''Running on Empty'' (released in America as ''Fast Lane Fever'') is a 1982 Australian

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

. The film was a minor success at the box office and has become a cult film because of its depiction of Australian racing culture and cars at the time.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p361 Shot in

Canbelego Canbelego is a village in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is now virtually a ghost town but was once a much larger settlement associated with the Mount Boppy Gold Mine. The name (pronounced can-bell-ee-go) also refers to the ...

Cobar Cobar is a town in Outback New South Wales, Australia, whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining. The town is by road northwest of the state capital, Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way and Barrier Highwa ...

and Sydney in New South Wales, Australia.

Plot

Mike, a factory worker and street car racer, gets involved with a local race gang headed by Fox. Mike starts a relationship with Fox's girl, Julie.

Cast

Terry Serio Terry Serio is an Australian actor, director, musician and singer-songwriter. Career Film and television Serio's breakout role was as the lead, Mike in the 1982 Australian culture action film '' Running on Empty'', alongside Max Cullen and Pe ...

as Mike *

Richard Moir Richard Moir (born 1950) is an Australian former actor and editor. Career Moir initially began his career as a film editor for low-budget 1970s Australian films and TV series, many of which were the work of director Esben Storm. Moir struck u ...

as Fox *

Deborah Conway Deborah Ann Conway (born 8 August 1959) is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actress. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their top-5 hit "Man Overboard". Conway pe ...

as Julie *

Vangelis Mourikis Vangelis Mourikis () is a Greek film actor, who has appeared in more than thirty films since 1982. He studied in Australia where he did his first work. In the 1990s he returned to Greece and devoted himself to independent cinema. He has won seven ...

as Tony *

Gerard Sont Gerard Sont, also known as Gerry Sont and sometimes credited as Gerald Sont, is an Australian actor and TV host. Early life and education Gerard Sont was born Sydney, New South Wales. He studied acting at in London, England, and later train ...

as Victor *

Max Cullen Maxwell Phillip Cullen (born 29 April 1940) is an Australian stage and screen actor. He has appeared in many Australian films and television series but is best known for his role in the film '' Spider and Rose'' and the television series '' The ...

as Rebel *

Grahame Bond Grahame John Bond AM (born 21 November 1943) is an Australian Bachelor Architecture, actor, writer, director, musician and composer, known primarily for his role as Aunty Jack. Early career Bond began his career in entertainment at University ...

as Jagger *

Penne Hackforth-Jones Penne Hackforth-Jones (5 August 194917 May 2013) was an American-born Australian actress and biographer. Early life Penelope Beatrix Hackforth-Jones was born in August 1949 in Greenwich, Connecticut, to Paul and Susan Felicity (née Gullett) ...

as Dave *

Chris Haywood Chris Haywood (born ) is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer, with close to 500 screen performances to his name. Haywood has also worked as a casting director, art director, sound recordist, camera operator, gaffer, grip, lo ...

as Photographer * Johnny Utah as Workman * Warren Blondell as Lee * Ric Carter as Country Boy * Jon Darling as Workman * Peter Davies as Ram's Mate * Mervyn Drake as Country Boy * Kristoffer Greaves as Starter * Paul Johnstone as Lecherous Garage Attendant * Maurice Hughes as Foreman * Tim McLean as Photographer's Assistant * Brian McNevin as Fox's Timer * Sno Norton-Sinclair as Starter's Mate * Robin Ramsay as Dad * Geoff Rhoe as Ram * Keli Roberts as Sheryl * Anne Semler as Joan *

Jeff Truman Jeffrey Maxwell Truman (4 November 1957 – 2 December 2014) was an Australian film and television screenwriter and actor. Career A member of the Australian Writer Guild for more than 30 years, Truman's television credits include '' Rescue: Sp ...

as Country Boy * Jacki Simmons as Nurse

Cars

Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III The Ford Motor Company Falcon XY GT is a sports sedan based on the Ford Falcon XY. Released in 1970 by Ford Australia, with the GTHO Phase III released in 1971. Some 1,557 units were produced from September 1970 to December 1971 with 300 GTHO ...

Dodge Challenger The Dodge Challenger is the name of three generations of automobiles produced by the American automobile manufacturer Dodge. However, the first use of the Challenger name by Dodge dates back to 1959 for marketing a "value version" of the full- ...

* 57 Chevy

Production

The film was funded partly by the Film Corporation of Western Australia. It was filmed in Canbelego (a small village near Cobar NSW), Cobar and surrounds, and Sydney NSW.

Box office

''Running on Empty'' grossed $1,218,000 at the box office in Australia.''Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''
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References

External links

*
''Running on Empty''
at Screen Australia
''Running on Empty''
at Oz Movies
Running on Empty at the National Film and Sound Archive''Running on Empty''
at Letterbox DVD {{Deborah Conway Running On Empty Australian coming-of-age drama films Running On Empty Australian auto racing films Films about blind people 1980s action drama films 1982 drama films 1980s coming-of-age drama films 1980s English-language films English-language action drama films