The Ice Pirates (1984)

PG | 94 mins | Comedy, Science fiction | 16 March 1984

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HISTORY

       A 24 Jan 1983 Var news brief announced that William Katt was considered for the lead role eventually played by Robert Urich.
       HR production charts on 22 Mar 1983 stated that principal photography began 7 Mar 1983 in Los Angeles, CA, and at MGM Studios in Culver City, CA. The 14 Mar 1984 HR review reported that Southern California locations included a power plant in Playa Del Rey, a theatre at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, and a Budweiser plant in Van Nuys.
      The film opens with the following verbal and onscreen prologue: “Long after the great interplanetary wars, the Galaxy has gone dry. Water has become the only thing left of value. Evil Templars from the planet Mithra have gained control of this life-giving resource. Their power is now absolute except for a few rebel pirates who survive by stealing ice from the great Templar fleets.” End credits include these acknowledgements: “The producers would like to thank the following for supplying equipment and technical advice: Compupro, Godboot Electronics, Televideo Systems, Inc., Showtime Video Ventures, Digital Graphics Systems, Electro Optical Information Systems, Fisher Corporation, Sharp Electronics.”
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       A 24 Jan 1983 Var news brief announced that William Katt was considered for the lead role eventually played by Robert Urich.
       HR production charts on 22 Mar 1983 stated that principal photography began 7 Mar 1983 in Los Angeles, CA, and at MGM Studios in Culver City, CA. The 14 Mar 1984 HR review reported that Southern California locations included a power plant in Playa Del Rey, a theatre at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, and a Budweiser plant in Van Nuys.
      The film opens with the following verbal and onscreen prologue: “Long after the great interplanetary wars, the Galaxy has gone dry. Water has become the only thing left of value. Evil Templars from the planet Mithra have gained control of this life-giving resource. Their power is now absolute except for a few rebel pirates who survive by stealing ice from the great Templar fleets.” End credits include these acknowledgements: “The producers would like to thank the following for supplying equipment and technical advice: Compupro, Godboot Electronics, Televideo Systems, Inc., Showtime Video Ventures, Digital Graphics Systems, Electro Optical Information Systems, Fisher Corporation, Sharp Electronics.”

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Hollywood Reporter
22 Mar 1983
---
Hollywood Reporter
14 Mar 1984
p. 8
Los Angeles Times
17 Mar 1984
p. 3
New York Times
16 Mar 1984
p. 8
Variety
24 Jan 1983
---
Variety
21 Mar 1984
p. 17
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
PRODUCTION TEXTS
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents
A JF production
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Unit prod mgr
1st asst dir
2d asst dir
Addl 2d asst dir
2d unit dir
PRODUCERS
Assoc prod
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
Chief lighting tech
Still photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
FILM EDITORS
Asst ed
Video playback and synchronizing facilities
SET DECORATORS
Set dec
Set des
Set des
Prop master
Robots specially des and manufactured by
Robots specially des and manufactured by
Pimp robot
Simi Valley, California
Garbage creature, family robots and inspector robo
Robot contractor
COSTUMES
Cost des
Men's costumer
Women's costumer
SOUND
Sd mixer
Sd mixer
Sd ed
Sd eff ed
Re-rec mixer
Re-rec mixer
Re-rec mixer
VISUAL EFFECTS
Spec visual eff
Set op, spec eff
Set op, spec eff
Spec photog eff & motion control coord, Visual eff
Spec visual eff coord, Visual eff crew
Computer and video graphics coord, Visual eff crew
Computer graphics des consultant, Visual eff crew
Eff junior illustrator, Visual eff crew
Motion control photog/Anim/Visual eff opt
Digital scene simulation
Computer generated images
Time lapse photog
Energy Productions
Titles and opt
DANCE
Robot choreog
MAKEUP
Makeup supv
Asst makeup
Asst makeup
Hairdresser
Hairdresser
Lola "Skip" McNally
Hairdresser
PRODUCTION MISC
Casting
Scr supv
Prod assoc
Prod assoc
Prod assoc
Unit pub
STAND INS
Stunt coord
Asst stunt coord
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Stunts
Eddie Paul
Stunts
COLOR PERSONNEL
[Col]
Col timer
DETAILS
Release Date:
16 March 1984
Premiere Information:
Los Angeles and New York openings: 16 Mar 1984
Production Date:
began 7 Mar 1983 in Los Angeles and Culver City, CA
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
MGM/UA Entertainment Company
3 April 1984
PA207393
Physical Properties:
Sound
Color
Lenses
Ultracam 35 Camera and Lenses provided by Leonetti Cine Rentals
Duration(in mins):
94
MPAA Rating:
PG
Country:
United States
Language:
English
PCA No:
27081
SYNOPSIS

In a distant galaxy, where water is a valuable commodity, a band of space pirates board an imperial cruiser to steal ice. Jason, the pirate leader, stumbles upon the quarters of Princess Karina of Argon, who is in a state of induced sleep. After battling the Templars royal guard, Jason kidnaps the princess and the Imperial cruiser pursues them. Jason orders two crew members, Zeno and Maida, to leave in escape pods just before the pirate ship is captured by Imperial forces. Zorn, leader of the Templars, imprisons Jason and his robotics expert, Roscoe. As the prisoners are transported to the planet Mithra, the only remaining source of water in the galaxy, they learn that their sentence is to be “redesigned,” or castrated, and sold as slaves. Killjoy, a thief, points out that members of the clergy are spared because the Templars fear God. Upon arriving on Mithra, Jason learns from another prisoner that Princess Karina is the daughter of Count Vasco, an explorer who disappeared searching for the possibly mythical Seventh World. Killjoy, impersonating a monk, is released, before Jason, Roscoe, and the other prisoners are strapped to a conveyor belt, shaved, and prepped for castration. As Jason and Roscoe pass through the final stage of the assembly line, Princess Karina secretly spares them. The men are outfitted in white wigs and leotards and sold to the highest bidder. Princess Karina purchases them and puts them to work at a party, where they encounter Killjoy, now disguised as a robot. Later, Karina asks Jason to help her escape to the pirate moon, Zagora, where she has urgent business. Jason, Roscoe, Karina, and Killjoy, flee the party on a ...

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In a distant galaxy, where water is a valuable commodity, a band of space pirates board an imperial cruiser to steal ice. Jason, the pirate leader, stumbles upon the quarters of Princess Karina of Argon, who is in a state of induced sleep. After battling the Templars royal guard, Jason kidnaps the princess and the Imperial cruiser pursues them. Jason orders two crew members, Zeno and Maida, to leave in escape pods just before the pirate ship is captured by Imperial forces. Zorn, leader of the Templars, imprisons Jason and his robotics expert, Roscoe. As the prisoners are transported to the planet Mithra, the only remaining source of water in the galaxy, they learn that their sentence is to be “redesigned,” or castrated, and sold as slaves. Killjoy, a thief, points out that members of the clergy are spared because the Templars fear God. Upon arriving on Mithra, Jason learns from another prisoner that Princess Karina is the daughter of Count Vasco, an explorer who disappeared searching for the possibly mythical Seventh World. Killjoy, impersonating a monk, is released, before Jason, Roscoe, and the other prisoners are strapped to a conveyor belt, shaved, and prepped for castration. As Jason and Roscoe pass through the final stage of the assembly line, Princess Karina secretly spares them. The men are outfitted in white wigs and leotards and sold to the highest bidder. Princess Karina purchases them and puts them to work at a party, where they encounter Killjoy, now disguised as a robot. Later, Karina asks Jason to help her escape to the pirate moon, Zagora, where she has urgent business. Jason, Roscoe, Karina, and Killjoy, flee the party on a motorcycle, with the Templars in pursuit. The group commandeers a warship, Karina is reunited with her Nanny, and Jason plots a course for Zagora. Karina orders Jason to arrange a meeting with a rebel named Lanky Nibs. When Jason balks at Karina’s plan to buy Lanky Nibs’ services with the water on the ship, she demonstrates her seriousness and he bends to her will. Meanwhile, on Mithra, Zorn reveals to the Supreme Commander that Karina and the pirates are aboard the warship, just as he planned. On board the warship, a small creature hatches from a dehydrated egg and bites Roscoe and Jason. From the ship’s manifest, they learn the creature is a “space herpe.” On Zagora, the pirates reunite with Zeno and Maida, and learn that Lanky Nibs is hiding in Sweetwater, fifty miles outside of town. Jason and Karina convince Frog Lady to take them to Sweetwater in her land cruiser. Jason is shocked by Lanky Nibs’ appearance, and Lanky explains he aged twenty years in a time warp. He warns Jason that he was probably followed. Lanky recognizes Karina and informs her that her father, Vasco, found the Seventh World in the center of the galaxy, but the Templars ambushed his ship and slaughtered his crew. If Vasco is still alive, an exiled royal named Wendon is holding him captive in the Tri System. Later, a group of bounty hunters arrive and destroy the land cruiser, killing Frog Lady. A pursuit ensues and Jason kills the bounty hunters, but Lanky is badly wounded. Before dying, he pleads with Jason to find the Seventh World. After returning to the warship, Jason and his crew set off for the Tri System. On Wendon’s planet, woman warriors riding unicorns capture everyone but Roscoe. In chambers, the pirates learn Wendon is just a head with a robotic body. Roscoe enters to save his comrades, and they force Wendon to reveal where he is holding Vasco. However, the being who appears to be Vasco turns out to be a robot. A clue in the robot’s programming leads Karina to a hologram recording of her father. Vasco gives coordinates to the location of the Seventh World, but warns that any deviation from the course will trap the ship in a time warp forever. During the voyage, Jason visits Karina in her quarters and they make love. A Templar battleship intercepts the warship as it passes through the time warp and Zorn makes video contact, informing Karina that she has done exactly what he had hoped: led them to her father and the Seventh World. The battleship captures the warship and a conflict between the Templar robots and the pirate robots ensues. Meanwhile, time accelerates and the princess learns she is pregnant. By the time he reaches Karina’s quarters, she has given birth to Jason’s son. As the pirates battle the Templar guards, time continues to accelerate and the humans age. The baby, also named Jason, becomes a little boy, and Nanny dies. As the pirates grow beards and become elderly, they are overmatched by Zorn’s endless supply of robots. However, just as Jason and Roscoe lose hope, young Jason, now an adult, swoops in to defeat the Templars. As young Jason embraces his aged parents, the warship exits the time warp and everything returns to the moment when the acceleration started. The Templar battleship was one degree off course, however, and is now lost forever. The Seventh World comes into view and three-fourths of its surface appears to be covered by water and the crew celebrates. Jason, Karina, and the crew celebrate their victory, but the pirates realize they need to find a means of support.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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