Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr video

 Race for the Yankee Zephyr still

Race for the Yankee Zephyr
aka: Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr - 1981




Enterprise/Hemdale/Pact/First City - 104-108 min.
DVD UPC # 9315842021979; 692865344339

Cast: Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, Donald Pleasance, Bruno Lawrence, Grant Tilly, George Peppard.
Screenplay: Everett de Roche; Photography: Vincent Monton; Editor: John Laing; Composer: Brian May; Producers: Antony Ginnane, John Barnett, David Hemmings; Director: David Hemmings.
A deer hunter(Wahl) and his bumbling partner(Pleasance) by chance stumble upon the wreckage of a DC-3 on the shore of Lake Wakatipu. Included amongst its cargo are medals, booze, money and $50 million in gold bullion. Before they can begin recovery, others get wind of the discovery and show up to pressure them in revealing the location. This is an action/chase, frankly silly, film with most of its energy occuring in the numerous stunts, chases and explosions. Great helicopter shots of Fiordland and the Queenstown area. New Zealand's first big budget ($6 million) co-production.

Censor Rating: PG - Review Rating: C+


AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

R4 PAL DVDs are available from Australian sources for about $15au or NZ sources for $20nz. The DVD has no extras, but it is presented in the original 2.35:1 Cinemascope widescreen, which is approx, what I measured. The box slick says that the screen format is 4 x 3 Full Frame, which it clearly is not. There is, however, a short "historic" footage at the beginning that is in "academy" format. An R1 disc is also available, from the usual sources, under the aka of Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr for under $10us. Older vhs versions are not in the original cinemascope widescreen format.


SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Race For The Yankee Zephyr CD Details


REVIEWS

Sequence review and comments

IMDB Review/comments

Chain Saw Fodder Review

TV Guide brief review

Time Out Review
TrushKin Reviews

Four Word Film Review

Archetypal case of Hollywood-in-New Zealand. Set in a non-specific celluloid adventure world which happens to have the Southern Alps in it. Cast and storyline angle it for undemanding American audiences. Even on its humble action-adventure level, very poorly paced. More a crawl than a race. (Nicholas Reid - 'A Decade of New Zealand Film')

TRAILER & AWARDS

Opening video clip

1982 - Knokkeheist Film Festival - Best Actor: Donald Pleasence.


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