Never Say Die (1988 film)

Never Say Die
Directed by	Geoff Murphy
Produced by	Geoff Murphy Murray Newey
Written by	Geoff Murphy
Starring	Temuera Morrison Lisa Eilbacher Tony Barry
Music by	Murray Grindlay Billy Kristian Sam Negri
Cinematography	Rory O'Shea
Editing by	Scott Conrad
Distributed by	Kings Road Entertainment Sidéral Films VPS Film-Entertainment GmbH
Release date(s)	1988
Running time	90 min
Country	New Zealand
Language	English

Never Say Die (1988) is a New Zealand action comedy starring Temuera Morrison and Lisa Eilbacher. It was written and directed by Geoff Murphy.

Plot

Both Alf and his wife Melissa have returned home to New Zealand after being homesick. After a delay in customs that irritates Alf, the two return to their old home which has just had the utilities switched back on. As they arrive the house is destroyed in a gas explosion. Paranoid Alf goes to report his suspicions that the explosion was deliberate to his nemesis on the New Zealand Police, Inspector Evans. Evans thinks Alf is upset and imagining things. Alf later survives a car crash where his brakes were cut, however an examination of Alf's car lead Evans to believe that shrapnel from the house explosion cut the brake line.

Alf and Melissa escape to a country house where Alf's increasing paranoia leads him to establish a line of tripwires around the property that drop noise making kitchen utensils. Alf also arms himself with a small bore rabbit hunting rifle. They are joined by a hunter who eschews shooting bunnies and instead shoots at Lisa until Alf kills him with his rifle. Evans still thinks Alf is paranoid but is mystified as the unzeroed sights on Alf's weapon and it's small calibre makes Alf's one shot one kill of the hunter a remote possibility. Everyone finally realises Alf is right when a helicopter drops two assassins with fully automatic weapons who destroy the property that leads to a cross country chase across the Land of the Long White Cloud featuring nonstop car chases, assassination attempts and continuous references to 007.

Cast

Temuera Morrison ... Alf Winters
Lisa Eilbacher ... Melissa Jones
George Wendt ... Mr. Witten
Tony Barry ... Insp. Evans
John Clarke ... Car salesman
Geoff Murphy ... Jack
Elizabeth McRae ... Daisy

References

• "Never Say Die (1988)". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095721/. Retrieved 2007-03-09. 

External links

• Never Say Die at the Internet Movie Database