Bliss
“After Harry Joy dropped dead... his life was never the same again.”
Synopsis
An advertising executive dies and goes to hell... except nothing changes. Well, his daughter is buying drugs with sexual favours from her brother, and the number of cancer-causing products is on the increase. But the notes he writes to himself to prove he hasn't gone insane are getting more disjointed, and he runs off with an ex-prostitute called Honey Barbera.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Barry Otto
Harry Joy
Lynette Curran
Bettina Joy
Helen Jones
Honey Barbara
Gia Carides
Lucy Joy
Miles Buchanan
David Joy
Tim Robertson
Alex Duval
Bryan Marshall
Adrian Clunes
Jon Ewing
Aldo
Kerry Walker
Alice Dalton
Paul Chubb
Reverend Des
Sarah De Teliga
Harry's Mother
Saskia Post
Harry's Daughter
George Whaley
Vance
Robert Menzies
Damien
Tommy Dysart
De Vere
John Doyle
Bettina's Doctor
Jeff Truman
Joel
Kati Edwards
Neighbour 2
Release History & Theatrical Window
October 4, 1985
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3.4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$661K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.19x
-$2.7M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Ray Lawrence
- Screenplay & Story
- Peter Carey, Ray Lawrence
- Original Score
- Peter Best
- Original Title
- Bliss
- Country of Origin
- Australia
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 52m
- Production Budget
- $3.4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $661K
- Production Studios
- Window III Productions, New South Wales Film Corp.
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Ray Lawrence
Peter Carey, Ray Lawrence
Peter Best
Paul Murphy
Wayne LeClos
Anthony Buckley
Department Leadership Roster
Ray Lawrence
Director
Anthony Buckley
Producer
Peter Best
Original Music Composer
Peter Carey
Screenplay
Ray Lawrence
Screenplay
Paul Murphy
Director of Photography
Wayne LeClos
Editor
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Bliss.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Bliss.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
500 best 85's movies
Missing Mine
Movie Books
Films Wanted
Stuff i'm looking for.
AU Harm Reduction Films
Australian films across the harm reduction lens: drugs, addiction, Indigenous sovereignty, mental health, refugees, sex work, prison, rural masculinity. Lived-experience and non-judgmental where possible.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Bliss
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Bliss about?
An advertising executive dies and goes to hell... except nothing changes. Well, his daughter is buying drugs with sexual favours from her brother, and the number of cancer-causing products is on the increase. But the notes he writes to himself to prove he hasn't gone insane are getting more disjointed, and he runs off with an ex-prostitute called Honey Barbera.
Who directed Bliss?
Bliss was directed by Ray Lawrence.
Who stars in Bliss?
The principal cast of Bliss includes Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, Helen Jones, Gia Carides, Miles Buchanan.
When was Bliss released and how long is it?
Bliss was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 1h 52m.
What was the box office and production budget of Bliss?
Bliss had a reported production budget of $3.4M and grossed $661K at the worldwide box office (0.19 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Bliss?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Bliss was composed by Peter Best.
Is Bliss based on a book or true story?
Bliss is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Peter Carey".