The Coca-Cola Kid (1985)

From the Director of Montenegro… A New Formula for Comedy

When a small-town Australian soda maker refuses to convert his factory to Coca-Cola production, the parent company sends in its whiz kid “troubleshooter” Becker (Eric Roberts, The Pope of Greenwich Village and Star 80) to resolve the issue. The previously unflappable Becker, however, finds his own resolve challenged by Australia’s unique character and characters—namely Terri (Greta Scacchi, The Player and White Mischief), his beautiful and very eccentric secretary, and McDowell (Bill Kerr, Gallipoli and Razorback), the stubbornly independent soft drink entrepreneur. Serbian auteur Dušan Makavejev (Montenegro and W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism) brings his celebrated off-kilter and boundary-pushing sensibilities to this classic screwball comic set-up, so that the narrative remains refreshingly unpredictable, unconventional and subversive throughout.

Becker, Terri and McDowell originate in the short stories of award-winning Australian writer Frank Moorhouse, who adapted them for the film’s screenplay. The film’s attractive primary locations—cosmopolitan Sydney and the stunning Blue Mountains region—are stylishly shot by Mad Max cinematographer Dean Semler. The original songs, including the incredibly catchy “Coca-Cola Jingle,” come from Tim Finn, founding member of popular New Zealand rock band Split Enz. For this worldwide Blu-ray premiere, The Coca-Cola Kid has been restored in 2K from its 35mm interpositive.

directed by: Dusan Makavejev
starring: Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood, Max Gillies
1985 / 98 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0