally a lot of credit must go to director Douglas Hickox, who's clearly one class above the average TV-movie director. Hickox previously directed the Vincent Price horror classic "Theater of Blood" and the historical drama "Zulu Down", so he definitely knows how build up an ambiance and how to guide his cast in the required direction. Speaking of which, the cast is excellent with Richard Widmark, Keith Carradine and Michael Beck. "Blackout" comes with my highest possible recommendation and, for once, one the IMDb's recommendations is spot-on as well. The site encourages you to watch "The Pledge" (starring Jack Nicholson), which also revolves on a retired copper continuing to obsessively hunt down the culprit of a long-forgotten crime.