Trancers
Encyclopedia
Trancers is a 1985
science fiction
film. It was directed by Charles Band and stars Tim Thomerson
and Helen Hunt
. It is the first film in a series of six: Trancers (1985), and the direct-to-video releases; Trancers II
(1991), Trancers III
(1992), Trancers 4: Jack of Swords
(1994), Trancers 5: Sudden Deth
(1994) and Trancers 6
(2002)
Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson
) is a police trooper in the year 2247 who has been hunting down Martin Whistler (Michael Stefani), a criminal mastermind who uses strange psychic
powers to make people into zombies that carry out his every desire. Deth can identify a tranced victim by scanning them with a special bracelet. All trancers appear as normal humans at first, but once triggered, they become savage killers with twisted features.
Before he can be caught, Whistler escapes back in time using a bizarre, drug-induced time traveling technique. Whistler leaves his body in 2247 and travels down his ancestral bloodline arriving in year 1985 and taking over the body of an ancestor who happens to be a Los Angeles
police detective named Weisling.
Once Deth discovers what Whistler has done, he destroys Whistler's body – effectively leaving him trapped in the past with no vessel to return to – and chases after him through time the same way. Deth himself ends up in the body of one of his ancestors; a journalist named Phil Dethton.
With the help of Phil's girlfriend, (a punk rock
girl named Leena (Helen Hunt
)), Deth goes after Whistler who has begun to "trance" other victims and plots to eliminate the future governing council members of Angel City, (the future name of Los Angeles), who are being systematically wiped out of existence by Whistler's murder spree of their own ancestors. Deth arrives too late to prevent most of the murders and can only safeguard Hap Ashby (Biff Manard), a washed-up former pro baseball
player who is the ancestor of the last surviving council member Chairman Ashe.
Deth is given some high-tech equipment which is sent to him in the past: his sidearm, (which contains two hidden vials of time drugs to send him and Whistler back to the future), and a "long-second" wristwatch, which temporarily slows time stretching one second to ten. The watch has only enough power for one use but he receives another watch through time later to pull the same trick again.
During the end fight with Whistler, one of the drug vials in Jack's gun breaks, leaving only one vial to get home. Jack then makes the choice to kill Weisling (who is possessed by the evil Whistler), or use the vial to send Whistler back to 2247. Jack injects Weisling with the last vial sending Whistler home, but with no body to return to, he effectively destroys him. Jack then decides to remain with Leena in 1985, although observing him from the shadows is McNulty, his boss from the future, who has traveled down his own ancestral line and ending up in the body of a young girl.
: People can travel back in time by injecting themselves with a drug which allows them to take over the body of an ancestor. When Jack Deth arrives in 1985, he is in the body of his ancestor, a journalist; Whistler assumes control of his ancestor, a police detective; and Deth's supervisor, McNulty, borrows the form of his own forebear, a young girl.
Because of Helen Hunt's rise to fame in the 1990s, the DVD re-releases of the first two films have Helen Hunt's name listed first, then Tim Thomerson and Michael Stefani, respectively.
The DVD, released by Full Moon, has received criticism for its lack of bonus material and poor quality.
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film. It was directed by Charles Band and stars Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
and Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
. It is the first film in a series of six: Trancers (1985), and the direct-to-video releases; Trancers II
Trancers II
Trancers II is a 1991 American action science fiction film directed by Charles Band. It is the sequel to Trancers starring Tim Thomerson and Helen Hunt.The film has been released on DVD through the Trancers boxset or as a single DVD in Europe.-Plot:...
(1991), Trancers III
Trancers III
Trancers III is the second sequel of the Trancers series and went straight-to-video in 1992.-Plot:Tagline: "The end of time is just beginning. Deth lives."...
(1992), Trancers 4: Jack of Swords
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords is a 1994 sci-fi fantasy adventure film starring Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth. The film also features Stephen Macht and Stacie Randall...
(1994), Trancers 5: Sudden Deth
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth is a 1994 sci-fi fantasy adventure film written by Peter David and starring Tim Thomerson as the time traveling "trancer hunter" Jack Deth...
(1994) and Trancers 6
Trancers 6
Trancers 6 is a 2002 science fiction film starring Zette Sullivan, Jennifer Capo, Robert Donavan, Timothy Prindle, Jere Jon, Jennifer Cantrell, Ben Bar, James R. Hilton, Kyle O. Ingleman, Gregory Lee Kenyon and Douglas Smith. The film was directed by Jay Woelfel and produced by Johnnie J...
(2002)
Plot
Tagline: "His name is Deth. He hunts Trancers. Even in the 20th Century."Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
) is a police trooper in the year 2247 who has been hunting down Martin Whistler (Michael Stefani), a criminal mastermind who uses strange psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
powers to make people into zombies that carry out his every desire. Deth can identify a tranced victim by scanning them with a special bracelet. All trancers appear as normal humans at first, but once triggered, they become savage killers with twisted features.
Before he can be caught, Whistler escapes back in time using a bizarre, drug-induced time traveling technique. Whistler leaves his body in 2247 and travels down his ancestral bloodline arriving in year 1985 and taking over the body of an ancestor who happens to be a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
police detective named Weisling.
Once Deth discovers what Whistler has done, he destroys Whistler's body – effectively leaving him trapped in the past with no vessel to return to – and chases after him through time the same way. Deth himself ends up in the body of one of his ancestors; a journalist named Phil Dethton.
With the help of Phil's girlfriend, (a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
girl named Leena (Helen Hunt
Helen Hunt
Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
)), Deth goes after Whistler who has begun to "trance" other victims and plots to eliminate the future governing council members of Angel City, (the future name of Los Angeles), who are being systematically wiped out of existence by Whistler's murder spree of their own ancestors. Deth arrives too late to prevent most of the murders and can only safeguard Hap Ashby (Biff Manard), a washed-up former pro baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who is the ancestor of the last surviving council member Chairman Ashe.
Deth is given some high-tech equipment which is sent to him in the past: his sidearm, (which contains two hidden vials of time drugs to send him and Whistler back to the future), and a "long-second" wristwatch, which temporarily slows time stretching one second to ten. The watch has only enough power for one use but he receives another watch through time later to pull the same trick again.
During the end fight with Whistler, one of the drug vials in Jack's gun breaks, leaving only one vial to get home. Jack then makes the choice to kill Weisling (who is possessed by the evil Whistler), or use the vial to send Whistler back to 2247. Jack injects Weisling with the last vial sending Whistler home, but with no body to return to, he effectively destroys him. Jack then decides to remain with Leena in 1985, although observing him from the shadows is McNulty, his boss from the future, who has traveled down his own ancestral line and ending up in the body of a young girl.
Production & release
This film uses a method of time travelTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
: People can travel back in time by injecting themselves with a drug which allows them to take over the body of an ancestor. When Jack Deth arrives in 1985, he is in the body of his ancestor, a journalist; Whistler assumes control of his ancestor, a police detective; and Deth's supervisor, McNulty, borrows the form of his own forebear, a young girl.
Because of Helen Hunt's rise to fame in the 1990s, the DVD re-releases of the first two films have Helen Hunt's name listed first, then Tim Thomerson and Michael Stefani, respectively.
The DVD, released by Full Moon, has received criticism for its lack of bonus material and poor quality.
Cast
- Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
- Trooper Jack Deth/Phil Deth - Helen HuntHelen HuntHelen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
- Leena - Michael Stefani - Martin Whistler/Police Detective Weisling
- Art LaFleurArt LaFleur-Life and career:La Fleur was born in Gary, Indiana. He played football in 1962 as a redshirt at the University of Kentucky under Coach Charlie Bradshaw as chronicled in a 2007 book, The Thin Thirty....
- McNulty (as Art La Fleur) - Telma HopkinsTelma HopkinsTelma Louise Hopkins is an American singer and television actress. A member of the 1970s pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn, she later starred in several television sitcoms, including Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break!, Family Matters, Getting By, and Half & Half...
- Engineer Ruth "Ruthie" Raines - Richard HerdRichard HerdRichard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
- Chairman Spencer - Anne SeymourAnne SeymourAnne Seymour may refer to:* Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, née Stanhope, wife of the Lord Protector, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, and aunt of Edward VI of England...
- Chairman Ashe - Biff Manard - Hap Ashby
Sequels
- Trancers IITrancers IITrancers II is a 1991 American action science fiction film directed by Charles Band. It is the sequel to Trancers starring Tim Thomerson and Helen Hunt.The film has been released on DVD through the Trancers boxset or as a single DVD in Europe.-Plot:...
(1991) - Trancers IIITrancers IIITrancers III is the second sequel of the Trancers series and went straight-to-video in 1992.-Plot:Tagline: "The end of time is just beginning. Deth lives."...
(1992) - Trancers 4: Jack of SwordsTrancers 4: Jack of SwordsTrancers 4: Jack of Swords is a 1994 sci-fi fantasy adventure film starring Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth. The film also features Stephen Macht and Stacie Randall...
(1994) - Trancers 5: Sudden DethTrancers 5: Sudden DethTrancers 5: Sudden Deth is a 1994 sci-fi fantasy adventure film written by Peter David and starring Tim Thomerson as the time traveling "trancer hunter" Jack Deth...
(1994) - Trancers 6Trancers 6Trancers 6 is a 2002 science fiction film starring Zette Sullivan, Jennifer Capo, Robert Donavan, Timothy Prindle, Jere Jon, Jennifer Cantrell, Ben Bar, James R. Hilton, Kyle O. Ingleman, Gregory Lee Kenyon and Douglas Smith. The film was directed by Jay Woelfel and produced by Johnnie J...
(2002)
Merchandising
- A three-issue comic book limited seriesLimited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
printed by Eternity Comics. - A set of collectible cardsTrading cardA trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
.