Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1987) [w/Commentaries]

Set against an overwhelming desert landscape, Felix (Michael Lake, Fortress) and Betty Crabtree (Rhys Davis, Dead End Drive-In) are eccentric siblings living together in an isolated homestead in a post-apocalyptic era. Modern technology is absent, with wheels and gears operating a variety of broken devices to assist their struggle to survive. When they encounter a wandering stranger named Smith (Norman Boyd), their simple lives become tumultuous as the wheelchair-bound Felix dreams of flying and Betty believes their new arrival to be a demonic presence - the characters all yearning for escape but seemingly do not know how.

Shot on location around Broken Hill, Australia, this film was the first feature length film by director Alex Proyas after he completed film school. Filmed at more or less the same time as the music video 'Kiss the Dirt" by INXS with the same film crew and equipment. 'Spriits of the air gremlins of the clouds' is better known as simply "Spirits". Spirits was produced on a super low budget, but none the less the crew did get the minimum wage, and it was much fun to shoot. It was shot on 16mm, and all of the special effects were shot in-camera, including a night scene where a flock of Bats fly past the full moon. Actually tea leaves floating in a fish tank, shooting into a light as the full moon.

Worth watching.