The real life Walter Maresch told the current affairs program 'Willesee' that the reason he escaped from prison in 1984 was that he was scared of the response of other inmates and wardens if they saw the film 'Hostage'(1983), which was being shown on television later that day, and he thought the screening would destroy all hopes of any early parole.
In real life, on 2nd October 1984, thirty-three year old Walter Maresch escaped from Silverwater Jail in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia after serving six years of a fourteen year sentence for car theft and armed robbery. He went on the run but was later caught and re-imprisoned. He later stated that his reason for escaping was that 'Hostage' (1983) was being shown on television later that day.
An article published in the 12th September 1986 edition of 'The Sydney Morning Herald' reported Walter Maresch allegedly threatened to blow up the television studio of Channel 10 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia because the TV network had shown 'Hostage' (1983) on television.
The print used for the Australian DVD, VOD and Blu-Ray releases in 2020 was sourced from the the personal archive of the film's director Frank Shields.
Reportedly, at one stage, the movie was in the Top 20 all time Australian films at the Australian box office.