Tom Broadbridge Movies
- 1997
The half-hour children's series Bingo and Molly was a puppet show set in the tiny town of Rabbit Hollow. The title characters were a pair of cute brother-and-sister bunnies: Bingo was the aggressive, adventurous sibling, in contrast to his cautious, sensible sister Molly. The series' pro-social story lines found Bingo, Molly, and their animal friends facing and solving problems by applying common sense and kindness -- though Bingo had a tendency to leap before he looked. The "live" segments were chock full of music and comedy, linked with animated sequences produced by the celebrated Michael Sporn. A co-production of Alice Entertainment and Broadstar Entertainment, the 26-episode Bingo and Molly joined the daily lineup of cable TV's The Learning Channel in 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Narelle, Robin Goodrow, (more)
- 1992
- R
Ellen Carlyle is exhausted and looks forward to her upcoming vacation alone in the woods, but somehow things don't turn out as planned for the hard-working television news anchor, and instead of resting she ends up fighting for her life. The ordeal begins at work the night before her vacation when a madman bursts into her studio and holds her at gunpoint while her cameraman tries to talk him down. Later her pal Joey offers to take her to her cabin. As she settles in, a homicidal maniac escapes from prison, and unknown to Carlyle, whose investigations helped convict him, she is at the top of his revenge list. Though Joey shows up the next day to warn her and beg her to help him with his new report, she refuses because she has a hot date with the town deputy. Eventually the fugitive killer is captured and Carlyle believes she is finally safe. Unfortunately, that is not the end of the her problems. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1989
When a shopping mall and suburban homes are built on land sacred to the Aborigines, a curse envelopes the residents. The victims are rich kids who dream a Native Australian hands them a magic crystal. When they awaken, the crystal is on the pillow, and the curse begins to take its toll on the spoiled teens. One young man falls victim to a deadly spider, another is killed by an eel while swimming, and yet another young woman dies a horrible death after being ripped apart by a demonic dog. The remaining teens' one hope of survival is an Aboriginal shaman, the only one capable of opposing the stone's deadly power. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Zoe Carides, Tom Jennings, (more)
A teenager puts his life in jeopardy when he tries to convince authorities that his high school's most unpopular teacher is a murderous Satanist who likes to torture and murder hookers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, Richard Roundtree, (more)
- 1988
- R
A mysterious killer is preying upon professional women in Sydney in this psychological horror feature. All of the victims are found murdered and with their eyes removed. Detective-Sergeant Whitaker (John Clayton) and his partner Sergeant Delgano (John Ley) are put in charge of solving the case. Composer David Gaze (Mark Hembrow) has premonitions of the grisly deaths and tries to warn the victims, but all the women he approaches doubt his ability to see into the future. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Hembrow, Tessa Humphries, (more)
- 1988
Damon Kennedy (Tamblyn Lord) is a rich kid who falls in with a trio of teen thugs in this violent exploitation film. When the trio brutally attacks Damon's girlfriend and her family, he seek vengeance against the thugs. The boys rob and kill a wealthy businessman and his family, putting Damon on the wrong side of the law. Damon later justifies his violence as good training that will help him in the ruthless world of business. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tamblyn Lord, Craig Pearce, (more)
- 1987
A naive real-estate agent is offered incredible wealth by an introverted millionaire, but only if he agrees to kill someone. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Doyle, Nicola Bartlett, (more)
- 1987
A group of college coeds are targeted for murder by an unknown assailant in this Australian thriller. A woman is hospitalized after she is attacked and thrown from a window. The mystery murderer finishes the job while she is confined to her bed. In a take-off of Psycho, a female detective is murdered on a stairway, while a scissor-stabbing death recalls the notorious scene from Dial M For Murder. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penny Cook, Anna-Maria Winchester, (more)
- 1985
Woven around premises that are hard to swallow, this is a saccharine story of how the love of a child can transform the worst situations into a day of sunshine. But since the child's mother, Carol (Deborra-Lee Furness), becomes a prostitute at one point, this is not exactly Disney fare either. Carol lives with Lindsay (Ivar Kants), who dotes on Carol's daughter, Jenny (Tamsin West), even though she does not seem particularly dotable. Cynical viewers will think "incest," but not so. Carol gets irked at Lindsay and moves out with Jenny to stay with Gaynor (Paula Duncan), a friend who happens to be a prostitute. Carol decides to try Gaynor's profession and after one night's work, she brings home 500 dollars -- the wages of sin can be profitable. Lindsay, now dying of an incurable illness, steals Jenny away from this life of vicarious inequity -- and Carol, overwhelmed by a suddenly awakened conscience, rushes to Lindsay's bedside. As harps play, the story continues on into even more rarified strata. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tamsin West, Deborra-Lee Furness, (more)
PJ (Angelo D'Angelo), and Goose (James Lugton) are bored Australian BMX riders whose bikes have been totaled. Setting off on an intended fishing trip with their friend Judy (Nicole Kidman, in her first big-screen appearance), they stumble instead upon a cache of stolen police walkie-talkies, which they decide to sell for new BMX gear. Unfortunately, the radios had orginally been swiped by a murderous gang of bank robbers, with whom they soon become entangled. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angelo D'Angelo, James Lugton, (more)
- 1980
In this drama, a terminally ill ex-crook returns to his home in Melbourne, Australia to make amends and die with peace and dignity. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1980
Dead Man's Float is a very short and occasionally sweet juvenile melodrama. A cheeky bunch of children who think they're pretty smart are in for a rude awakening when they confront a gang of drug smugglers who play for keeps. Since the film is aimed at the kiddie trade, the youngsters prevail over the villains, though it's nip and tuck for a while there. The film is nothing if not energetic, with its cast of unknowns breezing through the proceedings with confidence. Filmed in Australia, Dead Man's Float entertains during its swift 75 minutes, even though it doesn't stick to the ribs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sally Boyden, Greg Rowe, (more)
- 1978
Kim Krejus and Sonia Peat star as a couple of disenfranchised Australian teenagers. Unemployed and bored with their listless existence at home, the kids take to the streets. With barely a pause to consider the consequences, Krejus and Peat steal, lie, con and offer themselves sexually in order to stay alive. The cinematic virtues of Mouth to Mouth, director John Duigan's second feature film, have been somewhat obscured by the critical attention given Duigan's "breakthrough" 1988 feature The Year My Voice Broke. In addition to directing this fast-paced slice of street life, Duigan also produced and wrote the screenplay. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Krejus, Sonia Peat, (more)
Dennis Hopper plays the title character in this true story of a 19th-century Australian gold-digger who is pressed into a life of crime. A six-year stint in jail doesn't provide reform, but does introduce him to an Aboriginal partner-in-crime (David Gulpilil). The duo then proceed to terrorize the province of New South Wales with no lack of violence. The TV version was retitled Mad Dog. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Jack Thompson, (more)
