MIDNITE SPARES
Australia, 1983, 87 minutes, Colour.
James Laurie, Gia Carides, Max Cullen, Bruce Spence, David Argue, Tony Barry, Graeme Blundell, John Clayton, Terry Camilleri.
Directed by Quentin Masters.
Midnite Spares is a routine action film. James Laurie, who had only a brief career in film and television, plays the hero Steve. Steve discovers that a group of car thieves may have been responsible for his father’s death. He is interested in cars – and wants to be a champion racer. The screenplay combines the investigation with the excitement of the racing track.
The film has a strong supporting cast including Gia Carides as well as a group of familiar character actors and comedians. The direction is by Quentin Masters who, two years earlier, had made a film about bushfires, The Burning Man (A Dangerous Summer) with James Mason, Wendy Hughes and Tom Skerritt.
1. The popularity of the car road film? The films about cars throughout the decades? The chicken and drag-strip films of the '50s? The cars and speed of the '70s and '80s? The American models? How local the present example ~ how Americanised? Entertainment, the potential audience? Exploitation? The blend of the comic and the serious?
2. The use of Sydney, the suburbs, the streets, factories, the speedway, homes, wealthy migrant homes, an authentic atmosphere? The editing for the driving, the races, the smashes? Musical score? Final song?
3. Audience response to cars: machines, repairs, wrecks? The stealing and the distribution of parts? The building of cars? The speedway and races? Audiences identifying with the cars? Cars and image, power, speed, ownership? The skill of mechanics? The background of the theft and the spare parts industry?
4. The impact of the opening and its editing: the techniques for the stealing of the cars? The significance of the Vietnamese and the Asian workers with the locals? The stealing of the car of the week? The elaborate procedures for getting the cars - e.g. the boom gates at the level crossing, the factory and the skilled mechanics for the changes? The background of big business and insurance brokers handling the business? The crooked police? The background of wealth, potential violence? The impact on Steve's father and his disappearance, Tomas and his staying on, the deaths and shootings?
5. The atmosphere of big business? The contacts? The phone calls, the threats? The businessmen and their meetings, the club and the striptease? The strong-arm tactics? The tough cop and his harassing the opponents, his violent actions? The confronting of Tomas? The build-up to the ending with the club entertainment and the group finding the factory? The shoot-outs, escapes, chases and death? The film's comment on the ruthlessness of big business?
6. The theme of the little man versus business? The background of Ted Hall and his death? Tomas (and his migrant background) and his staying on and working? Steve's arrival and his incorporation into the firm? His search for his father? Questions and the repercussions of phone calls and contacts? Wimpy and Rabbit, The Rat? Their idiosyncrasies - how comic? Their work? The building of Steve's car and the racing of it? The incident with the cars crashing in the rain and the towing? The threats? The bashing of Tomas? Everybody participating in the final chase?
7. Steve as hero: his arrival, the initial encounter with the policeman and his being harassed on the freeway, his work, driving, racing? The meeting with Ruth and their talking, visiting the home, the family and the protocol of courting? Falling in love, nights together and defying conventions? The engagement - and the future for them? The background of the family: Harry, Ruth's mother? The importance of Steve's quest in searching for his father? Taking Ruth on the search? The crises e.g. the crash with the racing, the fire? Tomas' urging to get even?
8. Ruth and the young migrant girl, her work with the hamburgers etc, needing freedom, the Catholic background, the ethnic conventions and traditions, falling in love, the outings, defying the family, her discussions with her mother?
9. The family: the brothers and the chaperoning, Harry and his hold over the family? Harry and his secretary-girlfriend at the races - and his growing interest in Steve and the firm? Ruth's mother and her interrogation of Steve and the speedway? The help of the family in the confrontation with the parts-stealers?
10. The comic styles of David Argue and Bruce Spence - corny jokes, caricature types? How funny? The importance of the girlfriends - e.g. the stripper?
11. Wayne and his hamburger stall, racist attitudes and tricking the Asians? His commentating at the speedway? His being the spotter for the cars? The confrontation by the group and their stripping him?
12. Tomas and the migrant background, deaf, his work, helping, urging Steve to get even, the bashing and the decoy? An interesting characterisation? How credible?
13. Racial issues - the migrant situations in the Australian cities: European backgrounds and traditions, Mediterranean families, the influx of Asians - owning cars, workers? Language difficulties, prejudices?
14. The atmosphere of the Australian cities: work, interests, good and bad, youth, age, suburban heroics, love? The impact of the final confrontation and the explosive ending (expected in this kind of car film)?
