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In Gaylene Preston's first feature, Meg (Heather Bolton) buys an old Jaguar car, and regrets it. While driving on a country road she hears strange noises coming from inside the car — but there's no one in the back. She picks up a mysterious woman and a strange man; later she learns the woman has gone missing. Both Mr Wrong and Melanie Rodriga's Trial Run (released the previous year) overturn familiar movie cliches of the woman as helpless victim. After facing disinterest from New Zealand's two big cinema chains, Preston and producer Robin Laing rented out Wellington's Paramount cinema, and conclusively proved their film had an audience.
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Producer Robin Laing in a newspaper photo taken around the time of her first collaboration with director Gaylene Preston, Mr Wrong (1985).
Photographer Nigel Marple. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post
Producer Robin Laing and director Gaylene Preston with the old Jaguar that terrorises its new owner in Mr Wrong (1985), their first movie. The photo was taken for Wellington's Dominion newspaper.
Photographer Don Roy. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post
Director Gaylene Preston makes clear that her first feature film Mr Wrong (1985) is known by another name in some countries: Dark of the Night.
Photographer Simon Townsley. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post
Behind the scenes on 1985 movie Mr Wrong, in Pāuatahanui. From left to right: director Gaylene Preston (seated), assistant grip Alistair Allan, camera operator Alun Bollinger, first assistant director John Samuels, continuity person Margot Shellgrove, and cinematographer Thomas Burstyn.
Kindly provided by The Dominion Post
On the set of 1985 movie Mr Wrong. From left to right (at the back): Wayne Leonard, Thomas Burstyn (wearing hat), Margot Shellgrove, director Gaylene Preston, John Samuels, Alun Bollinger, Chris Graves and Robin Murphy. Foreground: Jan Fisher and lead actor Heather Bolton (in swanndri).
Kindly provided by Onfilm magazine
Three women promoting their first movie Mr Wrong (1985): (from left) writer/director Gaylene Preston, lead actor Heather Bolton and producer Robin Laing.
Kindly provided by The Dominion Post
