THE 13th FLOOR
Australia, 1988, 90 minutes, Colour.
Lisa Hensley, Tim Mc Kenzie, Mirando Otto, Michael Caton.
Directed by Chris Roache.
The 13th Floor is an Australian murder thriller. It has touches of the supernatural. Not original, it is reminiscent of`so many of the films of the '70s and '80s.. However, it boasts Sydney locations, quite an effective atmosphere - despite some gratuitously violent touches.
Lisa Hensley is persuasive enough as the heroine. Tim Mac Kenzie changes pace from awkward heroes, Gallipoli, Lighthorsemen, Silver City, to become one of the heroes.
1. Interesting and entertaining thriller? Touch of the supernatural? Australian atmosphere?
2. Sydney locations, city, buildings? Special effects? Musical score? Atmosphere?
3. The title; the prologue and the deaths, no rental, the accidents, the squatters, the death and revenge?
4. Thriller elements blended with horror? Gratuitous violent touches?
5. The prologue and Heather, seeing her father, the boy? The effect on her? The boy's reappearance? The irony of her hiding the documents in the generator? Thompson and his murder of the boy, the boy's father? The revenge?
6. Heather and her growing up, rebelling, university, drugs, leaving home, going with Rebecca, squatting on the 13th floor, manoeuvres? Meeting John, using him for the computer information? out with him, liaison? The detective and his pursuit of her, brutality, the chase, his death? Rebecca and her friendship, the drugs, her death? Nick, bringing the food, his help, death? The television and seeing her father? Bert and the encounter, his sexual advances,and her resistance (and his later boasting)? John, the friendship, his phoning her, his death? The chase, the horror, the hospitalisation, escape, inviting her father, his, death? Waking up to normality?
7. The father and his politics, credible, the murder, hiring the detective and allowing him to be brutal, his thugs, television appearances, his fascist leadership ideas, his relationship with his daughter, wanting the documents, coming to her, the boy killing him?
8. Rebecca, friendship, drugs? Nick and his friendship, death?
9. John, his help, Heather's profile of him and its accuracy, at work, with the computer, his boss? His death?
10. The sketch of Sydney thugs and detectives?
12. The office, the computer authority and his criminals?
13. Thriller atmosphere, horror themes? Relationships, politics, violence?
