Oblivion (film)
Encyclopedia
Oblivion is a 1994 western science fiction dark comedy film by Full Moon Entertainment. Directed by Sam Irvin
, the film stars Richard Joseph Paul
, Andrew Divoff
, George Takei
, Julie Newmar
, Musetta Vander
, Isaac Hayes
and Meg Foster
.
. It is, arguably, better termed a space Western
, due to its extra-Terran location.
Set in the year 3031 on a frontier planet light years away from Earth, a bizarre gang of futuristic desperadoes have their sight set on turning the tumbleweed town of Oblivion into their own private playground.
This film is set in a frontier town, Oblivion, which resembles the Old West, on a planet "light years" from Earth. The action begins with the murder of the town's Marshal Stone by a power-hungry villain called Red Eye (Andrew Divoff
). Using a substance prized on the planet--which also happens to short out electrical devices--Red Eye cheats his way to victory during a showdown on the street, killing Stone and disabling his cyborg deputy, Stell (Meg Foster
). He and his cronies begin to bully and persuade the townspeople into allowing him to take over the town. Oblivion's mortician, Gaunt, who possesses supernatural ability to foresee death, seeks out the Marshal's son, Zack (Richard Joseph Paul
), who is prospecting in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, Zack saves a "native," Buteo (Jimmie F. Skaggs), from an untimely death by giant scorpion. They team up just before Gaunt arrives with the news of Marshal Stone's death, and they all journey together to Oblivion for the funeral. During a misadventure in a saloon along the way, Zack avoids violence, even when harangued by one of Red Eye's henchmen. After attending his father's funeral, Zack visits his old friend Doc Valentine (George Takei
), an inventor whose technology had failed to protect the Marshal. At the local whorehouse, a townswoman, Mattie (Jackie Swanson
), learns that Zack is not a coward, but an empath, who feels everything that those around him experience. This leads him to abhor violence. Buteo learns that one of Red Eye's associates had been responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, and seeks revenge. Challenging him to a fair fight, Buteo triumphs and his opponent is killed. Red Eye and his gang capture Buteo in retaliation, place him in stocks, and whip him.
Sensing that something unsavoury is going on, Zack confronts his fears, saving Buteo and shooting many of the townspeople who had taken Red Eye's side. Apparently having won a victory, Zack celebrates until he learns that Mattie has been taken by Red Eye into the Badlands. He and his friends rush to save her, and in the process defeat all of the villains for good.
on July 5, 2011.
Sam Irvin
Sam Irvin is a film and television director, producer, screen writer, and author.-Career:Sam Irvin was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1964, when he was eight years old, Irvin went on a family trip to California where he was able to tour various movie studios...
, the film stars Richard Joseph Paul
Richard Joseph Paul
Richard Joseph Paul is a film and television actor. Sometimes he is credited as Richard J. Paul, Richard Joe Paul, Richie Paul, or Rich Paul.-Selected filmography:*Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise , as Gundy...
, Andrew Divoff
Andrew Divoff
Andrew Daniel Divoff is a Venezuelan film and television actor, best known for playing the evil Djinn in the two first Wishmaster films and the villains Cherry Ganz in Another 48 Hrs., Boris Bazylev in Air Force One, Ivan Sarnoff in CSI: Miami and Mikhail Bakunin in Lost.- Early life :Divoff was...
, George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
, Julie Newmar
Julie Newmar
Julie Newmar is an American actress, dancer and singer. Her most famous role is Catwoman in the Batman television series.-Early life:...
, Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander
Musetta Vander is a South African actress and model who is best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy films.-Early life:...
, Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
and Meg Foster
Meg Foster
Megan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
.
Plot
The story has been described as a science fiction WesternScience fiction Western
A science fiction Western is a work of fiction which has elements of science fiction in a Western setting. It is different from a Space Western, which is a frontier story indicative of American Westerns, except transposed to a backdrop of space exploration and settlement.A science fiction Western...
. It is, arguably, better termed a space Western
Space western
Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction, primarily grounded in film and television programming, that transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers; it is the complement of the science fiction Western, which transposes science fiction themes...
, due to its extra-Terran location.
Set in the year 3031 on a frontier planet light years away from Earth, a bizarre gang of futuristic desperadoes have their sight set on turning the tumbleweed town of Oblivion into their own private playground.
This film is set in a frontier town, Oblivion, which resembles the Old West, on a planet "light years" from Earth. The action begins with the murder of the town's Marshal Stone by a power-hungry villain called Red Eye (Andrew Divoff
Andrew Divoff
Andrew Daniel Divoff is a Venezuelan film and television actor, best known for playing the evil Djinn in the two first Wishmaster films and the villains Cherry Ganz in Another 48 Hrs., Boris Bazylev in Air Force One, Ivan Sarnoff in CSI: Miami and Mikhail Bakunin in Lost.- Early life :Divoff was...
). Using a substance prized on the planet--which also happens to short out electrical devices--Red Eye cheats his way to victory during a showdown on the street, killing Stone and disabling his cyborg deputy, Stell (Meg Foster
Meg Foster
Megan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
). He and his cronies begin to bully and persuade the townspeople into allowing him to take over the town. Oblivion's mortician, Gaunt, who possesses supernatural ability to foresee death, seeks out the Marshal's son, Zack (Richard Joseph Paul
Richard Joseph Paul
Richard Joseph Paul is a film and television actor. Sometimes he is credited as Richard J. Paul, Richard Joe Paul, Richie Paul, or Rich Paul.-Selected filmography:*Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise , as Gundy...
), who is prospecting in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, Zack saves a "native," Buteo (Jimmie F. Skaggs), from an untimely death by giant scorpion. They team up just before Gaunt arrives with the news of Marshal Stone's death, and they all journey together to Oblivion for the funeral. During a misadventure in a saloon along the way, Zack avoids violence, even when harangued by one of Red Eye's henchmen. After attending his father's funeral, Zack visits his old friend Doc Valentine (George Takei
George Takei
George Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
), an inventor whose technology had failed to protect the Marshal. At the local whorehouse, a townswoman, Mattie (Jackie Swanson
Jackie Swanson
Jackie Swanson is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the American sitcom Cheers as Kelly Gaines, the rich and simple love interest of Woody Boyd.-Early life:...
), learns that Zack is not a coward, but an empath, who feels everything that those around him experience. This leads him to abhor violence. Buteo learns that one of Red Eye's associates had been responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, and seeks revenge. Challenging him to a fair fight, Buteo triumphs and his opponent is killed. Red Eye and his gang capture Buteo in retaliation, place him in stocks, and whip him.
Sensing that something unsavoury is going on, Zack confronts his fears, saving Buteo and shooting many of the townspeople who had taken Red Eye's side. Apparently having won a victory, Zack celebrates until he learns that Mattie has been taken by Red Eye into the Badlands. He and his friends rush to save her, and in the process defeat all of the villains for good.
Release
After quick runs at numerous film festivals, the film was released directly to videocassette during the 1994 holiday season. In 2002, the film was released on DVD by Artisan Entertainment but has now been discontinued for reasons ungiven. The film was re-released on DVD, by Full Moon Entertainment, in 2010, and will be released on DVD yet again by Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
on July 5, 2011.
Cast
- Richard Joseph PaulRichard Joseph PaulRichard Joseph Paul is a film and television actor. Sometimes he is credited as Richard J. Paul, Richard Joe Paul, Richie Paul, or Rich Paul.-Selected filmography:*Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise , as Gundy...
- Zack Stone - Jackie SwansonJackie SwansonJackie Swanson is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the American sitcom Cheers as Kelly Gaines, the rich and simple love interest of Woody Boyd.-Early life:...
- Mattie Chase - Andrew DivoffAndrew DivoffAndrew Daniel Divoff is a Venezuelan film and television actor, best known for playing the evil Djinn in the two first Wishmaster films and the villains Cherry Ganz in Another 48 Hrs., Boris Bazylev in Air Force One, Ivan Sarnoff in CSI: Miami and Mikhail Bakunin in Lost.- Early life :Divoff was...
- Redeye - Meg FosterMeg FosterMegan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
- Stell Barr - Musetta VanderMusetta VanderMusetta Vander is a South African actress and model who is best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy films.-Early life:...
- Lash - Jimmie F. Skaggs - Buteo
- Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
- Buster - Sam IrvinSam IrvinSam Irvin is a film and television director, producer, screen writer, and author.-Career:Sam Irvin was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1964, when he was eight years old, Irvin went on a family trip to California where he was able to tour various movie studios...
- Whipping Boy - Jeff Moldovan - Spanner
- Mike Genovese - Marshall Stone
- Tim Miller - Stinking Turncoat
- Peter DavidPeter DavidPeter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
- Cowhand - Frank Roman - Wormhole
- Irwin KeyesIrwin KeyesIrwin Keyes is an American actor who has appeared in over 50 films and television shows. Irwin was considered for the role of Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street.- Filmography:*Black Dynamite...
- Bork - Carel StruyckenCarel StruyckenCarel Struycken is a Dutch film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for playing Mr. Homn on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and Lurch in the films The Addams Family and Addams Family Values...
- Mr.Gaunt - George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
- Doc Valentine - Julie NewmarJulie NewmarJulie Newmar is an American actress, dancer and singer. Her most famous role is Catwoman in the Batman television series.-Early life:...
- Miss Kitty