Bruce Allpress Movies

Inspired by the real-life rescue of several miners from a collapsed tunnel in North Carolina, this made-for-TV drama stars Mimi Rogers as Pat Bogen, superintendent of the Greymount Mine. Long concerned over safety issues at the mine, Pat finds that her worries are confirmed when a cave-in occurs, trapping seven workers. Among those entombed are Pat's own husband Chief (Ted Shackelford) and their son Rabbit (Ben Castles). With the oxygen supply running out -- and water surging into the mine's tunnel -- Pat feverishly oversees the Herculean rescue efforts, battling every inch of the way with the "instinct over technology" policies of the mine's former superintendent, her own father Cappy (Bruce Allpress). Cave In debuted May 2, 2003, on the PAX network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ajax (Peter McCauley), former comrade in arms to Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst), wants to erect a war memorial for fallen soldiers. This project is staunchly opposed by Hercules' mortal half-brother Iphicles (Kevin Smith), now the King of Corinth. Holding Ajax responsible for the death of his wife, Iphicles is dead set against honoring anyone who has ever taken up arms. The battle of wills between Iphicles and Ajax leads to a chain reaction of personal tragedies -- and, indirectly, to a plague of giant sand worms. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Evidently, the "dream" to which every woman aspires in this made-for-TV drama is Mitch Parker (Jeff Fahey), a handsome, charismatic fellow with a smooth line of patter. Mitch proves irresistible to Liz Wells (Kim Cattrall), and the fact that he seems to be wealthy and extremely well connected is the icing on the cake. Eventually Liz marries Mitch, little suspecting that he already has a wife and two children -- not to mention several casual romances on the side. To juggle the various nuances of his double life, Mitch becomes enmeshed in a web of lies in which he casts himself as everything from an entertainment-industry executive to a CIA agent -- and when these prevarications begin to go sour, he makes a sharp and deadly turn into a life of crime. Though adapted from Karen Kingsbury's novel Deadly Pretender, Every Woman's Dream is based on a true story -- and more incredible still, that story is told from Mitch's warped point of view! The film first aired October 15, 1996, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A jewel-encrusted chalice is removed from its place of honor in the town of Parthus, bringing down the wrath of the gods in the form of a terrible rock storm. Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), guided by an all-wise Seer (Norman Forsey), tries to shepherd a group of refugees through the storm and into the safe harbor of Calydon. Though he confronts such obstacles as a treacherous swamp and a hugh pterodactyl, Hercules eventually discovers that the biggest threat to the safety of the refugees is their own leader, the shifty Broteas (John Sumner). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Writer/director Jane Campion's third feature unearthed emotional undercurrents and churning intensity in the story of a mute woman's rebellion in the recently colonized New Zealand wilderness of Victorian times. Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), a mute who has willed herself not to speak, and her strong-willed young daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) find themselves in the New Zealand wilderness, with Ada the imported bride of dullard land-grabber Stewart (Sam Neill). Ada immediately takes a dislike to Stewart when he refuses to carry her beloved piano home with them. But Stewart makes a deal with his overseer George Baines (Harvey Keitel) to take the piano off his hands. Attracted to Ada, Baines agrees to return the piano in exchange for a series of piano lessons that become a series of increasingly charged sexual encounters. As pent-up emotions of rage and desire swirl around all three characters, the savage wilderness begins to consume the tiny European enclave. Campion imbues her tale with an over-ripe tactility and a murky, poetic undertow that betray the characters' confined yet overpowering emotions: Ada's buried sensuality, Baines' hidden tenderness, and Stewart's suppressed anger and violence. The story unfolds like a Greek tragedy of the Outback, complete with a Greek chorus of Maori tribesmen and a blithely uncaring natural environment that envelops the characters like an additional player. Campion directs with discreet detachment, observing one character through the glances and squints of another as they peer through wooden slats, airy curtains, and the spaces between a character's fingers. She makes the film immediate and urgent by implicating the audience in characters' gazes. And she guides Hunter to a revelatory performance of silent film majesty. Relying on expressive glances and using body language to convey her soulful depths, Hunter became a modern Lillian Gish and won an Oscar for her performance, as did Paquin and Campion for her screenplay. Campion achieved something rare in contemporary cinema: a poetry of expression told in the form of an off-center melodrama. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

If you liked the Australian thriller Dead Calm, then the look-alike American TV movie Adrift will probably tickle your fancy as well. Kate Jackson and Kenneth Welsh play a honeymooning couple, relaxing on their yacht in the South Pacific. When they come upon a shipwrecked couple (Bruce Greenwood and Kelly Rowan), the newlyweds pull the castaways on board their vessel. That's their first mistake; the castaways are evil incarnate, and they proceed to put the young marrieds through hell. Filmed off the coast of New Zealand, Adrift premiered on April 13, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Enriched by a phalanx of deeply-etched characters straight out of New Zealand's finest folklore, this winning comedy by Kiwi director Ian Mune tells the story of two buddies out to ride a great horse-racing scam for as long as they can. Based on a story by the late writer Ronald Hugh Morrieson, the setting is around 1949 in rural New Zealand. Wes Pennington (Peter Bland) and his pal Cyril (Philip Gordon) are inveterate gamblers who have joined forces to bilk local bookies by taking advantage of delayed broadcasts of horse races. The duo do not linger long in each place, but when they arrive in Tainuia Junction, fate catches up with them. Through a series of unforeseen circumstances, Cyril and Wes get involved in uncovering a bootlegging ring, arson, murder, and other dastardly deeds. The townspeople are in a class of their own, but outstanding among them is the Tainuia Kid (Billy T. James) who is a kind of protector for the put-upon, gambling duo. The "Kid" is a mix of modern New Zealand ingenuity and traditional patriotic values, with a bit of humor thrown in as well. Viewers do not have to be from New Zealand to appreciate the story, the comedy, and the characters that emerge in this entertaining film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This gothic hillbilly horror thriller was produced in New Zealand and centers around a small rural town, circa 1953, where unusual events lead a teenager to cross paths with a serial killer. Ned (Jonathan Smith) and his pal Les (Daniel McLaren) are a pair of teens in trouble with local bullies after they steal some prize chickens. Their troubles are compounded by the arrival of a carnival, employing the sinister Salter (John Carradine), an evil magician and sideshow hypnotist. The presence of Salter seems to bring out the worst in the local citizenry, inspiring nascent lust and perversion to surface in disturbing ways, much of which is centered on Ned's nubile sister Prudence (Tracy Mann). When a girl is slain in the woods, the trial leads to Salter, who is not only guilty of the crime, but of many more. The Scarecrow (1982), based on the novel of the same name by Ronald Hugh Morrieson, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was the feature debut of co-writer and director Sam Pillsbury, who went on to direct numerous television movies and series episodes in the U.S. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi