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Explorers (1985)
The adventure begins in your own back yard.
A boy obsessed with ’50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?
Explorers is a 1985 American science fiction fantasy film written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante. The film stars Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix (in their film debuts), and Jason Presson as teenage boys who build a spacecraft to explore outer space. The special effects were produced by Industrial Light & Magic, with make-up effects by Rob Bottin.
Rushed into production, the film was never properly finished. Dante revealed that the studio demanded that he stop editing and rush for a July release where it was overshadowed by the Live Aid concert, which was held one day after the film’s release and stiff competition from Back to the Future, which opened nine days prior. It was a box office flop upon its release, but it attracted a cult following with its VHS release.
Explorers Cast
- Ethan Hawke as Benjamin “Ben” Crandall
- River Phoenix as Wolfgang Müller
- Jason Presson as Darren Woods
- Amanda Peterson as Lori Swenson
- Bobby Fite as Steve Jackson
- Dana Ivey as Mrs. Müller
- Taliesin Jaffe as Ludwig Müller
- James Cromwell as Mr. Müller
- Robert Picardo as Starkiller / Wak / Wak and Neek’s Father
- Karen Mayo-Chandler as Carla
- Dick Miller as Charlie Drake
- Meshach Taylor as Gordon Miller
- Mary Kay Place as Mrs. Crandall
- Leslie Rickert as Neek
- Brooke Bundy as Science Teacher