Summer City
{{for|the community in Tennessee|Summer City, Tennessee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| image = File:Summer City. Film poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Christopher Fraser
| writer = Phil Avalon
| producer = Phil Avalon
| starring = Mel Gibson
John Jarratt
Phil Avalon
Steve Bisley
James Elliott
Abigail
Ward "Pally" Austin
| cinematography = Jerry Marek
| editing = David Stiven
| music = Phil Butkis
| studio = Avalon Film Corporation Studio
| distributor = Intertropic films
| released = {{Film date|1977|12|22|df=yes}}
| runtime = 83 min
| country = Australia
| language = English
| budget = A$66,000[http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/summer-city/notes/ ASO – Summer City] or $200,000Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, 322
| gross =
}}
Summer City (also known as Coast of Terror) is a 1977 Australian drama thriller film, filmed in Newcastle, Australia. It marked Mel Gibson's film debut.
Plot
In the early 1960s, Sandy, Boo, Scollop and Robbie drive to the beaches north of Sydney for a surfing weekend. The boys plan to give Sandy a memorable 'one last fling' before his impending marriage. Tension flares between university-educated Sandy and ocker Boo when Sandy decides not to join in the fun. At a local dance, Boo seduces Caroline, the teenage daughter of a caravan park owner who discovers what has happened and finds Boo with a gun.
Cast
- Mel Gibson as Scollop
- John Jarratt as Sandy
- Phil Avalon as Robbie
- Steve Bisley as Boo
- James Elliott as Caroline's father
- Debbie Forman as Caroline
- Abigail as the woman in pub
- Ward "Pally" Austin as himself
- Judith Woodroffe as the waitress
- Carl Rorke as Giuseppe
- Ross Bailey as Nail
- Hank Tick as Caveman
- Bruce Cole as the man in car
- Vicki Hekimian as Donna
- Karen Williams as Gloria
- Gary Tidd as Rocker in Milk Bar
- Len Purdie as Rocker in Milk Bar
Production
The script was autobiographical, Avalon having been a passionate surfer for most of this life and grown up in Newcastle. He also served in the army for several years (although not in Vietnam). He says he offered the script to Brian Trenchard-Smith as director, but Trenchard-Smith suggested Avalon direct it himself because he knew the subject matter so well. Avalon eventually gave the job to Chris Fraser, a young director who had another project Avalon was going to produce.{{cite book|first=Phil|last=Avalon|title=From Steel City to Hollywood|publisher=New Holland|year=2015|pages=125–150}}
The film was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35 mm. Shooting began in October 1976 and took place near Sydney and Newcastle, especially in the town of Catherine Hill Bay.
Avalon invested $25,000 of his own money. He had another investor provide $25,000 plus twelve friends who put in $8,000.
Release
The film proved popular and had a long run. It led to a sequel Breaking Loose (1988).
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0076780|title=Summer City}}
- [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A4512;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 Summer City at the National Film and Sound Archive]
- [http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/summer-city Summer City] at Oz Movies
- [http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/summer-city/ Summer City] at Australian Screen Online
{{Phil Avalon}}
Category:Australian thriller films
Category:Australian surfing films
Category:Films set in the 1960s
Category:Films shot in New South Wales
Category:1970s English-language films
Category:1970s Australian films
Category:English-language thriller films
Category:1977 directorial debut films
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