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Synopsis

Smash Palace is a Kiwi cinema classic and launched Roger Donaldson's American career. Al Shaw (a brilliant, brooding Bruno Lawrence) is a racing car driver who now runs a wrecker's yard in the shadow of Mount Ruapehu. His French wife Jacqui is unhappy there and leaves him, taking up with Al's best mate. When she restricts Al's access to his young daughter, his frustration explodes and he goes bush with the girl, desperate not to lose her too. "There's no road back" runs the tagline. New Yorker critic Pauline Kael called the film "amazingly accomplished".

Background

A perspective by Richard King 30.08.2008

Kiwi author Hamish McDouall is not alone in calling Smash Palace a masterpiece; "not only because it wrestles outrageously with difficult subject matter, but because it contains two of the most astonishing acting performances [Bruno ...

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Credits (26)

 Roger Donaldson
 Keith Aberdein

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Comments (8)

 Rex eagle

Rex eagle

Hi Clarion, thanks for your tip...have been on site...they have sold out..to use a good NZ term....Bugger!!!!
Rex.

 Clarion Wells

Clarion Wells | website

Hi Rex,

You can purchase Smash Palace from ScreenLine at www.screenline.co.nz.

Best
Clarion

 Rex Eagle

Rex Eagle

Never got it to work..still like to buy a copy of Smash place...can any one help?

 Stuart Wilsoj

Stuart Wilsoj

After years of talk love seeing this site. Finally discovered it. Please please please - put BUY IT in bold at the top, and think about mobile delivery.

Get really innovative and sell it to me for internet delivery - even get the content in the apple store. PLEASE - it will be so god fro NZ film

 Brenda Leeuwenberg

Brenda Leeuwenberg

@rex - if you click on the BUY IT tab, just below and to the right of the player, you'll see a link to Aro Video - you can order a copy of the DVD there and they'll send one out to you.

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Collections.   See all collections ›  

Included in:

 Speed
 Top 5 NZ Feature Films
 The Bruno Lawrence Collection

Quotes

God Foley, what do you want from my life? You've got my wife and the kid. Tell you what, I'll give you the shirt from my back. Here yar. She bought it. 
Used to give me the creeps living out here in the middle of nowhere. That's why I left. I couldn't stand it Tiny. I tried to talk to Al about it, but we never got anywhere.  
Bruno got that scene by the scruff of the neck. He just marched up to that door... and he cut loose. it was the quintessential Bruno. 

Awards

1982 Manila Film Festival (Philippines)
Best Actor: Bruno Lawrence