Slipstream (1989) watch online HD

Slipstream is, in my opinion, a very under-rated movie, with an excellent cast. Bill Paxton is entertaining in his role as the unlikely hero, Bob Peck is superb in his role as Byron, the fugitive -- Even F. Murray Abraham and the great Ben Kingsley make appearances in this unlikely post-apocalyptic action film. But the best performance of all, in my opinion, came from Mark Hamill, playing a very nasty cop. I've never seen Mark Hamill play the "bad guy," and he did an EXCELLENT job convincing me that he was not only a sociopathic jerk, but that he was not Mark Hamill. In fact, I didn't even realize who he was until the third time I saw this film - his performance is excellent, and different than anything else I've seen him do.

Unfortunately, the film has its problems. The plot suffers from some cheesy moments, the music is overbearingly loud, and while it is well orchestrated and very majestic, it's often a bit too majestic for what's going on. There are also some long scenes that could have been shortened or even cut to the benefit of the film. The ending is disappointing - abrupt and more than a bit ridiculous. Add to this that nearly every copy I've seen is on low-grade VHS, recorded at a slow speed.

This said, overall, the movie is entertaining, and interesting. If it was based on a book, I'd love to read it. I came away from the movie wishing I knew more about the characters involved, and curious about what would come next for the main characters. The movie kept my interest, and I did watch it again - several times.

Compared with todays frenetic, kinetic, fast cutting, CGI laden crap this actually holds up fairly well.

I liked the actors, I liked the characters (each with a clear motivation) and I liked the settings. It was well shot, well edited and well written. And you know what, the story held my interest. Not like a lot of what I see today (story often gets lost over a 'great shot' or pointless effect).

Yes, the special fx are very 80's with some matte lines but I am very forgiving about that, this film is over 20 years old after all. Like the original Star Wars Trilogy (before George tinkered with it again, and again, and again), this film is best enjoyed with all it's flaws.

A simple film, well told story and great characters. A really good family film.

Umm, this movie is way under-rated. I put it far ahead of most of the crap I have watched in the past ten years. Ben Kingsley, Mark Hamill, Bill Paxton I think his name is were all great. Plus, how about a unique post-apocalyptic scenario? We've already had nuclear war and a desert wasteland, also the world entirely flooded by water after the polar ice caps melt. This one has a crazy rejoining of the continents and several nasty wind-currents that blow around the planet's surface. I'd say that's original. There are several other well-known actors in this film, including a bunch of dudes in a hot-tub, although I can't exactly name them.

I remember the release of this movie way back in 1989, mainly as it saw the return of Mark Hamill to the big screen after an absence of 6 years (Jedi being his last movie). I also remember the poster proudly highlighting that it was produced by Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars episodes 4 and 5. Unfortunately, no one seemed to care about these "selling" points and mediocre reviews ensured that the film was ignored and was not even given a US release. It took almost 10 years before it got its British TV premiere (tucked well into the late night schedule) , but I didn't hesitate to give the film a look. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this movie and it's far from being one of the worst films ever, as some of the previous comments have made out.

The main players in the film put in some good performances, especially the late great Bob Peck for whose character I did manage to feel sympathy for and care about thanks to his acting skills. A bearded, peroxide blonde Mark Hamill gives a terrifically sinister bad guy performance as the unrelenting cop, albeit a little OTT. You could sense Hamill clearly loved being on the "dark side" for once. Bill Paxton gets most of the action and does a reasonable job. Cameos, from Ben Kingsley and F.Murray Abraham add some class to the credits. Also look out for Robbie 'Cracker' Coltrane.

Story wise (essentially a chase movie) it is highly unoriginal, borrowing heavily from Blade Runner and Midnight Run, all done in a futuristic Mad Max style. It does tend to meander in places, leaving the viewer a little disorientated. However, my interest was sustained mainly due to the strange character played by Peck. Unfortunately, his character wasn't explored adequately, and I was left wanting to know more about him and his past. Indeed, the story is underdeveloped and incomplete. The movie doesn't hide the fact that it is trying to convey some sort of message about humanity and the future with religious undertones.

Special effects and action scenes left a lot to be desired; the shoot out in the forest was very shoddily done (one of the worst I've seen). The aircraft looked like large Air Fix models and the flying shots looked unrealistic and rushed. I suspect full use of special effects available at the time were not utilised due to budget constraints. It almost feels like a T.V movie despite the cast and experienced crew. However, a mention must go to the kite scene, which is very well done and is quite exciting. It's probably the highlight of the film. The final action scene is good too, rounded off with an optimistic feel good ending and a rousing Elmer Bernstein score as the credits roll. The locations are used effectively and go some way to make up for the poor special effects.

Slipstream, is an all but virtually forgotten British Sci-Fi movie and it appears it will stay that way. Pity really, as it's a decent effort, with an interesting, if unoriginal story and good acting. Refreshingly, the makers have avoided any wanton violence and gore. If you are in the least bit interested in Sci-Fi try and watch this film if you come across this in the video store, or if comes on T.V, if only to see Hamill ham it up and play a bad guy. You could do a lot worse than this.

6 out of 10.

You have to see this movie more than once to fully appreciate it.

On the second viewing and subsequent viewings I found it truly awesome. The journey of Byron (Bob Peck) is incredible, to see his awakening and coming into himself as a person, learning to love and lose and deal with his anger, not give into it, whilst being an android. It was refreshing though, that he doesn't want or need to be human. (As much as I love Data and his journey - Star Trek: The Next Generation, it's just as lovely to see androids who are comfortable, even proud of what they are) I hope, in the end Byron found the special place he was looking for. Bob Peck as was truly fantastic.

I also liked Bill Paxton as Matt and his journey of discovery and friendship, beyond money and the physical. As much as I loved Mark Hamil, his character Tasker was a d**k head, a well played d**k head though! Kitty Aldridge's Character, Belitski seemed a bit of a no-brain though. I loved Abigail David's portrayal of Ariel, Byron's love.

I found the tale incredibly inspiring. The Slipstream ... the winds that washed the planet clean. Perhaps this is a message to mankind to respect the Earth. Will they ever get the message?

From taking a peek at some of the comments left by my fellow viewers, I feel impelled to conclude that it ain't exactly popular. Why oh why??! Ok, if you're looking for a seriously good, quality sci-fi film, I wouldn't expect you to enjoy this movie. BUT- if you're looking for something thought-provoking, entertaining and with lots of, um, original acting, this is it! It's just a matter of watching it with the right perspective...

Allow me to explain: the movie CAN be seen to have these qualities, but only if you look at it in the right way...

1) Thought-provoking - Of course it is! I guarantee that this film will get you thinking. I, myself, had many thoughts while watching it. Just because most of them involved the word "Why??" being repeated in a slightly hysterical manner is no reason to underestimate this particular quality of the film.

2) Entertaining - How can any viewer fail to be entertained by some of the film's amazing dialogue? It is both original, AND amusing (perhaps not for the reasons intended, but again, this is no reason to dismiss the film as not entertaining).

3) Original acting - Mark Hamill - I defy any of you to find anyone who can act as badly as him. Therefore, I believe his performance to be quite original. As for Bob Peck, how he contorted his facial muscles into some of those strange expressions I have no idea, nor do I know what any of them mean. But I bet no one else has ever done them.

So there you are! Do watch the film, I beg of you. I hope after reading this short guide, your enjoyment of this very much misunderstood film will be greatly improved.

I couldn't agree more (previous post re: underrated) this movie was a truly entertaining surprise and I have been trying to find it ever since my husband and i rented it one night after pretty much working our way thru the other rentals at our local video store. Our expectations were not particularly high but we ended up really enjoying this film. The premise is not particularly new - post apocalyptic and all...but the approach and the vision presented of earth at this point is truly refreshing. I think it's a shame that it just didn't get the kind of studio support and exposure that it deserved. I definitely recommend it - you won't be sorry, it's just a very interesting, very well put together movie.

This was a great movie.

But it's not a mindless shoot em up bang bang sci-fi flick.

I can't believe this got such a low rating, of course, look at how many people voted on it, probably just the IMDb staff who tend to side with critics that lose site of the fact the movies are for entertainment.

Compared to a lot of other mindless sci-fi genre this is a classic, let's vote on this one and get it back up to where it belongs in th 8's and 7;s!

It's for sci-fi fans that don't need a bunch of special FX in order to enjoy a good movie.

You should give this movie a look see.

Just my opinion.

To read some comments on this movie you'd think it was a 1989 version of The Avengers (ie, really bad). I saw it at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on the first (and probably only week) of release. With good stereo and in the right surroundings I thought it was a great, highly different vision of the future. Yes, there was a lot of Mad Max in there and okay some of the visual effects were a little ropey, but it did at least boast two of my fave actors - the late, great Bob Peck and a pre-Titanic Bill Paxton. The 10 years since it was made has seen scant screenings on British TV or otherwise. A pity as there are some great moments such as the scene where Paxton attempts to rescue Peck from a kite (I kid you not) and the moody finale which was intriguing. On the whole, well made, erratic entertainment that loses everything on the small screen but features some interesting ideas, even if not all of it works. And compared to The Avengers, it looks like the greatest movie ever made.

A lot of people have panned Slipstream because it is boring and lumbering, which is true to some extent. The movie is pretty good for the first 45 minutes or so, then hits a wall and gets really stupid, until finally it ends well. I enjoyed this film, flaws and all. I liked the look of the film, and the atmosphere. I liked how the characters moved through this broken down civilization where cops are more killers than anybody else. The plot involves an adventurer who kidnaps a fugitive from a bounty hunter in hopes of turning him in and collecting the ransom for himself. What he doesn't know is that the bounty hunter (Mark Hamill, in his best post-Star Wars role) is now coming after him. If the movie had stayed on this storyline the entire movie it would have been a truly enjoyable film. Unfortunately, it goes off in many different directions and becomes convoluted. I just wish that the writers could have come up with a better script, one that didn't wander and one that was clever and interesting.

Nevertheless, I did like this film. I really got into the characters. The late Bob Peck plays the fugitive, who doesn't seem the least bit dangerous, despite the fact that he supposedly killed a man (There is a twist pertaining to this character, but I won't reveal it, even though nobody will care). Peck will be recognized by most as the hunter from Jurassic Park. He was a good actor, and I'm disappointed that he was not in more films. Bill Paxton's character is a little shallow but still likable. Hamill is also good as the bounty hunter. These characters prevent the film from becoming an all-out bore. The haunting score by Elmer Bernstein also helps.

My favorite scene was when Paxton first captures Peck and both are flying through the Slipstream for the first time. This scene is full of wonder and is shot perfectly. I only wish the rest of the film were like this. I would really have liked it then. It could have been a classic. As it is though, it is just a lesser known vehicle with moments that are better than the whole. I recommend it to anyone, but it might be too boring for some. If you fast forward some stuff, then it might help.

Slipstream is one of those underrated sci fi movies that deserves more attention.it has a very good cast;mark hammil(star wars)bill Paxton(titanic)bob peck(Jurassic park)f Murray Abraham(amadaus)and a brief appearance by the great Ben Kingsley.i seen slipstream recently and enjoyed it.i wont give away the plot but like one reviewer said it must be watched a second time to be really appreciated.its pure sci fi. and mark hammil is outstanding as the tough bounty hunter a stretch from playing Luke sky walker in the first 3 star wars films.bill Paxton plays a wise cracking cocky would be bounty hunter.slipstream is always on those cheaply priced sci fi DVD collection dvds.i found it for 5 dollars from st Clair vision called tales from the future,it also features metropolis,things to come,lost world,journey to the center of time,unknown world,day time ended,frozen alive,and in the year2889. not bad for 5 bucks too bad it contains a badly edited print of metropolis.but for 5 bucks you do get some pretty good films.i give slipstream 7 out of 10.fact;slipstream was never released theatrically in the USA.

The first time I saw Slipstream, it was one of those all night movie binges that I and a handful of friends had on regular occasions during our final year of high school. We'd passed all the important stuff, and took the opportunity to unwind, with B-movie greatness! I admit, I don't remember the first viewing that well, I was half asleep around 3am in the morning, but something about it stuck with me and it became a target the next time I went to the rental store. It's been a guilty pleasure of mine ever since.

It's not the best, but it's a good romp through a very different Earth of the future, with a group of unlikely heroes and a very memorable adversary in Mark Hamill, and he's not using the Force folks, he packs a very big gun in this one! Hamill's by-the-book cop, and Bill Paxton's, fly by the seat of your pants pilot, looking to make the "Big Score", make great rivals. Throw in a joyride through a well shot landscape of varying future cultures and a mix of strange religions and hidden recluses, and it's well worth a watch on a rainy afternoon.

The idea for the film seemed pretty well thought out, it's just that it came out at a time when anyone and everyone could get money to do a film, but maybe not quite enough to do it justice. I'd like to have seen what a bigger budget could've done, because Slipstream had potential. Would've been nice to see a bit more of the world, and maybe some more background material, but what you get does a good enough job of getting the "feel" of the movie across. My only sticky point would be the rather cut-short ending, but it's still a favorite and has a place on my DVD rack as long as it wants it!

I've liked this movie for years, and it is actually quite muddled and strange, it is difficult to understand, the performances are sometimes strained and overdone; and still it is charming. A lot of original ideas, some quiet, delicate, odd moments, and Bob Peck's performance make it really lovely in a certain way. Don't miss it if you enjoy movies that are outside the Hollywood box. It has a thing that is more than the sum of its' awkward parts.

This film has many of the same elements of say, Asimov's "nightfall" book, and is better than Nightfall the movie. Further this film breaks Mark Hamil out of the naive Hero status Star Wars could have locked him into. The gentleman who plays the android does a very gentlemanly job of it... perhaps inspired by or inspiring TNG Data. I am always moved by this film.

Slipstream is far better than the review rankings indicate. The film is a nice break from today's frayed sci-fi kill the monster or be killed plot lines. Slipstream fits in more with the likes of Asimov, Bradbury, or Dick. Sure, there are some familiar plot points like a dystopian near future, environmental devastation, societal collapse, human movements back into nature (actually, sounds a bit like right now, huh?). Intriguing, though, is the common mode of transport, ultralights. With the shifting of the jet stream to cover more of the planet and closer to the surface, the pilots use these "slipstreams" to get around as ground transport is nearly obsolete. And these elements are kept nicely in the background, providing a tapestry for the story, which is a basic cop chase, double crosses, introspection, and interesting character (one of which is an android) interactions. It is worth watching the film for the flying scenes and the key exterior locations alone -- Cappadoccia, Turkey, and Malham Rocks UK. Director Steven Lisberger (Tron), Music Elmer Bernstein, Cast includes Bob Peck, Mark Hamill, Kitty Aldridge, Bill Paxton, Robbie Coltrane, Ben Kingsley, F. Murray Abraham? Come on! Get it!

This is one of those really oddball, strange films that is so weird but so entertaining at the same time that I tend to enjoy it type of movies.

Mark Hamill is Tasker and is looking really good in this film - he's sorta a good-bad guy character, good "cop" but has a really wide bad streak in him - he doesn't see how good Byron really is, all he knows is to bring him in for murder.

Bob Peck is Byron. Byron is an android and he's wanted for murder - but there is more to that than meets the eye. Byron reminds me so much of Star Trek's Data when he started his dancing - I had to laugh.

Bill Paxton is an outlaw type that turns out to be a really good guy with a heart of gold. He reminds me of a comical version of Jim Morrison in this film for some strange reason - maybe it's the hair? Ha-Ha-Ha.

Overall I was very entertained by this film. I found it a nice surprise in the Sci-Fi Invasion 50-Pack Films.

7/10

My view on this film: I saw it and was immediately reminded of the story of the life of Jesus Christ. While it has been several years since I have seen this, I can still remember quite a few details. Anyone with some knowledge of the biblical stories of the life of Christ, who sees this film should be clearly able to see that this is a recreation of those old stories in a world in the possible future. Combine Mad Max and Jesus Christ, and you have Slipstream. He is chased down by those who wish to stop him. He makes alies and followers at all places he stops. He performs feats which could be categorized as miracles. He is betrayed. He 'rises from the dead'.

I am led to believe that the creator of this film was inspired to tell the story of Christ in a post-modern setting. This could be incidental, but all signs point to my assumption. To the viewer unfamiliar with the biblical stories, this may just seem like a B sci-fi film. I suggest that you watch with the above-mentioned comparison in mind, and make your decision for yourself.

I got this movie as part of a 20 movie collection that cost $20. Therefore, I got it for a dollar. It's worth about that much. Not to say it's BAD, it's just that half of it is 10-minute montages of gliders flying around. However, the performances by Hamill and the guy playing the convict save it from all of the WEIRD choices made by the director and scriptwriter. For example...is this an action movie, or a story of a man's journey of discovery? I don't know, but love scenes in museums with montages (again) of stuffed animals with quick cuts to long focuses on Christmas lights don't give me any better of an idea. Still, it's worth the dollar I paid, just to see Hamill looking cool.

This is a movie with a wonderful concept, but very weak writing. It should never have been released with out at least three more re-writes (assuming it got any). The story is too loosly held together, and there are too many 90 degree turns in the story to make it a cohesive movie. It would be great to see what a decent screen-writer could do with the story.

This is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. The first time I watched it was one day when I was bored and decided to watch a DVD that my dad had gotten for his B-day and never watched. I was pleasantly surprised by the interesting robot guy and his journey into love.

But that isn't the funny part! At the end, Mark Hammel's evil character tries to get away in a plane. The plane banks to go over some mountains, and he says, "We're gonna make it! We're gonna make it!" BOOM!!! (the plane hits the mountain and explodes in a fireball) My family was curled up on the floor laughing for a long time after that.

I'm giggling just thinking about it! Go watch it, and see for yourself.

I am a Mark Hamill fan. So I saw this. Got the DVD from a truck stop for $4.99.

I watched it a few times, and then it hit me: This is Huckleberry Finn. Byron is the runaway Jim, Matt is the goodhearted rogue that sails down the river of wind with him, and Tasker is representative of the forces of "civilization."

The structure of the narrative is much the same. However, that's not to say the script couldn't have benefited from a couple more rewrites. It feels patchy and sporadic, and the dialogue is--at best--uneven. The three male leads (Peck, Paxton and Hamill) are entertaining and turn in good performances. The cameo cast is marvelous. It's a pity editing and scriptwriting broke down.

This piece is the product of too many hands to be consistently good. But it's not bad.

My first viewing of "Slipstream" was on video in 1990. I never heard of it until I saw an ad for it in one of those 'Coming Soon on Home Video' magazines that video stores used to carry. I noticed that it was science-fiction, I noticed that it starred Mark Hamill and Bill Paxton and I noticed that Steven Lisberger, director of "Tron" and Gary Kurtz, producer of "Star Wars," were the team behind it. I WAS SOLD! I couldn't wait to see this film. So, I rented it, and was very disappointed.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, "Slipstream" follows the story of Byron (Bob Peck), a mysterious android who has the power of healing. He is also wanted for a murder that he didn't commit and is running from the so-called "law." The film opens with a chase scene of the ruthless lawmen, Tasker (Mark Hamill) and Belitski (Kitty Aldridge), capturing Byron and en route to taking him in. They stop at a dirty, rundown diner to eat and run into Matt (Bill Paxton), a poor, two-bit arms dealer that manages to outsmart the lawmen and steal Byron in hopes to cashing him in for a big reward. But not without Tasker shooting Matt with a poison dart.

Matt and Byron fly off into the "slipstream," a dangerous wind current that was created by man's destruction of the environment. The evil Tasker and the sympathetic Belitski, are trailing them in hopes to gain back their criminal. Byron manages to heal Matt of his poisoning and their journey leads them to friendship. They seek refuge at a confined location run by a newly reformed society (led by F. Murray Abraham). There, Byron finds true love with a human woman, and Byron himself starts to feel like a human, something he's always yearned for. But when Tasker enters the new civilization, all hell breaks loose.

That's pretty much the heart of it. There's more to tell, but I'll stop here.

The film has that "post-war" feel to it, as seen in many movies like the Mad Max films. The look of the film is great, the film's score by Elmer Bernstein is spectacular and the premise is very intriguing. Mark Hamill is most of the reason why you should watch the film, he delivers one of his best performances ever here. Playing the sinister lawman Tasker, Hamill sports a black trench coat, mustache and beard, a slick weapon and drives a wicked aircraft. The man is the complete opposite of Luke Skywalker, looks like he could've blended in with "The Matrix" crew; Bill Paxton is always cool, always funny, yet not used in this film properly, maybe miscast; Bob Peck (you might remember him as the Game Warden in "Jurassic Park") is perfect as the android Byron; and Oscar winners Ben Kingsley and F. Murray Abraham turn in respectable cameos.

Written by Tony Kayden, whose last effort before this was the ridiculous Anthony Michael Hall actioner "Out of Bounds," really dropped the ball on his script. There are so many things that are not explained, the characters are not well-developed at all, to the point where you're just watching a well-produced mess. So much could've been done with this material, the film had potential to be a really good science-fiction fantasy. Director Lisberger does all he can do with the dying script, definitely not a worthy follow-up to his admirable "Tron." Mark Hamill did a live Q&A on the internet a few years back and someone asked him about this film. He didn't say much, but he did say that the story kept changing during production, and there were production mishaps...so maybe the entire crew is at fault. But, it's definitely worth a look if your a genre fan, or even if its just to see Mark Hamill at his coolest. I admit, I find myself watching it from time to time...because even though it's not good, it still has a sense of charm. Probably because of its potential.

The R1 DVD from Front Row Entertainment is horrendous. Cheaply manufactured, no features of any kind, pan and scan with VHS video and audio quality. The R2 from In Video Entertainment has much better video and audio, but still no features and still pan and scan.

I would really like to know what the hell happened with this film. It would be great if some DVD company, perhaps Blue Underground, Synapse or Media Blasters, can get the rights to this flick and release a Special Edition DVD. I'm talking a complete remastered, anamorphic widescreen transfer in its 2.35:1, commentary, documentaries...the works.

* *

This movie was strange mainly because the plot was so incoherent. The title refers to a vicious wind which renders the surface of the earth almost uninhabitable when it blows, but this seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with what was going on. The movie seems to be an extremely poor rip-off of Bladerunner ie rogue android being chased by bounty hunter(or ruthless cop in this). Luke Skywalker turns in a surprisingly good performance as afore-mentioned rogue cop. Nothing seems to be resolved at the end of the movie, we never find out anything of any substance about the android or what his intentions are. There is one baffling scene where Bill Paxton(who has kidnapped the android) plays one particular song in his cardboard airplane for no particular reason(the song is called "Shape of things", by The Yardbirds). This happens again in a later scene where the same song is played for no apparent reason. Does this song have any relevance to the movie? Don't think so.

Slipstream is a retro sci-fi cult classic in my book. It features a very solid performance by Mark Hamil. It's a remarkable effort but it does fall short of achieving it's potential. The plot is a bit simplistic and slow but it's not the snore-fest people some people say it is. Paxton is blast to watch as always.

The biggest obstacle this movie faced was it's lack of funding. The world it is sets in is an interesting premise. Decent underutilized cast, Gary Kurtz said in an interview that the script was originally much more violent, but that these violent scenes, which would have made the plot more coherent, were never filmed. The visuals and camera work are not that great, but still manage to do the job.

Mark Hamill, in this movie, showed that he can play an insane psychopath. Obviously, he has been miscast playing anything else. Bob Peck, who plays the fugitive, puts in an amazing performance. His facial expressions as he learns to have feelings are amazing. This is a strange movie, with a few twists, and the effects are not too good, but the aircraft Mr. Hamill flies is cool.