Explorers

"The adventure begins in your own back yard."

1985 1h 49m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 531

Science FictionAdventureFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.

“The adventure begins in your own back yard.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ethan Hawke
Ben Crandall
River Phoenix
Wolfgang Müller
Jason Presson
Darren Woods
Amanda Peterson
Lori Swenson
Bobby Fite
Steve Jackson
Dana Ivey
Mrs. Müller
James Cromwell
Mr. Müller
Dick Miller
Charlie Drake

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joe Dante
Writers: Eric Luke
Languages: German, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 40% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joe Dante, shot by John Hora. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tina Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix and Jason Presson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The adventure begins in your own back yard.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joe Dante directs. John Hora behind the camera. Jerry Goldsmith scores. Tina Hirsch cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in German, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 40% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.
4Directed by Joe Dante, shot by John Hora. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Jerry Goldsmith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tina Hirsch shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix and Jason Presson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The adventure begins in your own back yard.".
9IMDB entry: tt0089114 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "spacecraft", "dreams", "washington dc, usa", "space travel".