Starman (1984)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Bruce A. Evans (written by) &
Raynold Gideon (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In 1977 Voyager II was launched into space, inviting all lifeforms in the universe to visit our planet. Get ready. Company's coming.

Plot:

An alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona. The government tries to stop them.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Crater | Widow | Sex With Alien | Roadblock

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Starman
Karen Allen	...	Jenny Hayden
Charles Martin Smith	...	Mark Shermin
Richard Jaeckel	...	George Fox
Robert Phalen	...	Major Bell
Tony Edwards	...	Sergeant Lemon
John Walter Davis	...	Brad Heinmuller
Ted White	...	Deer Hunter
Dirk Blocker	...	Cop #1
M.C. Gainey	...	Cop #2
Sean Stanek	...	Hot Rodder (as Sean Faro)
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Cook (as Buck Flower)
Russ Benning	...	Scientist
Ralph Cosham	...	Marine Lieutenant
David Wells	...	Fox's Assistant
Anthony Grumbach	...	NSA Officer
James Deeth	...	S-61 Pilot (as Jim Deeth)
Alex Daniels	...	Gas Station Attendant
Carol Rosenthal	...	Gas Customer
Mickey Jones	...	Trucker
Lu Leonard	...	Roadhouse Waitress
Charlie Hughes	...	Bus Driver
Byron Walls	...	Police Sergeant
Betty Bunch	...	Truck Stop Waitress
Victor McLemore	...	Roadblock Lt.
Steven Brennan	...	Roadblock Sergeant
Pat Lee	...	Bracero Wife
Judith Kim	...	Girl Barker
Ron Colby	...	Cafe Waiter (as Ronald Colby)
Robert Stein	...	State Trooper
Kenny Call	...	Donnie Bob
Jeff Ramsey	...	Hunter #1
Jerry Gatlin	...	Hunter #2
David Daniell	...	Letterman
Randy Tutton	...	2nd Letterman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Carpenter	...	Man in Helicopter (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits
Bruce A. Evans		(written by) &
Raynold Gideon		(written by)
Dean Riesner		uncredited

Produced by
Barry Bernardi	....	co-producer
Michael Douglas	....	executive producer
Bruce A. Evans	....	associate producer
Larry J. Franco	....	producer
Raynold Gideon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography by
Donald M. Morgan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Marion Rothman

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Daniel A. Lomino		(as Daniel Lomino)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Makeup Department
Pete Altobelli	....	makeup artist (as Peter Altobelli)
Marina Pedraza	....	hair stylist
John Rosengrant	....	special makeup effects artist
Tony Gardner	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tom Joyner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Alves	....	second unit director
Jeffrey Chernov	....	first assistant director: second unit
Jeffrey Chernov	....	second assistant director
Larry J. Franco	....	first assistant director (as Larry Franco)
Nilo Otero	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master (as Larry Bird)
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
William J. Durrell Jr.	....	set designer (as William Joseph Durrell Jr.)
Bill Gay	....	lead man
Walton D. Hadfield	....	construction coordinator (as Walt Hadfield)
Bob Lawless	....	stand-by painter
Ken Zimmerman	....	assistant property master
Lloyd A. Buswell	....	construction foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer (as Tommy Causey)
Jay Engel	....	adr editor (as Jay Engle)
Hank Garfield	....	boom operator
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	supervising sound editor (as Tom C. McCarthy Jr.)
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael P. Redbourn	....	sound editor (as Michael Redbourn)
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Roy Arbogast	....	special effects coordinator
Bill Lee	....	special effects
Bruce Nicholson	....	special effects supervisor
Kevin Quibell	....	special effects
David Simmons	....	special effects
Dick Wood	....	special effects
Gary Zink	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Barbara Affonso	....	model maker
Joe Alves	....	visual consultant
Craig Barron	....	matte camera supervisor
Lance Brackett	....	stage technician
Barbara Brennan	....	assistant animator
Wade Childress	....	assistant matte cameraman
Peter Daulton	....	assistant cameraman: visual effects
Dick Dova	....	stage technician
Christopher Evans	....	matte artist (as Chris Evans)
Scott Farrar	....	visual effects cameraman
Robert Finley Jr.	....	miniature pyrotechnician (as Finley Jr.)
Warren Franklin	....	general manager: ILM
Joe Fulmer	....	assistant cameraman: visual effects
Michael Gleason	....	chief visual effects editor
Ralph Gordon	....	optical line-up
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist
Toby Heindel	....	assistant cameraman: visual effects
Robert Hill	....	assistant cameraman: visual effects (as Bob Hill)
Ed Jones	....	optical line-up
Bill Kimberlin	....	visual effects editor
James Lim	....	optical camera operator
Jeff Mann	....	model maker
Michael J. McAlister	....	director of visual effects photography (as Michael McAlister)
Ted Moehnke	....	miniature pyrotechnician (as Moehnke)
Michael Moore	....	assistant editor: visual effects
Charlie Mullen	....	animation supervisor
Frank Ordaz	....	matte artist
Ease Owyeung	....	supervising model maker
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte painting supervisor
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical line-up (as Tom Rosseter)
Kenneth Smith	....	optical camera operator
Peter Stolz	....	miniature pyrotechnician (as Stolz)
Pat Sweeney	....	visual effects cameraman
Larry Tan	....	model maker
Bruce Walters	....	head effects animator
Chuck Wiley	....	model maker
Joan Collins Carey	....	CGI producer: laser animation (uncredited)

Stunts
Marguerite Happy	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts (as Bob Jauregui)
William T. Lane	....	stunts (as Bill Lane)
Terry Leonard	....	stunt coordinator
Kerry Rossall	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts (as John Scott)
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Amorelli	....	best boy
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer (as Sidney Baldwin)
Hugo Cortina	....	gaffer
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
George Kohut	....	camera operator: Tennessee
Peter Kuttner	....	assistant camera: second unit
Marc Margulies	....	second assistant camera
George Mooradian	....	assistant camera: Tennessee
Kerry Nordquist	....	still photographer
Steven Poster	....	director of photography: second unit (as Steve Poster)
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera
Chris Schwiebert	....	camera operator (as Chris Schweibert)
Eric Smith	....	best boy
Calvin Sterry	....	key grip (as Cal Sterry)
Joseph F. Valentine	....	panaglide operator (as Joe Valentine)
Dean Williams	....	still photographer: Tennessee
Clay H. Wilson	....	second grip (as Clay Wilson)
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Henry Minski	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Serge Poupis	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)
Jeff Wolf	....	assistant camera: Tennessee (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pennie DuPont	....	additional casting (as Pennie Du Pont)
Stacey Rhodes	....	extras casting: Arizona and Tennessee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robin Michel Bush	....	costumer: women
Andy Hylton	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Virginia Katz	....	assistant editor
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter
Craig Ridenour	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brian Banks	....	music performer: Synclavier Digital Music System
Brian Banks	....	music programmer: Synclavier Digital Music System
Anthony Marinelli	....	music performer: Synclavier Digital Music System
Anthony Marinelli	....	music programmer: Synclavier Digital Music System
Curt Sobel	....	supervising music editor
Brooks Arthur	....	music producer (uncredited)
Anthony Marinelli	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Turner	....	transportation captain (as Dave Turner)
Eddie Lee Voelker	....	transportation coordinator
Roger Wooge	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Rick Baker	....	starman transformation
Patricia Blau	....	production coordinator
Jack Bricker	....	starman transformation crew: Stan Winston unit
Norman Bryn	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	starman transformation crew: Stan Winston unit
Allen Coulter	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Theresa Curtin	....	assistant: Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Franco
James Deeth	....	aerial coordinator (as Jim Deeth)
Doug Drexler	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit (as Douglas Drexler)
George Engel	....	starman transformation crew: Dick Smith unit
Bill Evans	....	pilot
Harry Hauss	....	pilot
Tom Hester	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Michael Hill	....	production accountant (as Mike Hill)
Sandy King	....	script supervisor
Larry Kirsch	....	pilot
Kevin LaRosa	....	pilot
Ken Lavet	....	location manager: second unit
Tim Lawrence	....	starman transformation crew: Rick Baker unit
Patricia Ledford	....	location manager: Tennessee
Mike MacKenzie	....	equipment engineering supervisor (as Michael MacKenzie)
Scott Maher	....	pilot
Carl Mazzocone	....	researcher
Bridget Murphy	....	assistant: Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Franco
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Douglas A. Raine	....	location assistant (as Doug Raine)
Robin Rogers	....	pilot
Carol Rosenthal	....	assistant: Mr. Bernardi
Peter J. Silbermann	....	ad-pub coordinator
Steve Sirk	....	pilot
Dick Smith	....	starman transformation
Duane Williams	....	pilot
Stan Winston	....	starman transformation
Anna Zappia	....	production coordinator
Ron Bledsoe	....	head animal trainer (uncredited)
Mark Haskins	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Anthony Marinelli	....	synthesizer programmer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi II Productions
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1989) (USA) (TV)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Phonovision (1994) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Phonovision (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1986) (West Germany) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (1990) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Stan Winston Studio

Other Companies

• Arizona Governor's Office  special thanks
• Arrangment, The  catering
• Colorado Motion Picture and Television Advisory Commission  special thanks
• Doster, Keigley & Rhodes  location casting
• Goldman & Associates  extras casting
• Goldman & Associates  extras casting: Nevada
• Iowa Film Commission  special thanks
• J. Dolan Projection Units  location projection
• Jetcopters Inc.  helicopters provided by
• Laser Media  special laser effects
• Laserium  special laser effects
• Michelson Food Services  catering
• Nevada Motion Picture Division  special thanks
• Northrop Corporation  special thanks
• Pacific Title  titles
• Richmar  extra casting: Los Angeles
• Tennessee Film, Tape & Music Commission  special thanks
• University of North Carolina  special thanks
• Video Image  computer graphics

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Starman (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Ireland:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This script was being developed at Columbia at the same time as another script about an alien visitation. The studio did not want to make both, so the head of the studio had to choose which film to make; he decided to make this one and let the other script go to a rival studio. The other script was for _E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)_.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Throughout the film, Chequamegon (Shih-WAH-muh-gone) National Forest is pronounced "She-mogg-wahn." Non-locals sometimes refer to it as "that unpronounceable national forest."

Quotes:

Starman: Take it easy.
Trucker: Up yours!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making It Huge (1985) (V)

Soundtrack:

What Would Your Memories Do

A wonderful film full of hope for the human race.

Through the eyes of an alien, we view our world. Such is the beauty of John Carpenter's 'Starman'. His gentle alien comes in the form of a human clone (Jeff Bridges), and as we watch him interact with the rest of our race, we see both the good and the bad in all of us. It is this particular role that I find to be Jeff Bridge's most superb acting (or close to it, given his amazing work in 'The Fisher King'). To me he always did seem an alien in an unfamiliar human body, rather than the actor "Jeff Bridges". While there is certainly some over-simplification in the movie, and it can get a little sappy, I find the 'sap' in this case to be both touching and beautiful. How wonderful, how sad, how miraculous, to watch ourselves through the innocent and wise eyes of this alien being. A brilliant look at human beings, a sweet love story, and an excellent exploration of our spirit.