Product Details

• Actors: Bruno Lawrence, Alison Routledge, Pete Smith (III), Anzac Wallace, Norman Fletcher
• Directors: Geoff Murphy
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1985
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (73 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300248216
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,693 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The "last man on Earth" sci-fi sub-genre is reasonably well represented by director Geoff Murphy's The Quiet Earth, a 1985 film from New Zealand that earned plenty of Kiwi kudos in its day but still fails to measure up to the great expectations engendered by its premise. Bruno Lawrence is Zac Hobson, a techie who's involved in "Project Flashlight," a vast energy grid that allows war planes to circle the planet without ever refueling (leave it to "the Americans," who are blamed for the whole ensuing mess, to come up with such a diabolical idea). When what Zac drolly describes as "a malfunction" (thereafter known as "the Effect") occurs early one morning, he awakens to discover that he's apparently the only survivor, human or otherwise, of a catastrophe that has altered the very fabric of the universe. Lawrence is terrific in these early scenes, which find him gradually losing his marbles as the gravity of his situation sets in; wearing nothing but a woman's slip, he stands on a balcony and grandly addresses an "audience" of cardboard standups (from Queen Elizabeth and Hitler to Bob Marley and Alfred Hitchcock), declaring himself "president of this quiet Earth." But effectively sustaining such weirdness is tough, and although Murphy, to his credit, doesn't over-rely on special effects and scientific gobbledygook, the film isn't up to it. Turns out Zac isn't the only survivor, and when first a pretty young woman (Alison Routledge) and then a Maori man (Peter Smith) appear, the director tries to balance the human dynamics with the sci-fi elements (seems the Effect may not be over after all) to awkward and unsatisfying effect, and the film loses most of its momentum. As for the ending, well, safe to say that it will leave some viewers perplexed, others feeling that they've been bamboozled, and still others thinking that its mystery and lack of explicable closure are perfect. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A startling film..., June 24, 2004

By 

[e-mail] (Hollister, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quiet Earth [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although I do wish I could get a copy on DVD here in the states (hint, hint) I wanted to share my thoughts with those having a look here.
A vivid look into one man's nightmare and awakening, but also a haunting commentary on the dangers of science without a conscience. Masterfully blended in a raw and unadorned style which makes the characters seem more alive, more real, for the lack of Hollywood glitz and glamor. No "B" movie here. Truly a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. And a film that will have you scratching your head and wondering about a great many things for years to come. After roughly 15 years I still consider this movie on a regular basis.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Classic Great DVD, September 2, 2006

By 

Donald W. Stein (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Quiet Earth (DVD)

For fans of apocalyptic sci-fi The Quiet Earth is a must see. This is the story of a suicidal scientist waking up to an empty world and then finding out why this happened. The ending is atypical for movies and has you thinking long after the movie. I've traveled to New Zealand and watching the end of the world scenes in 80s Auckland was eerie.

The DVD transfer is surprisingly good considering the age of the movie. Full 16x9 widescreen with good color. The sound quality is a little off. The DVD box is really well made. The box is solid and has interesting artwork. This DVD will make an excellent collector's item.

40 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "God blinked...and the whole world disappeared.", April 26, 2004

By 

D. Knouse (vancouver, washington United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quiet Earth [VHS] (VHS Tape)

4.5 stars. Australian Science Fiction has never been widely distributed nor marketed widely in America. With the occasional, rare exception, such as "Pitch Black," most people think all Australian films are invariable linked to "Crocodile Dundee." This story starts off with a man waking up to find all the people in the world are gone. While he is alone there are some unnerving and even blasphemous scenes showing his mental disintegration through isolation. I recently had a collegue mention that Man is a social creature, and that if any one man was all alone in the world he would eventually crack-up. This discussion reminded me of this under-appreciated film that, for some reason, is not available on DVD in the United States. Bruno Lawrence is excellent as the main character, showing both mania and depression with equal intensity; but eventually he embraces his future, albeit with a somber countenance, only to discover that he is not alone and for very macabre reasons. The first time I saw this movie I absolutely loved the ending, which is both fantastic and reasonable. All in all, this is must-see, intelligent Sci-fi. Thank you. EDIT: Apparently, this film is from New Zealand. (picky-picky, people) Also, it is now currently available on DVD. Yeah!