Space Rage

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title: "Space Rage" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1985-films", "1980s-western-(genre)-science-fiction-films", "american-western-(genre)-science-fiction-films", "space-western-films", "1980s-english-language-films", "1985-american-films", "1985-science-fiction-films", "english-language-western-(genre)-science-fiction-films"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Rage" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox film"]

Field	Value
name	Space Rage: Breakout on Prison Planet
image	File:Trackers_(a.k.a._Space_Rage)_poster.jpg
caption	Poster for the film's original version
director	Conrad E. Palmisano
producer	Morton Reed
screenplay	Jim Lenahan
story	Morton Reed
starring	{{plainlist
music	{{plainlist
cinematography	{{plainlist
editing	{{plainlist
studio	{{plainlist
* Morton Reed Productions<ref name	"var-rev"/
distributor	Vestron Pictures
released	(Space Rage version)
runtime	77 minutes
country	United States
language	English
budget	$3.2–3.5 million
(before reshoots)
::

| name = Space Rage: Breakout on Prison Planet | image = File:Trackers_(a.k.a._Space_Rage)_poster.jpg | caption = Poster for the film's original version | director = Conrad E. Palmisano | producer = Morton Reed | screenplay = Jim Lenahan | story = Morton Reed | narrator = | starring = {{plainlist|

Richard Farnsworth
Michael Paré
John Laughlin
Lee Purcell
William Windom | music = {{plainlist|
Billy Ferrick
Zander Schloss | cinematography = {{plainlist|
Tom Richmond
Tim Suhrstedt | editing = {{plainlist|
Arthur J. Bressan Jr.
W. Peter Miller | studio = {{plainlist|
Vestron Entertainment
Morton Reed Productions | distributor = Vestron Pictures | released = (Space Rage version) | runtime = 77 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $3.2–3.5 million (before reshoots) | gross = Space Rage: Breakout on Prison Planet is a 1985 American space Western film directed by Conrad E. Palmisano and starring Richard Farnsworth, Michael Paré, John Laughlin, Lee Purcell and William Windom. Some promotional materials have used the abridged title Space Rage. The original version of the film, Trackers, only received a test release and was not widely seen.

Plot

Two centuries in the future, a dangerous lunatic named Grange is sentenced to a penal colony, Botany Bay, on the planet Proxima Centauri 3. There, a bounty hunter and an ex-policeman team up to prevent him from escaping.

Cast

Richard Farnsworth as Colonel
Michael Paré as Grange
John Laughlin as Walker
Lee Purcell as Maggie
William Windom as Gov. Tovah
Lewis Van Bergen as Drago
Frank Doubleday as Brain Surgeon
Dennis Redfield as Quinn
Harold Sylvester as Max Bryson
Wolfe Perry as Billy Boy
Ricky Supiran as Kirk
Nick Palmisano as Carny
Rick Weber as Nose
Richard Ely as Colonel
Eddie Pansullo as Mean guard
Paul Linke as Duffy
Gene Hartline as Bubba
Allan Graf as Tiny
Paul Keith as Dr. Wehiberg
R.J. Ganzert as Tallahassee
Jim Bentley as Bob Smith
Susan Madigan as Mary Smith
William Cowley as Charlie

Production

The film was the brainchild of Beverly Hills psychologist Morton Reed. During a luncheon with film industry friends Roger Corman and Elliott Slutzky, he heard them complain about how hard it was to find fresh concepts. Reed, who had moonlighted as a writer, told them on a dare that he could easily come up with an exciting movie. He formed his own company Morton Reed Productions and found a partner in Vestron, a distributor of genre films looking to branch out into production. His project was the most expensive of Vestron's initial three-picture slate, which also comprised two chillers from Friday the 13th producer Steve Minasian, Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie! and April Fool's Day (later renamed Slaughter High). The film's budget was initially estimated between $3.2 million and $3.5 million. It was helmed by stunt coordinator Conrad Palmisano, in his main unit directorial debut.

Principal photography began on January 26, 1985. During a personal appearance in early March, Farnsworth confirmed that he had just wrapped up work on the film. The movie was shot under the title A Dollar a Day. Shortly after however, it had been re-titled to Trackers: 2180 or just Trackers. Some sources mention another considered title, The Last Frontier. Farnsworth, who was disappointed with his previous performance and contemplating retirement, expressed satisfaction with the picture. Reed conceded that he had been surprised by the demands of filmmaking, saying: "It's incredible, such hard hours, that I don't think there can be a really, totally bad filmmaker in the world. If you finish, you're a hero. No matter how you did it, it's incredible." Following test screenings however, Reed's efforts fell short of expectations and the movie was ordered to undergo reshoots, which were directed by production executive Peter McCarthy.

Release

Theatrical

The film received a theatrical premiere in Stamford, Connecticut, the hometown of production company Vestron, on Christmas 1985. By early 1986, it was still being promoted as Trackers: 2180. It was then shelved and retooled before its actual release as Space Rage in Ohio, starting on November 21, 1986. However, there is no indication that it ever expanded to other markets.

Home media

The film was released on Betamax and VHS cassettes via Vestron subsidiary Lightning Video on July 21, 1987.

Reception

The Variety reviewer identified as Lor. was negative, opining: "Special effects are meager and there is almost no futurism to the picture's design, an instant disappointment for sci-fi fans. A good cast is wasted, particularly Lee Purcell." He summed up the film as a "clunker." Leonard Maltin wrote that Farnsworth "should've turned [his laser-beam six-shooter] on the negative of this bomb." Sister publications The Motion Picture Annual and TV Guide called it "an uneasy blend of science fiction and western," although they praised the unconventional casting of Paré as a villain. Bantam Books' Movies on TV and Videocassette felt that "futuristic trappings fail to enliven this tired shoot-'em-up."

Soundtrack

The soundtrack includes song by alternative rock bands The Spikes, The Screaming Believers, Exploding White Mice, Dream Syndicate and Blood Money.

References

Green, Paul. (2016). "Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns". [[McFarland & Company]].
Brennan, Sandra. (2007). "Space Rage (1986)". [[The New York Times]].
. (May 17, 1985). ["Psychologist becomes a filmmaker on a dare"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/746346753/). *The Daily Press*.
"Space Rage (1985)". [[British Film Institute]].
. (1991). ["Variety's Film Reviews 1987–1988"](https://archive.org/details/varietysfilmrevi0000unse/page/n201/mode/2up). *R.R. Bowker*.
(1988). "The 1988 Motion Picture Annual (covering films of 1987)". CineBooks.
(March 23, 1985). "Vestron launches Feature Film Division". Billboard Publications.
(2007). "Behind the cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II". Micawber's.
. ["Space Rage: Miscellaneous Notes"](https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/90984/space-rage#notes).
Carter, Tom. (10 March 1985). "State trying to draw filmmakers: arts fund plans drive". Lexington Herald-Leader.
. (12 January 1986). ["The '86 Pix Mix"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/401992397/). *Los Angeles Times*.
. (November 20, 1986). ["Area Showtimes"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/304305487/). *The News-Messenger*.
. (July 17, 1987). ["Home Video Guide"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/130384139/). *Palm Beach Post*.
Maltin, Leonard. (2014). "Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide". [[Penguin Books]].
"Space Rage". [[TV Guide]].
(December 1989). "Movies on TV and Videocassette 1990–1991". Bantam Books.

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