Editing Space Mutiny

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use South African English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Space Mutiny
| image          = Space Mutiny Poster.png
| director       = [[David Winters (choreographer)|David Winters]]<br/>Neal Sundstrom
| producer       = David Winters
| writer         = Maria Danté<br/>[[Ian Yule]] (uncredited)
| starring       = [[Reb Brown]]<br/>[[John Phillip Law]]<br/>[[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]]<br/>[[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]]<br/>[[Cisse Cameron]]
| music          = Tim James<br/>[[Mark Mancina]]<br/>[[Steve McClintock]]
| cinematography = Vincent G. Cox
| editing        = Bill Asher<br/>Charlotte Konrad<br/>[[Catherine Meyburgh]]
| distributor    = [[Action International Pictures]]
| released       = {{film date|df=y|1988|||United States|1990|1|20|Japan}}
| runtime        = 93 minutes
| country        = South Africa<br>[[United States]]
| language       = English
}}

'''''Space Mutiny''''' is a 1988 South African/American [[space opera]] [[science fiction film]] whose credited director is [[David Winters (choreographer)|David Winters]] and replaced by Neal Sundstrom during production. Produced by [[Hope Holiday]] and shot in [[South Africa]], it stars [[Reb Brown]], [[Cisse Cameron]], [[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]], [[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]], and [[John Phillip Law]].

The film is about a [[mutiny]] aboard the [[generation ship]] known as the ''Southern Sun'' which is stopped with the aid of a visiting pilot, the protagonist.

Upon the first shooting day, it was announced to director David Winters that his father had died. Being emotionally troubled and with a funeral to attend, Winters was unable to perform his duties and passed it on to his assistant director Neal Sundstorm. However, he was informed that the investors had agreed to the film only if Winters was its director, and could face litigation if he withdrew, hence his credit. After its release, Winters disowned the film.

The film has the reputation of being an amusing, unintentionally funny, and campy B-movie. It was later included in an episode of the TV series ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.

== Plot ==
The ''Southern Sun'' is a [[generation ship]], a spacefaring vessel that contains a large number of people, whose mission is to colonize a new world. Its voyage from its original homeworld (implied to be [[Earth]]) has lasted thirteen generations, so many of its inhabitants have been born and will die without ever setting foot on solid ground. This does not please the antagonist, Elijah Kalgan ([[John Phillip Law]]), who conspires with the pirates infesting the nearby [[Corona Borealis]] system and the ship's Chief Engineer MacPhearson ([[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]]). Kalgan hatches a plot to disrupt the Southern Sun's navigation systems and use the Enforcers, the ship's [[police]] force, to [[Aircraft hijacking|hijack]] the ship and direct it towards this system. At this point, the inhabitants of the ''Southern Sun'' will have no choice but to accept his "generosity".

Kalgan sabotages a key part of the ship just as a small craft with an important professor aboard is on a landing trajectory. The loss of guidance control causes the craft to crash and explode. The pilot, Dave Ryder ([[Reb Brown]]), is able to escape, but the professor dies in the explosion. This sabotage seals off the flight deck for a number of weeks, which gives Kalgan the opportunity to attempt to wrest control. With the Enforcers in his hand, and with the flight deck out of commission, he holds the entire population of the ''Southern Sun'' hostage. Commander Jansen ([[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]]) and Captain Devers enlist Ryder's assistance, aided begrudgingly by Jansen's daughter Dr. Lea Jansen ([[Cisse Cameron]]), to regain control of the ship.

==Cast==
* [[Reb Brown]] as Dave Ryder
* [[John Phillip Law]] as Flight Commander Elijah Kalgan
* [[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]] as Commander Alex Jansen
* [[Cisse Cameron]] as Dr. Lea Jansen
* [[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]] as Chief Engineer MacPhearson
* Graham Clark as Captain Scott Devers
* Billy Second as Lieutenant Lemont
* Gary D. Sweeney as Ranger

== Production ==
According to credited director David Winters, the casting of [[Reb Brown]] as the lead was due to the positive reviews he received for a previous film. While being offered the role, Brown asked Winters if he could hire his wife [[Cisse Cameron]], for which he accepted. [[John Phillip Law]] was hired because of his credentials and to add extra marquee value. [[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]] and [[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]] were hired because they had good working relationships with Winters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Winters |first=David |title=Tough guys do dance |publisher=Indigo River Publishing |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-948080-27-9 |location=Pensacola, Florida |pages=4348–4411 |language=English}}</ref>

Winters explained that on the first day of production, he received a call that his father died. Upon receiving the news, he passed on the directorial duties to his assistant director Neal Sundstrom, and took the first plane from its filming location in [[South Africa]] back to the [[United States]].<ref name=":0" />

The funeral took a lot of energy from him, was emotionally distraught, and when it was done he decided to stay in the US to comfort his grieving mother.<ref name=":0" />

Eventually, the law firm in charge of the production contacted him to explain that on the contract with the investors, it was agreed that they would get a film directed by David Winters, and could sue if not delivered as such. Not feeling up to the task, Winters with producer [[Hope Holiday]] decided that he could stay in a hotel in [[Johannesburg]] for the remainder of the shoot and if any investors showed up he could go to set.<ref name=":0" />

Ever since Winters has disowned the film.<ref name=":0" />

==Reception==
Danny Reagan, in his review published in the ''[[Abilene Reporter-News]]'', found it enjoyable and said it "is strictly B-grade sci-fi movie fare, but pretty good B-stuff. And B's usually are made for family viewing, as is this one".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reagan |first=Danny |date=March 31, 1989 |title=Two from AIP, and a very weird one from Vestron |journal=Abilene Reporter-News |pages=2C}}</ref>

Mike Mayo wrote in ''[[The Roanoke Times]]'' that the film was comical and "high level camp". He graded it two stars and a half out of five. He recommended it "for fans of alternative video", saying "this one is a treat".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mayo |first=Mike |date=April 26, 1989 |title=A foursome of farces from the far side |journal=The Roanoke Times |pages=Extra: 1}}</ref>

In his review published in ''The Times'', Tom Lounges gave it three out of five stars. While he thought the dialogue wasn't very good, he said that the "film is never at loss for action and special-effect sequences". He found [[John Phillip Law]]'s performance too campy, but liked the ones from [[James Ryan (actor)|James Ryan]], [[Reb Brown]], and [[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lounges |first=Tom |date=May 5, 1989 |title=Aliens, lasers stir excitement in science fiction release |journal=The Times |pages=C-6}}</ref>

A ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reviewer who goes by the pseudonym "Lor" declared the film to be "an okay space saga", noting that "Cute model shots provide a patina of space opera section though the special effects are decidedly chintzy."<ref>{{Cite book |title=Variety's Film Reviews 1989-1990. Vol. 21 |publisher=R. R. Bowker |year=1991 |isbn=0-8352-3089-9 |location=New Jersey |pages=No pages |language=English}}</ref>

The movie-mocking television comedy series ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' lampooned it. Writer [[Bill Corbett]] recalled "one of the movies that stood out for me was ''Space Mutiny.'' It was a South African film that was really fun and really dumb and gave us the gift of having a character killed off pointedly one moment and then, five minutes later, sitting back at her desk".<ref name="wired">{{Cite news |last=Raftery |first=Brian |date=April 22, 2014 |title=Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Definitive Oral History of a TV Masterpiece |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/04/mst3k-oral-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713065312/https://www.wired.com/2014/04/mst3k-oral-history/ |archive-date=July 13, 2023 |access-date=2023-07-13 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref>  Kayleigh Hearn of ''[[Looper.com]]'' said it's the second best episode of the show, adding that, "action-packed and incredibly quotable, ''Space Mutiny'' is a perfect entry point for viewers new to ''MST3K''."<ref name="looper">{{Cite web |last=Hearn |first=Kayleigh |date=2021-09-24 |title=30 Best Mystery Science Theater 3000 Episodes Ranked |url=https://www.looper.com/615255/30-best-mystery-science-theater-3000-episodes-ranked/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Looper |language=en-US}}</ref>

== ''Saga of a Fugitive Fleet'' audio drama adaptation ==

In 2020, the plot of ''Space Mutiny'' was adapted for an audio drama, ''Saga of a Fugitive Fleet'', that served as an unofficial continuation of the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' series. In the revamped ''Space Mutiny'' plot, Kalgan is the head of Fleet Security and stages a mutiny designed to divert the fleet from its search for the planet Earth, among other plot points. Original cast members [[Terry Carter]], [[Noah Hathaway]], [[Anne Lockhart (actress)|Anne Lockhart]], [[Sarah Rush]] and [[Laurette Spang]] participated.<ref>{{cite podcast |host=Curtis Lanclos|title=The RetroZest Podcast Episode 140-Battlestar Galactica 45th Anniversary, Pt.2 (Sarah Rush Interview) |website=RetroZest Blog & Podcast |date=3 October 2023 |time=1:19:14 |url= https://retrozest.com/EP140/?fbclid=IwAR2-QLowKkGRgE4P64LJ1aDL3ocT_OfaVYu3jtPDbcpNu9f2WJSIftEw_Kc|access-date=8 October 2023}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Works cited ==
* ''Variety's Film Reviews 1989-1990. Vol. 21''. New Jersey: R. R. Bowker. 1991. {{ISBN|978-0-8352-3089-6}}
* Winters, David. ''Tough guys do dance''. Pensacola, Florida: Indigo River Publishing. 2018 {{ISBN|978-1-948080-27-9}}.

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=0096149}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=space_mutiny}}

{{David Winters}}

[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 independent films]]
[[Category:Space adventure films]]
[[Category:Action International Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language South African films]]
[[Category:Films about mutinies]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mark Mancina]]
[[Category:1980s science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Films set on spacecraft]]
[[Category:South African science fiction action films]]
[[Category:1980s exploitation films]]
[[Category:Fiction about generation ships]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:American space opera films]]
[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:American science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Films directed by David Winters]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:South African exploitation films]]
[[Category:American exploitation films]]
[[Category:1988 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction action films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Mystery Science Theater 3000]]
[[Category:1980s South African films]]