Blue Sunshine

Blue Sunshine
Theatrical poster to Blue Sunshine (1978)
Directed by	Jeff Lieberman
Written by	Jeff Lieberman
Starring	Zalman King Robert Walden Mark Goddard Brion James Charles Siebert
Release date(s)	March 20, 1978
Running time	89 mins
Country	United States
Language	English

Blue Sunshine is a 1976 horror film directed and written by Jeff Lieberman. The film has become a cult item among horror fans, remembered mainly for its creatively weird atmosphere and off-beat plot. The film was release on special edition DVD by Synapse Entertainment in 2003.

Synopsis

In the midst of a party a reveler croons to the rest of the room and suddenly has his hair pulled off by a curious friend. He seems to have a psychotic break and starts killing everyone. Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King), is wrongly accused of the murders. As he tries to gather evidence to prove his innocence, he discovers that a group of college kids have taken a new form of LSD called "Blue Sunshine," which causes its users to lose their hair and become insane and homicidal years after their trip is over.

Cast

Zalman King ... Jerry Zipkin

Deborah Winters ... Alicia Sweeney

Mark Goddard ... Edward Flemming

Robert Walden ... David Blume

Charles Siebert ... Detective Clay

Ann Cooper ... Wendy Flemming

Ray Young ... Wayne Mulligan

Alice Ghostley ... O'Malley's Neighbor

Stefan Gierasch ... Lt. Jennings

Richard Crystal ... Frannie Scott

Bill Adler ... Ralphie

Barbara Quinn ... Stephanie

Adriana Shaw ... Barbara O'Malley

Bill Sorrells ... Ritchie Grazzo

Jeffrey Druce ... Junkie

Trivia

• According to director 'Jeff Lieberman' in the DVD commentary, Jeff Goldblum almost got the part of 'Dr. David Blume', but was replaced by Robert Walden because the director felt Goldblum and star Zalman King looked too much alike.

• The film was nearly sold as a TV movie at one point, but when the network demanded all the violence to be cut Lieberman decided to keep the film a theatrical release.

• According to director Jeff Lieberman certain punk rock bands in the early 80's would show clips of the disco-attack scene from Blue Sunshine during their performances.

• In DVD commentary Jeff Lieberman said that the full moon shot that the credits of the film play over was an intentional foreshadowing of the bald-headed lunatics.

• Originally Lieberman wrote the film to be set in New York City, but the setting was changed to Los Angeles when the films budget forced the production to be shot there.

• The film was shot in just five weeks.

• The voice of the O'Malley's parrot, who first says 'blue sunshine', was that of director Lieberman.

• Stefan Gierasch, who plays Lt. Jennings, was originally supposed to play the detective who pursues Zipkin throughout the film. Unfortunately after shooting an early scene Gierasch sustained a serious wound to his leg during an accident and Charles Siebert had to be brought in to fulfill the role. This is why Gierasch only briefly appears in the film.

• Stephanie's two children in the film had to be dubbed by Lieberman's three year old daughter. The reason for this was the parents of both the child actors pulled them from the shoot after seeing the potentially disturbing attack scene being shot. Unfortunately the two children were taken before they could be looped for the audio.

• According to Jeff Lieberman, the New York Post did an article on Blue Sunshine, but apparently got its facts mixed up. The film ends with a statement that suggests the film is based on true events, but in actuality it is entirely fictitious. However there was confusion when writing the article because it stated that Blue Sunshine was a real LSD epidemic and the film was based upon it. This is, of course, untrue.

External links

• Blue Sunshine at the Internet Movie Database
• Blue Sunshine at Allmovie

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