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The Leading Edge

Film (Full Length) – 1987

PG
Parental Guidance

The Leading Edge was Michael Firth's update of his Oscar-nominated ski movie Off the Edge (1977) — this time with a high octane pop music soundtrack. In the full-length feature, Canadian Matt hitches from Auckland to meet a bunch of Kiwi extreme thrill-seekers at a southern ski field (including real life Olympians Bruce and Christine Grant). They throw themselves off volcanoes, glaciers, mountains and into an Iron Man with "get more go" abandon. Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh's first feature shoot — "I was relatively cheap and I could ski" — is notable for its ski sequences, and a cameo by Billy T James as a mad pilot.   

The prospectus for the movie offered 1100 investment units at $1000 (each) and it was quickly over-subscribed. ... Also formed was a special partnership to market the music from the film...
– Article in Tempo magazine, 28 August 1987

Acknowledgements

Funded with assistance from the NZ Film Commission

Music

Original music composed by Mike Farrell
Soundtrack includes song 'Fight the Power', composed by Tom Whitlock and sung by Chris Thompson (ex Manfred Mann's Earth Band)

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