Steve Bastoni Movies
With the 2006 MacBeth, controversial Australian director Geoffrey Wright (Romper Stomper, Metal Skin) launches his fourth big screen outing and continues the trend of reinventing Shakespeare by contemporizing the bard's plays. As in other recent efforts (Richard Loncraine's Richard III (1996), Michael Almereyda's Hamlet (2000)), Wright uses a distinctly postmodern context to extract related themes from the original work. Here, Wright reworks the brutal tragedy Macbeth, retaining its Elizabethan dialogue, but resituating the events within the arena of modern Australian gang violence. His Macbeth (Sam Worthington) is a drug baron and pimp, his Lady Macbeth a Valium-addicted, narcoleptic burnout and manipulator, his Duncan the head of Melbourne's criminal underground. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth murder Duncan in cold blood (framing the servants as responsible), but soon after Macbeth takes the throne, he is undone - and beheaded - by usurper Macduff. Like former adapter Roman Polanski, Wright ups the quotients of bloodletting, sadism, and underlying iciness. He filmed much of the picture with HD photography - thus capturing a broader range of imagery and a much blacker darkness in his nighttime sequences - and lit a pivotal action scene exclusively with red laser gun sights. The result is a thoroughly unique and unprecedented work. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Worthington, Victoria Hill, (more)
A narcissistic psychopath and neglectful single mother concocts a deadly scheme to sell the family house, and the only thing standing in the way is her still-breathing father in a cynical and serious-minded suburban soap-opera from director Paul Goldman and first-time screenwriter Alice Bell. Kat (Emily Barclay) is a nineteen-year-old single mother whose life revolves around manicures, cell phone conversations, petty crime, and cheap sex. She lives in a typical suburban home in a typical small town, and she has long since grown bored with her vanilla-flavored surroundings. Kat's brother Danny (Laurence Breuls) is currently serving a life sentence for murder, and the dangerously unpredictable hellion is now forced to move in with her father John (Robert Morgan) or face a life of destitution. Despite the fact that she is utterly dependent on her dad, her hatred for him reaches a breaking point when he informs her that he will sever her financial support and turn her child over to social services unless she finds a job. Subsequently unloading her toddler on her latest boyfriend Rusty (Michael Dorman) before embarking on a sex-fueled bender with Danny's decidedly slow-witted friend Kenny (Anthony Hayes), the enraged Kat soon cooks up a scheme to manipulate one of the men in her life to murder her father so she can sell his home, collect the cash, and carry on in her wild ways. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Barclay, Steve Bastoni, (more)
This low-budget Australian period piece examines the effects of WWII on the women and children left behind when the country sent troops into battle. Dorothy (Lisa Hensley) oversees the family farm while her husband fights; she's aided by two Italian prisoners of war, Alfredo (Steve Bastoni) and Joseph (Domenic Galati), as well as a Jewish mother and daughter seeking asylum from Nazi Germany. Her children take to the Italians immediately, viewing them as father figures while their real dad's away. Meanwhile, the young German woman becomes smitten with Joseph, with dire consequences. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Bastoni
- 1995
Celebrated Australian filmmaker Mike Jenkins helms this controversial, true-life tale of police corruption in New South Wales that was banned from airing in the state where the events occurred for six years due to ongoing legal proceedings. Decorated police officer Roger "The Dodger" Rogerson (Richard Roxburgh) was a shining example of law enforcement at its most commendable; until he made a deal with the devil, that is. When Rogerson enters into a deadly partnership with career criminal Arthur "Neddy" Smith (Tony Martin) that gives the violent psychopath free reign to run rampant through the Sydney underworld, the stage is set for tragedy as guns on both sides start blazing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Roxburgh, Tony Martin, (more)
- 1994
This Australian action movie is based on a popular Australian television series about the Sydney Police Rescue Squad. The squad comes to the big screen with the addition of Officer Lorrie Gordon, a former member of the Drug Squad. After her partner and secret lover was killed on duty, Ms. Gordon has been under the suspicious surveillance of Internal Affairs. Her partner it seems, had been corrupted. At first, Gordon is not welcomed into the rescue squad by Sgt. Mickey McClintock. Then he sleeps with her. She is suspended from the force. Later, during the film's climax, she becomes a civilian heroine when she rescues kindergartners and their teacher from a mad bomber. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Sweet, Zoe Carides, (more)
- 1993
Christina (Claudia Karvan) is a young teacher from a privileged Greek-Australian background. She has just been assigned to a school in a rough neighborhood, and has entered into the fray of its politics by at first supporting the majority if the kids against the school's athletic director: the kids want to play soccer, the director wants them to play rugby and nothing else. Eventually she volunteers to coach the team, but then the father (Nico Lathouris) of Nick (Alex Dimitriades), one of the team's more outspoken and talented players, comes forward to coach. He had been a world-cup level player for the Greek national team. Meanwhile, Christina's relationship with her business-obsessed fiancee is deteriorating, and she is beginning to respond to Nick's admiration of her. After she finally succumbs to his advances and discovers that she is happy she did, all hell breaks loose at the school, in her family, in Nick's family, and with her fiancee. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Karvan, Alex Dimitriades, (more)
- 1992
The two-part Australian miniseries Frankie's House was based on photojournalist Tim Page's autobiography Page After Page. Set during the Vietnam war, the story recounted the adventures of Page (Iain Glen) and his erstwhile photographer partner. After numerous scrapes with death, Page managed to survive to tell his tale, but his partner was not so lucky, disappearing without a trace during a 1970 foray into Laos. The program's title referred to a brothel frequented by the principal characters. The two 120-minute episodes of Frankie's House were broadcast by Australia's ABC network in 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Alfio (George Harlem) and Sam (Steve Bastoni) are friends, but Alfio plans to keep working as a fish-seller for his dad, and Sam is going off to join the Army. The two of them double date, but despite Sam's assumed affinity for his level-headed girlfriend Angie (Linda Hartley), both of them really prefer Alfio's gal Lola (Marie-Louise Walker, who is quite daring and outgoing. Lola, in turn, really prefers Sam, but marries Alfio. When Sam gets back from the army, Lola begins having an affair with him, which ruins things between Alfio and Sam when Alfio finds out. This story, set among the Sicilian community living in Melbourne, is based on the opera La Cavalieri Rusticana by Mascagni. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Bastoni, Linda Hartley, (more)
- 1985
As if being a teen-aged girl weren't difficult enough, Sarah has the additional complication of being deaf. She blames herself and her handicap for the separation of her parents. When she goes to the countryside to visit her grandfather, she experiences the first stirrings of love with David, a boy she meets there. Unusually for such a teen-centered movie, this drama does not go in for easy solutions or a tidy ending, and Sarah can be found at the end of the movie pondering both her new problems and most of her old ones. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nadine Garner, Lyn Semmler, (more)
- 1984
In this sequel to the Australian smash hit comedy Alvin Purple (1973) and Alvin Rides Again (1974), the story centers on Alvin's 18-year old son, who just like his dad, attracts women like flies to honey, but is terrified of them. He is only comfortable with one woman, a young usherette at the local cinema. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerry Sont, Lenita Psillakis, (more)
Directed by Brett Leonard, Man-Thing is based on a comic book series of the same name. The Man-Thing himself was once a scientist, but after injecting himself with an untested serum in hopes of preventing it from falling into the wrong hands, he was unfortunately transformed into a mindless swamp beast who fatally burns those within whom he senses fear. The Man-Thing resembles a towering mound of algae and plant life, and lives in the Florida Everglades near a tribe of Seminole Indians. When one of real-estate tycoon F.A. Schist's crewmen is killed while developing the swamp for commercial use, it's the Seminoles who are blamed, though they know that the real culprit is the Man-Thing, who mirrors the emotion of any human that crosses his path and acts accordingly -- unfortunately, most people subjected to the sight of him react in sheer terror and are unceremoniously set aflame. Man-Thing features performances from Rawiri Paratene, Alex O'Lachlan, Rachel Taylor, Jack Thompson, and William Zappa. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
After creating an international sensation with the visually dazzling and intellectually challenging sci-fi blockbuster The Matrix, the Wachowski brothers returned with the first of two projected sequels that pick up where the first film left off. Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) have been summoned by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to join him on a voyage to Zion, the last outpost of free human beings on Earth. Neo and Trinity's work together has been complicated by the fact the two are involved in a serious romantic relationship. Upon their arrival in Zion, Morpheus locks horns with rival Commander Lock (Harry J. Lennix) and encounters his old flame Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith). Meanwhile, Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has returned with some surprises for Neo, most notably the ability to replicate himself as many times as he pleases. Neo makes his way to The Oracle (Gloria Foster), who informs him that if he wishes to save humankind, he must unlock "The Source," which means having to release The Key Maker (Randall Duk Kim) from the clutches of Merovingian (Lambert Wilson). While Merovingian refuses to cooperate, his wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci), angry at her husband's dalliances with other women, offers to help, but only in exchange for a taste of Neo's affections. With The Keymaker in tow, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are chased by Merovingian's henchmen: a pair of deadly albino twins (Neil Rayment and Adrian Rayment). Filmed primarily in Australia and California (the extended chase scene was shot on a stretch of highway build specifically for the production outside of San Francisco), The Matrix Reloaded was produced in tandem with the third film in the series, The Matrix Revolutions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, (more)
- 1998
- PG13
This supernatural chiller was made especially for the USA cable network. A couple teetering on the brink of divorce find themselves forced to pull together after an evil poltergeist enters their home and endangers, not only their lives, but that of their son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ally Sheedy, Costas Mandylor, (more)
- 2002
- PG
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Crikey! Following a brief cameo in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), hyperactive, high-energy cable television star and native Australian naturalist Steve Irwin parlays his success as a confronter of all things scaly, fanged, and venomous into this feature-film adventure. Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin play themselves as animal activists who rescue an endangered crocodile, not realizing that the critter has swallowed a downed top-secret satellite beacon that's the subject of an intense search by CIA personnel. Believing that the spies are poachers out to steal the animal's precious hide, the Irwins evade their pursuers while attempting to get the crocodile to safety in a remote area of the Outback, adopting an orphaned joey (a baby kangaroo), and grappling with bird-eating spiders and poisonous snakes along the way. In the meantime, the secret agents mistakenly believe the Irwins are enemy operatives trying to steal their highly valuable technology. The real-life Irwins donated all of their fees from The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002) to wildlife conservation efforts. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, (more)
- 1987
- PG
An elite Australian cavalry unit attacks the Turkish-held stronghold of Beersheba in this World War I adventure drama. Four friends goes through the trials of battle in this epic $10 million production. The Australians resent being led by the British who continually misuse the cavalry. They conspire to strike out on their own to prove their effectiveness and drive the Turkish hordes from the desert town. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Blake, Peter Phelps, (more)
