Ian Gilmour Movies

When a volcano expert becomes convinced that a cataclysmic natural disaster is about to unfold, his desperate attempts to warn the population of the impending danger are met with skepticism and derision in this sweeping disaster film starring Xander Berkeley and Amy Jo Johnson. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Dishonorably discharged Marine lieutenant Peter Doyle (Jeremy Callaghan) is pulled out of "retirement" by gung-ho General Pembroke (Steven Grives) to lead an elite unit on a dangerous mission deep in the jungles of Africa (actually Australia, where this made-for-TV movie was filmed). In addition to rescuing Doyle's missing brother James (Brian McNamara), the unit must also shut down a auto-destructive nuclear device set up by local "rebels." As the mission proceeds, the unit comes across gruesome evidence that previous rescue missions have failed miserably, but that's not the half of it: the duplicitious General Pembroke is part of a vast conspiracy to cover up a military effort to contact space aliens, an effort that has resulted in an all-stops-out invasion by huge, mutant, carnivorous insects! In America, Code Red: The Rubicon Conspiracy made its TV debut courtesy of UPN on January 9, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Blending rough-and-tumble drama with romance, this story is set in Australia shortly after World War II, when waves of immigration brought thousands of people to Australia's rural prairies. Baringa is a small town built around an abandoned military base; primarily home to migrant laborers, Baringa is the temporary home to people from all over the vast Australian continent, as well as many of the European nations, some of whom are looking to start a new life, while others are trying to live down their pasts. Originally produced as a mini-series for Australian television, Bordertown featured Cate Blanchett, three years before she rose to fame with her breakthrough role in Elizabeth; the cast also includes Alex Maglet, Geoff Morrell, Christine Tremarco, and Hugo Weaving. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When Caz Lederman's child is born with brain damage, she sues doctor Ian Gilmour for malpractice. As the film shows, Gilmour's procedures are indeed questionable (and graphically photographed -- fair warning to those with queasy stomachs). But it is also clear that the doctor, a last-minute replacement for Gilmour's regular gynecologist, did not intentionally endanger the mother and child, and that the cesarean operation was performed under extraordinarily difficult conditions. When Gilmour is found guilty of malpractice, he is ordered to spend a year in extra training -- an extreme measure that, the film argues, should be imposed upon all obstetricians before a delivery-room disaster occurs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jason Connery (son of Sean Connery) stars as Johnny Kirkland in this slightly uneven teen drama about facing down obstacles at college and at home. When Johnny goes off to the university, he is leaving behind an aloof and alcoholic mother (Diane Cilento, Jason Connery's real-life mother) whose recent divorce has further destabilized her emotionally. At school, his frat brothers latch on to the fact that Johnny excelled in his high school at both grades and sports and rather than hope his success will continue, they do everything they can to "bring him down to size." Apparently, their own size is quite small, indeed, barely visible to the naked eye if their loutish behavior is any yardstick. Compounding these problems are Johnny's troubles with his girlfriend Robin (Laura Williams) -- can life get any worse? Most likely not, but how it gets better is the focus in the rest of the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This is one of the more unusual films about a nuclear holocaust, nearly introspective in its focus on a handful of people in Sydney's world-famous opera house, finding ways to pass the time until the morning brings more news. The setting is New Year's Eve (in the middle of summer here), and some intimation of the immediate future surfaces in the form of reports on a major crisis in Europe and the aftermath of demonstrations against U.S. nuclear ships at harbor in Sydney. Sharon (Cassandra Delaney) and Eva (Saskia Post) are young teen roommates who are more interested in their own personal relationships than what is happening in distant Europe, and after meeting at the opera house where Sharon works, they are ready to go off to a New Year's party together. But before they can leave, a radio broadcast announces that nuclear bombs have been dropped in Europe and North America and also on U.S. targets in Australia. The announcer requests that people remain where they are, and the two shocked teenagers are at a loss as to how to cope. They are soon joined by an American soldier gone AWOL and a custodian who was busy working after the end of the evening's concert. The four isolated people explore the empty building, engage in conversation just to fill the time, and even distract themselves with a game of strip poker -- anything to avoid facing the possibility that this may be the last night of their lives. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Three young women contend with the rougher side of night (and day) life in the big city of Sydney as one of them gets ready to take off on a flight to New York. The women go to nightclubs, bars, and the beach, they trip out on drugs, one tries to land a job, another tries prostitution for a short while, and through it all, the friends alternately argue and make up -- all within an 18-hour span of time. A tragic postscript to the film: actress Vera Plevnik who played one of the three women (Jane) was killed in a car crash not long after the movie was completed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In The Odd Angry Shot director Tom Jeffrey provides a cathartic Australian answer to Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. Australia's participation in the Vietnam War was as much of an alienating and soul-searching experience for Australians as for Americans, and Jeffrey's frank portrayal of a group of Australian volunteers casts the war in a different light from the perspective of a Cimino or Oliver Stone. The story concerns a corp of Australian elite soldiers -- the Special Air Service troops (the equivalent of the United States' Special Forces group) -- and the elite group's more pragmatic and hopeful attitudes -- whiling away the time in mindless diversions and cracking jokes. Then one of their own is killed and their feelings about the war suddenly change. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi