South Africa / Nov 29, 1996 / PG
Overall average
5.0/10
Plot
When Hanky Pranky (alias Schucks), star of a candid camera TV show, loses his job to affirmative action, he applies for a job at a stress academy. It´s not long before Schucks discovers his new boss, Jack Paddaman, is as crooked as they come, but it´s too late: the employment contract is signed and sealed.A year passes, and Schucks is no better off. However, his candid camera videos, which poke fun at all sectors of post-1994 South Africa, prove a big hit with stressed-out government ministers. When the president asks Paddaman to make a movie to benefit street children, Schucks and his pals do all the hard work while Paddaman plans how he can get hold of the profits from the video sales. Add a scatterbrained secretary, a lovelorn traffic cop and a cunning street child and you have a roll-in-the aisles comedy with a distinctly South African flavour.
Main cast
Full cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sello Sebotsane | Hijacker |
| Dorette Nel | Saartjie |
| Desmond Dube | SABC man |
| Lieb Bester | Gys |
| Ernest Ndhlovu | SABC boss |
| Tim Plewman | Minister of Transport |
| Coco Merckel | Chauffeur |
| Pierre van Pletzen | Coetzee |
| Andries van der Heever | Leader of the Opposition |
| Ruth Cele | The President |
| Thamele Mavuya | Frankie (Homeless Child) |
| Dick Reineke | Schuks' Neighbour |
| Zukile Gqobose | Mfusi |
| Francois Stemmet | Jan van der Merwe |
| Marga van Rooy | Mrs. van der Merwe |
| Nick Collis | Self - Actor in Audition |
| James Borthwick | Self - Actor in Audtion |
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| Nick Lorentz | Self - Actor in Audtion |
| Terence Reis | Self - Actor in Audtion |
| Richard Carter | Camp Chap |
| David Hall-Green | TV Newscaster |
| John Lesley | Priest |
| Wendy Rudolph | Pizza Delivery Lady |
| Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole | Barman |
| Hannah Botha | Minibus Passenger (uncredited) |
| Andre Scholtz | Kobus Wiese's Friend (uncredited) |
| Shaleen Surtie-Richards | Minibuss Passenger (uncredited) |
| Kobus Wiese | Self (uncredited) |
Genres
Technical details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Original title | Panic Mechanic |
| Original language | English (EN) |
| Spoken languages | Afrikaans, English |
| Production countries | South Africa |
| Status | Released |
| Release date | 29 novembre 1996 |
| Executive producer | Carl Fischer |
| Production | Edgar Bold, Andre Scholtz, Leon Schuster |
| Writer | Leon Schuster, Gus Silber, Andre Scholtz |
| Editing | Alastair Henderson, Charlotte Buys, Uta Frey, Tamsin Hall, Johan Lategan, Tiny Laubscher |
| Cinematography | James Robb, George Amos, Rhodi-Anne Buys, Lars Cox, Vincent G. Cox, Michael Kennedy, Pam Laxen, Werner Maritz, Koos Roets |
| Assistant directors | Clive Stafford, David Lister, Tamsin Hall |
| Lighting | Malcolm Stone |
| Camera operators | James Robb, George Amos, Rhodi-Anne Buys, Lars Cox, Vincent G. Cox, Michael Kennedy, Pam Laxen, Werner Maritz, Koos Roets |
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| Additional photography | James Robb, George Amos, Rhodi-Anne Buys, Lars Cox, Vincent G. Cox, Michael Kennedy, Pam Laxen, Werner Maritz, Koos Roets |
| Production design | Christian Mc Cabe, Billy Crauser |
| Art direction | Christian Mc Cabe, Billy Crauser |
| Set decoration | Christian Mc Cabe, Billy Crauser |
| Special effects | Cordell McQueen |
| Stunts | Cordell McQueen |
| Music | Neill Solomon, Charlotte Buys, Charles Evans, Sharron Hawkes, Jonathan Kvalsvig, Rüdiger Payrhuber, Juliet Philips, Simon Rankin, Juli Vandenberg |
| Sound | Neill Solomon, Charlotte Buys, Charles Evans, Sharron Hawkes, Jonathan Kvalsvig, Rüdiger Payrhuber, Juliet Philips, Simon Rankin, Juli Vandenberg |
| Costume design | Anni Taylor, Amanda Ross-McDonald |
| Makeup | Anni Taylor, Amanda Ross-McDonald |
| Hairstyling | Anni Taylor, Amanda Ross-McDonald |
| Budget | 262.987 € |
| Revenue | 949.678 € |
Release dates
Theatrical release
United States / Jan 01, 1997
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