Sleeping Dogs (1977 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Sleeping Dogs


director = Roger Donaldson
writer = Ian Mune
producer = Roger Donaldson
Larry Parr
distributor =
released = 1977
runtime = 107 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0076725

"Sleeping Dogs" is a 1977 film based on the book Smith's Dream by C. K. Stead, and is the first feature film by director Roger Donaldson. Featuring Sam Neill, Tony Martin and Warren Oates it is notable for being the first feature-length 35 mm film produced entirely in New Zealand.

A political thriller with action film elements, it follows the lead character "Smith" (Neill) as New Zealand plunges into a police state as a fascist government institutes martial law after industrial disputes flare into violence. Smith gets caught between the special police and a growing resistance movement and reluctantly becomes involved.

Trivia

*The scene in which Sam Neill ("Smith") escapes the police van and runs off into the crowded street was filmed without formal permission from the police. When Neill's stunt double ran from the van, an off-duty police officer tackled him, mistaking the stuntman for a real criminal attempting to escape custody. The stuntman had to point out the camera crew to get the officer to release him.

*In the scene where Warren Oates steps out of his jeep and meets "Smith", he is actually holding a page of the script, fearing that he'd forget the lines. Oates acted as if the paper was a list of directions to the hotel.

*At 1 hr 16 min 10 sec Tony Martin is featured as a reflection in a shop window. This is perhaps the comedian's first appearance in a feature film.