The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Stewart Raffill

Writers:

Wallace C. Bennett (story)
Charles Berlitz (book)
(more)

Release Date:

3 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Will You Survive?

Plot:

Based on an "actual event" that took place in 1943, about a US Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and sent two men 40 years into the future in 1984.

Plot Keywords:

Gas Station Attendant | Magnifying Glass | Roadblock | Chase | Burned Bodies

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Paré	...	David Herdeg
Nancy Allen	...	Allison Hayes
Eric Christmas	...	Dr. James Longstreet
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Jim Parker
Louise Latham	...	Pamela
Kene Holliday	...	Major Clark
Joe Dorsey	...	Sheriff Bates
Michael Currie	...	Magnussen
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Barney
Gary Brockette	...	Adjutant / Andrews
Debra Troyer	...	Young Pamela
Miles McNamara	...	Young Longstreet
Ralph Manza	...	Older Jim
James Edgcomb	...	Officer Boyer
Glenn Morshower	...	Mechanic
Rodney Saulsberry	...	Doctor
Vivian Brown	...	Ma Willis
Stephanie Faulkner	...	TV Newscaster #1
Ed Bakey	...	Pa Willis
Michael Villani	...	TV Newscaster #2
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Cowboy
Bill Smillie	...	Evangelist
Lawrence Lott	...	Technician
Stephan O'Reilly	...	Punk Rocker
Clay Wilcox	...	Transvestite (as Clayton Wilcox)
Pat Dasko	...	Dry Wells Newscaster
Pamela Brull	...	Doris
Richard Jewkes	...	Technician
Robin Krieder	...	X-Ray Technician
Pamela Doucette	...	Nurse
Michael Ruud	...	Truck Driver
Deborah E. Dixon	...	Nurse
Mary Lois Grantham	...	Mrs. Waite
Rick Schrand	...	Mandell
Patrick DeSantis	...	Jim Jr.
Charles Hall	...	Commander
David Allen Michaels	...	Prison Guard
Raymond Kowalski	...	Radio Technician
Andrew McCartney	...	Technician
Anthony R. Nuzzo	...	Generator Technician
Joe Moore	...	Commander's Buddy
Don Dolan	...	Driver
Brent S. Laing	...	Radar Technician
Jeffrey S. Smith	...	Sailor
Tony Farrell	...	Bandleader
Andrew Bracken	...	Dazed Sailor
Rudy Daniels	...	Policeman #1
Jay Bernard	...	Engineer
Steve Sachs	...	First Sailor
Bo Parham	...	Radio Operator
Harry Beer	...	Second Sailor
Kerry Lee Maher	...	Radio Operator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sharon Doss	...	Violet (uncredited)
Gilbert Girion	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Stewart Raffill

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wallace C. Bennett		story
Charles Berlitz		book
William Gray		writer
Don Jakoby		story
Michael Janover		writer
William L. Moore		book

Produced by
Pegi Brotman	....	associate producer
John Carpenter	....	executive producer
Douglas Curtis	....	producer
Joel B. Michaels	....	producer

Original Music by
Kenneth Wannberg

Cinematography by
Dick Bush

Film Editing by
Neil Travis

Casting by
Linda Francis

Art Direction by
Chris Campbell

Set Decoration by
Diane Campbell

Costume Design by
Joanna Palace

Makeup Department
Joe Giannone	....	hair stylist
Annie Maniscalco	....	makeup artist (as Annie F. Maniscalco)

Production Management
Billy Ray Smith	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Max W. Anderson	....	second unit director
Jeffrey Chernov	....	first assistant director
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Scott H. Campbell	....	model maker
W. Stewart Campbell	....	visual consultant
Andrew Probert	....	pre-production design consultant (uncredited)

Sound Department
John K. Adams	....	supervising sound editor
Gary Alexander	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Duane Hensel	....	foley artist
Dick Le Grand	....	sound effects
John Post	....	foley artist
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
Charles Ewing Smith	....	sound effects (as Chuck Smith)
R.J. Kizer	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Max W. Anderson	....	special effects
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Max W. Anderson	....	visual effects
Craig Clark	....	special effects animator
Bret Mixon	....	animation camera
Juniko Moody	....	visual effects
Jonathan Seay	....	visual effects cameramen

Stunts
Fernando Celis	....	stunt coordinator
Monty Cox	....	stunts
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunt double
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunts (as Joe Epstein)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts
Ted Gincig	....	stunts
Lee Praggastie	....	stunts
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Olkowski	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Cate Praggastis	....	casting: Utah

Editorial Department
Terry Kelley	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Corey Burton	....	adr loop group
Lawrence Doll	....	helicopter pilot
Michael Donner	....	production accountant
Jim Gerwig	....	caterer
Steve Rhea	....	location manager
John D. Sarviss	....	helicopter pilot
Douy Swofford	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Cinema Group Ventures
• New Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Aquarius TV (1993) (Greece) (TV)
• Artédis (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Manga Films (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Thorn EMI (video)

Other Companies

• Inter Video  24 frame video services

Also Known As:

Eksperyment filadelfijski (Poland) [pl]
Experiment Philadelphia (Sweden) [sv]
Experimento Filadelfia, El (Spain) [es]
Philadelphia Experiment (France) [fr]
Philadelphia Experiment, Das (West Germany) [de]
Projeto Filadélfia (Brazil) [pt]
Tuhon kuilu (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

According to "The Making of The Philadelphia Experiment", the Wendover, Utah air base used in the film's climactic fire sequence was where the Enola Gay was outfitted for its historic flight in 1945.

Goofs:

Continuity: The talking alarm clock is still on the bedside table after David picks it up.

Quotes:

Allison Hayes: Why'd you join the Navy?
David Herdeg: You know the old saying: girl in every port.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 100 Million BC (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Memories of You

Likable Science Fiction Adventure.

Phildelphia in the year of 1943... Two Sailors (Michael Pare and Bobby DiCicco) joined an top secret experiment to try to succeed the U.S. Navy Ships Invisible to enemy radar but instead something went wrong. When the two sailors jumped overboard from the experiment and find themselves transported in the year 1984. Since these two sailors knows nothing about the new modern world. These two friends have to find ways... return back to their time. The only person, who's willing to help them is a woman (Nancy Allen) traveling to California.

Directed by Stewart Raffill (The Ice Pirates, Mac & Me) made an entertaining Science Fiction adventure with appealing performances by Pare and Allen. This is supposed to be based on the true-life infamous experiment back in the 1940's and today, it's still an legend. Although it was an box office disappointment but it went on to be a cult favorite on TV.

DVD has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good digitally remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD includes the original theatrical trailer and collector's booklet. Filmmaker John Carpenter (Assault on Precient 13, Halloween, The Thing "1982") executive produced this feature. This film went on to have an Direct to Video sequel. "The Phildelphia Experiment" is worth seeing. (*** 1/2 out of *****).