''Reverse Runner'' (sometimes stylized as ''Яeverse Яunner'') is an Australian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by Lachlan Ryan and Jarrod Theodore, executive produced by Stephen Herek. It stars Dan Cannon,

Dave Callan David Gerard Callan (born 20 September 1975) is an Irish-born stand-up comedian, who has had a career in television and radio, and is based in Melbourne, Australia. Up until 2010 he worked as a Triple J disc jockey. Biography Callan was born ...

, Steve Moneghetti, Rosco Brauer and a special appearance from Olympic commentator

Bruce McAvaney Bruce William McAvaney OAM (born 22 June 1953) is an Australian sports broadcaster with the Seven Network. McAvaney has presented high-profile events including the AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, Test cricket and both Winter a ...

. It tells the story of teenager Kid Campbell, who dreams of becoming a reverse runner despite being mocked, ridiculed and kicked out of home for refusing to get an ordinary job. In the end, he is left to question his childhood dream. It had a limited theatrical release on 11 October 2012, playing in cinemas until April 2013. It was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD in Australia on 18 September 2013, and 30 October 2013 in New Zealand.

Cast

* Dan Cannon as Kid Campbell *

as a Commentator * Steve Moneghetti as John Jones * Rosco Brauer as Coach Leroy * Bianca Linton as Hannah * Julian Shaw as Steven James *

as a Commentator * Rhys Mitchell as a Commentator *

Justin Kennedy Justin Kennedy (born 17 May 1972) is an actor, writer, voice-over artist and comedian from Melbourne, Australia. He started his performing career in 2002, after making his first stand-up appearance in the national Raw Comedy competition. Care ...

as Suicidal Starter * Stephen Lopez as Head Helper * Helen Bongers as Mum * Daryl Cannon as Gary * Casey Asplin as Young Kid Campbell

Production

Principal photography on ''Reverse Runner'' involved approximately 300 people throughout the duration of the shoot. The majority of the film was shot in the country town of Colac in Victoria. Other locations include the John Landy Athletics Field, Geelong;

Melbourne Park Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988 Australia's bicentenary, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament played ...

; and the world-renowned landscapes at

Lavers Hill Lavers Hill is a town in Victoria, Australia, located inland from Port Campbell and from Apollo Bay. The township is located approximately south-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2016 census, Lavers Hill had a population of 78. ...

along the

Great Ocean Road The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated t ...

Music

Thomas E. Rouch composed the orchestral score for the film. Rouch collaborated with singers James Cupples, Nicholas Roy, and Sid O'Neil, re-recording some of Australia's classic rock songs, including "

Run to Paradise "Run to Paradise" is a song by Australian hard rock group The Choirboys which reached No. 3 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in December 1987. The related '' Big Bad Noise'' album peaked at No. 5, and was the twenty-fi ...

" by The Choirboys and " Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" by

Billy Thorpe William Richard Thorpe AM (29 March 1946 – 28 February 2007) was an English-born Australian singer-songwriter, and record producer. As lead singer of his band Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, he had success in the 1960s with "Blue Day", " Poison Iv ...

. Rouch and Cupples also re-recorded

Walk Right In "Walk Right In" is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929. Victor Records released on a 78 rpm record and in 1959, it was included on the influential compilation album '' The C ...

Dr Hook Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (shortened to Dr. Hook in 1975) is an American rock band, formed in Union City, New Jersey. The band had commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles " Sylvia's Mother", " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (both 19 ...

. Sid O'Neil, lead singer from

the Vasco Era The Vasco Era were an Australian three piece rock/blues band based in Melbourne. Career Originally from Apollo Bay, but now based in Melbourne, the band's members are brothers Sid (vocals, guitar, lapsteel, rototoms) and Ted (bass) O'Neil and ...

, recorded vocals for an original track titled "Backwards As They Come", which appears in the film. Tinpan Orange duo Emily and Jesse recorded vocals for an original music track titled "Fallen Dreams", produced by Thomas E. Rouch.

Marketing

Australian musical icon Mike Brady, who wrote football anthems "

Up There Cazaly "Up There Cazaly" is 1979 song by Mike Brady, written to promote Channel Seven's coverage of the Victorian Football League (VFL). It was first performed by the Two-Man Band, a duo of Brady and Peter Sullivan, and has since become an unofficial ...

" and "

One Day in September ''One Day in September'' is a 1999 documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald examining the 5 September 1972 murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Michael Douglas provides the sparse narration through ...

", recorded a voice-over for ''Reverse Runner''’s trailer.

Release

On 11 October 2012, ''Reverse Runner'' was released theatrically at Colac Cinemas; it holds the record for the highest-grossing film at Colac Cinemas in 2012, and the film is also in the records due to being the third-highest-grossing film of all time at Colac Cinemas. ''Reverse Runner'' also screened at Village Cinemas Geelong, Ballarat's Regent Cinema, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Horsham, Ararat, and Echuca Cinemas in 2013.

Reception

Simon Foster of SBS awarded the film three and a half stars out of five: "Given that the past 12 months of Australian big-screen comedy has been arguably its direst ever, the amiably silly low-budgeter ''Reverse Runner'' comes as somewhat of a revelation. The debut work of writer/directors Jarrod Theodore and Lachlan Ryan and their production outfit Theory Pictures suggests that there may be a silver lining on the dark cloud that is Screen Australia’s policy on indie feature comedy funding."

References

External links

* * {{Official website, http://www.reverserunner.com/ Australian comedy films 2012 films 2012 comedy films 2010s English-language films