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Never Say Die
Never Say Die
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Geoff Murphy
Written by	Geoff Murphy
Produced by	Geoff Murphy; Murray Newey
Starring	Temuera Morrison; Lisa Eilbacher; Tony Barry
Cinematography	Rory O'Shea
Edited by	Scott Conrad
Music by	Murray Grindlay; Billy Kristian; Sam Negri
Distributed by	Kings Road Entertainment; Sidéral Films; VPS Film-Entertainment GmbH
Release date	December 1988;
Running time	90 minutes
Country	New Zealand
Language	English
Box office	$378,000 (New Zealand)

Never Say Die is a 1988 New Zealand action comedy starring Temuera Morrison and Lisa Eilbacher. It was written and directed by Geoff Murphy.

Plot

Both Alf and his wife Melissa have returned home to New Zealand after being homesick. After a delay in customs that irritates Alf, the two return to their old home which has just had the utilities switched back on. As they arrive the house is destroyed in a gas explosion.

Paranoid Alf goes to report his suspicions that the explosion was deliberate to his nemesis on the New Zealand Police, Inspector Evans. Evans thinks Alf is upset and imagining things. Alf later survives a car crash where his brakes were cut, however an examination of Alf's car lead Evans to believe that shrapnel from the house explosion cut the brake line.

Alf and Melissa escape to a country house on Waiheke Island where Alf's increasing paranoia leads him to establish a line of tripwires around the property that drop noise making kitchen utensils. Alf also arms himself with a small bore rabbit hunting rifle. They are joined by a hunter who eschews shooting bunnies and instead shoots at Lisa until Alf kills him with his rifle. Evans still thinks Alf is paranoid but is mystified as the unzeroed sights on Alf's weapon and its small calibre makes Alf's one shot one kill of the hunter a remote possibility. After fleeing to the West Coast of the South Island where Alf and Melissa are followed, and a helicopter drops two assassins with fully automatic weapons who destroy the property where they are staying, Evans starts to believe Alf. This leads to a cross country chase across New Zealand, featuring nonstop car chases, assassination attempts and continuous references to 007. Alf and Melissa eventually make their way back to Auckland Airport where a meetup with Melissa's father's lawyer (who recently died) reveals the true intentions of the assassination attempts and who the real culprit is.

Cast

Temuera Morrison as Alf Winters
Lisa Eilbacher as Melissa Jones
George Wendt as Mr. Witten
Tony Barry as Detective Inspector Evans
John Clarke as Car salesman
Geoff Murphy as Jack
Elizabeth McRae as Daisy
Jay Laga'aia as Bruce (cop)
Martyn Sanderson as Farmer

Morrison and McRae would work again together in 1992 on the TVNZ series Shortland Street. Several cast members (notably, Barry and Murphy himself) had appeared in Murphy's earlier film, Goodbye Pork Pie.

Music and soundtrack

The song "Never Say Die" sung by Bunny Walters is featured during the closing credits. It is composed and performed by Billy Kristian. Other songs include "Get Outta Here" performed by Susan Lynch and Jacqui Fitzgerald, composed by Kristian and Geoff Murphy.^[3] "Never Say Die" and "Gotta Get Outta Here" are the A & B sides of the single released on WEA Z10002, released the same year.^[4] "007 Down She Goes" is performed by Nigel Lee, and written by Murray Grindlay.^[3]

Release

The film was released in New Zealand over Christmas.^[1]

The film was released on VHS and is now out of print. It has never been released on DVD, but was released to purchase via digital download in 2022.

Reception

Variety called it an upmarket version of Goodbye Pork Pie and said it confirmed Murphy's status as New Zealand's "foremost and most tantalizing director".^[1]