Umbrella Entertainment

Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds

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Edition Type: Standard Edition

UMB-003
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This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!

Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Lucas Pervill) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

Umbrella Entertainment has been a 100% Australian-owned and operated distributor for over 20 years. Their vast home entertainment catalogue features an extensive range of Australian classic, cult and exploitation films restored under the eyes of the original filmmakers. All sourced from national archives, underground collectors and local basements.

Set against an overwhelming desert landscape, Felix (Michael Lake, Sweetie) and Betty Crabtree (Rhys Davis, Dead End Drive-In) are eccentric siblings living together in an isolated homestead in a post-apocalyptic era. Modern technology is absent, with wheels and gears operating a variety of broken devices to assist their struggle to survive. When they encounter a wandering stranger named Smith (Norman Boyd), their simple lives become tumultuous as the wheelchair-bound Felix dreams of flying and Betty believes their new arrival to be a demonic presence - the characters all yearning for escape but seemingly do not know how. The debut feature from Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is presented here in its original 4:3 ratio from a 2K scan of the original 16mm negatives. This audio and visual feast has been resurrected from cinematic obscurity to coincide with its 30th anniversary of production.

directed by: Alex Proyas
starring: Michael Lake; Norman Boyd; Rhys Davis
1988 / 96 min / 1.33:1 / English DTS-HD MA 5.1

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Audio Commentary with Director Alex Proyas
  • Audio Commentary with Composer Peter Miller and Editor Craig Wood
  • Interview with cast member Michael Lake
  • Interview with cast member Rhys Davis
  • SPIRITS: Making a Post-Apocalypse Western featurette
  • SPIRITS SONG music video
  • Image Gallery
  • Booklet with essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
  • English SDH subtitles

                    Overall rating: 4.4539876 / 5 from 163 reviews.

                    AI Generated Review Summary

                    Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds is a post-apocalyptic film praised for its quirky characters, haunting score, and stunning visuals. The Blu-ray release is highly regarded for its outstanding transfer and great looks. However, some customers found the story lacking.

                    Summary topics

                    • Score Quality (6%): Customers keep praising the Moody score, describing it as great, fitting, and nice.
                    • Film Quality (35%): A substantial number of customers stated that the film is very quirky and interesting, with a haunting soundtrack.
                    • Blu-ray Transfer Quality (5%): Customers loved the transfer, with many describing it as outstanding, stunning, and top notch.
                    • Blu-ray Release Quality (9%): Customers expressed satisfaction with the great release of this product, with multiple reviews mentioning its awesomeness.
                    • Director's Influence (5%): Customers loved the film, describing it as superb, beautiful, and inspired by the early work of the director.

                    Review topics: ["quality","shipping","design","picture","looks","packaging","dreams","set","sound","effort","air","work","buy","film","movie","slipcover","city","release","visuals","transfer","score","characters","director","story","plot","shot","presentation","art","treatment","cinema"].

                    Review highlights

                    • "Great score, great visuals, great release."Alan C.
                    • "Scrappy young filmmakers tried to create CINEMA against all odds and these wild visuals and characters are the result."Bryan K.
                    • "Love the slipcover and the visual art of this release."robert p.

                    Reviews

                    It’s a very unique film.

                    "It’s a very unique film. Feels like an almost desolate apocalyptic steampunk atmosphere, with color visually captivating color and art choices. The story isn’t anything remarkable but the film itself is a creative accomplishment in its own right."

                    Ismael F. (4/5)

                    Gorgeous

                    "Such a well shot indy 80's film. Lovely to look at, good soundtrack and quirky Aussie acting. Very good extras."

                    Jon B. (5/5)

                    A New Old Favorite

                    "I only recently learned of this movie from some shitty AI YouTube compilation video (Thanks, shitty AI YouTube video!) and it seemed to check a number of boxes for me: Post-apocalyptic, atmospheric/surrealism, beautiful cinematography, produced in the 80's, and Australian. It also didn't hurt that it was written and directed by the guy who made The Crow and Dark City. I ordered a copy, sight unseen, and was not at all disappointed. In fact, I absolutely love it. Consider me the latest devotee to the Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds!"

                    Daniel C. (5/5)

                    Great Film

                    "Movies like this are why the Partner Labels cache is so important. I come across gems I never would have tried otherwise. This was great!"

                    Nick C. (5/5)

                    Awesome post apocalyptic package

                    "Awesome transfer, cool art on packaging. Looks amazing, sounds even better."

                    Benjaman G. (5/5)

                    Interesting Film

                    "Good video and audio presentation. Good sleeve."

                    Peter D. (4/5)

                    Beyond words

                    "How can one describe what is undescribable"

                    Jon Y. (4/5)

                    That life beyond the Thunderdome you requested

                    "Weird and gorgeous. Also, it's fun to think that somewhere outside the isolated corner of post-apocalyptic Australia where this takes place, there's probably a Mad Max happening at the same time. Well done to Alex Proyas, the cast, and Umbrella Entertainment!"

                    Daniel V. (5/5)

                    Mesmerising and unforgettable

                    "A visually stunning and atmospheric gem. The world-building and style are incredible — absolutely worth owning."

                    Jamie M. (5/5)

                    A real pretty movie to

                    "A real pretty movie to look at, a real slog to watch. A lot of work went into the scenery and costumes, but the slow, methodical pace doesn't do it any favors."

                    Stephen S. (3/5)

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