Henri Szeps Movies
- 2001
The Australian adventure series Escape of the Artful Dodger helpfully provided answers to questions unwittingly posed by Charles Dickens in his classic novel Oliver Twist, such as: Whatever happened to resourceful preteen pickpocket Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger, after Fagin's gang of thieves had been broken up? According to this series, Jack Dawkins (Luke O'Loughlin) was arrested and transported to Australia for a seven-year sentence. Hoping to make up for past discretions, Jack became something of a junior crusader for justice, though his methods were still on the underhanded side. In a Dickens-ian coincidence, young Oliver Twist (Rowan Witt) had also relocated to Australia, in order to learn the "family business" on behalf of his grandfather, Mr. Brownlow. Reunited with his old pal Jack, Oliver naturally accompanied "the Dodger" in his various thrilling adventures. The first of 13 half-hour episodes of Escape of the Artful Dodger was seen on September 17, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
In this independently produced political thriller, a writer whose book about corporate corruption is about to be released believes that the kidnapping of his son has something to do with that book. What he doesn't know is that the businessmen, unable to tell which of his several girlfriends and female acquaintances are of importance to him, have kidnapped one of them instead, and his son was kidnapped for an entirely different reason. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Anne-Louise Lambert, (more)
- 1990
IMF agent Shannon Reed is dispatched to Bogota by air. Her mission: to locate vicious drug lord Luis Magdalena (Tony Xauet) and put him out of business for keeps. En route, Shannon's plane crashes, causing her to suffer a total loss of memory. Upon awakening, she falls in love with her handsome rescuer -- Luis Magdalena. Written by Frank Abatemarco, "Church Bells in Bogota" was first telecast on February 10, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Thaao Penghlis, (more)
- 1987
- R
Essentially a showcase for the talents of Australian comedian Barry Humphries, this earthy comedy tells the tale of a boorish and boozy Aussie ambassador and his wife (Humphries plays both characters) who are stationed in a Middle Eastern country. There, they end up saving the world from the bio-hazard engineered by the nefarious Dr. Herpes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Humphries, Pamela Stephenson, (more)
- 1987
- PG13
Director Carl Schultz and screenwriter David Williamson's character study of an aging Australian man's second marriage boasts a robust performance by Leo McKern. McKern plays Frank, a man in his seventies, who used to be something of a firecracker, but who now, his best days behind him, prefers to putter-around, play chess, and get under the skin of his new wife Frances (Julia Blake). Frances, forsaking her old family ties (which her family resents her for), marries Frank and agrees to move with him to Queensland. Frank and Frances pack their things and head north, settling into an easy life of fishing and relaxation. They immediately make friends with a lonely neighbor, Freddie (Graham Kennedy) -- and also the local doctor, Saul (Henri Szeps), who informs Frank that he has a bad heart and hasn't much longer to live. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leo McKern, Julia Blake, (more)
- 1984
Though made in Australia, Warming Up has all the earmarks of an American made-for-TV movie. Barbara Stephens and Henri Szeps star as, respectively, a touchy divorcee and a headstrong cop. Brought together by accident, the two despise each other on sight. Gradually, hate gives way to love, but not without plenty of bickering. Queenie Ashton co-stars in Warming Up, which debuted in America over the Cinemax cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henri Szeps
- 1982
Little Rebecca Ann Porter (Simone Buchanan) is stranded on an island with Manuel Cortés (Henri Szeps) a refugee from a South American dictatorship, and the two are at odds, partly because of the differences in their economic backgrounds, partly because Rebecca is, after all, a little girl whose grasp on reality may not be quite the same as that of the refugee. Meanwhile, Rebecca's parents are frantically searching for her, but it takes the inventiveness of one of her good buddies to catch on to her whereabouts. When they are finally rescued, Cortés is threatened with deportation back to the dictatorship that wants nothing more than to get its hands on him -- but Rebecca goes to bat for him, taking on nothing less than the Ministry of Immigration. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Simone Buchanan, Henri Szeps, (more)
This romantic melodrama is based on a novel by Danielle Steele and chronicles a wife's reaction to her husband's run of bad luck. Their troubles begin when she returns home from a business trip and discovers that her husband has been arrested and jailed for raping a woman. Though he tends to philander, he is not a rapist. The only way the wife can cope with the pain is to become an alcoholic drug addict. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Robert Coleby, (more)
- 1981
Run, Rebecca, Run stars Australian child actress Simone Buchanan, best known for her leading role in that country's Rainbow Island TV and movie series. Buchanan plays a young camera fanatic who is marooned on a desert island. Here she is threatened by a refugee from South America (Henri Szeps) who isn't keen on having his whereabouts known. Hostility melts into friendship before the rescue boats arrive. Run Rebecca Run had its American premiere on cable television in 1983; it was rebroadcast on PBS' Wonderworks in January of 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1981
Melanie (Angela Punch McGregor) is a television talk-show hostess who is missing the excitement of a new romance in her life -- and has been in that state for a few months now. When she and her good buddy Tom (Graeme Blundell) get together for a dinner at her place to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their friendship, they have enough wine to accidentally end up together in her bed, and nature takes over from there. When they wake up in the morning, Melanie wants to forget everything and go back to their easy-going friendship, while Tom disagrees -- he rather likes the new situation. It does not take long for Melanie to discover that her solitary slip-up has gotten her pregnant. She wants the baby but is definitely averse to marriage, while Tom wants to make the baby legitimate. In the end, the two compromise by moving in together -- though the truce does not last for long. As their relationship bounces back and forth, Melanie -- in her sixth month -- agrees to get married. But then the couple have a dust-up on the night before the wedding and they split -- will that be for good? Will their final choice be marriage or friendship or a steady animosity -- or all three? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angela Punch McGregor, Graeme Blundell, (more)
- 1980
Although it is sometimes billed as an animated feature, this children's story is an entirely live-action film, filled with wacky and silly-looking adults for the amusement of the youngsters. It is, however, based on Fatty Finn, a cartoon-strip character popular in 1930s Australia. Set in the earlier part of the century, the story concerns Fatty, a freckled youngster living in a pleasant suburb who feels the need to cut up a bit just to prove himself, and though he ruffles a lot of feathers, the fact that he is basically a good kid eventually settles them down again. The funny-looking paterfamilias, John Finn, is played by the beloved Australian national treasure Bert Newton. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Oxenbould, Bert Newton, (more)
- 1979
The plumber (Ivar Kants) shows up at the door of well-to-do Australian couple Robert Coleby and Judy Cowper. Though the plumber apparently hasn't been summoned, he is given unquestioned free reign in the household. He ends up staying several days, his work and personality growing weirder with each passing day. Housewife Cowper is driven to neurotic distraction by the plumber's presence and by his iconoclastic attitudes towards everything she holds dear. Then, the plumber walks out of the flat, never to return...leaving behind a residue of paranoia and shattered values. Filmed for Australian television, The Plumber may well be the most maddening 76 minutes ever committed to celluloid. Naturally, it only served to further the reputation of its gifted writer/director Peter Weir. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judy Morris, Robert Coleby, (more)
