Simon Chilvers Movies

In this Australian action comedy, Texas and Alby (Joseph Bottoms and Grigor Taylor) mostly work as roustabouts at carnivals, but they are bored with the kind of work they do and take to the road together, looking for some fun and adventure. They are picked up in a beautiful green Corvette owned by a well-heeled man named Arnold (John Clayton). When Arnold starts putting the romantic moves on Alby, he and his buddy beat the driver up and steal his wallet and car. Once underway, they discover that the Corvette is full of drugs, and the wallet is full of money. They pick up Lynn (Judy Davis) a lovely and idealistic female hitchhiker, who brings out Tex's protective instincts. The duo's gift at seeking out trouble continues to provide them with adventures throughout the film. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The Australian-made Buddies is essentially a Down Under gold rush western. Two friends in Queensland team up with a miner and his girl friend to search for diamonds. Their quest is threatened by a gang of slavering claim-jumpers. Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins, Dennis Miller and Kris McQuade (the girl) are the protagonists in this attractive location-filmed effort. The Australian film Buddies is sometimes confused with an unrelated U.S. produced AIDS-related drama of the same title. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dunera Boys is all the more incredible when one realizes that it is founded in truth. At the beginning of the second World War, the English government sanctioned the arrest of any German nationals suspected of being spies. Among these was a group of Jewish refugees, as well as several completely assimilated British subjects. Fishmonger Bob Hoskins, who despite his Germanic background is as British as they come, is rounded up along with the other "undesirables," herded aboard the HMT Dunera, and shipped off to a POW camp in Australia. This lumpy but involving film details Hoskins' futile efforts to make the best of his bizarre plight. The Dunera Boys was originally produced for Australian television; for its American release, it was given an R rating for violence and language. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This is a youth-oriented romantic drama about the relationship of a champion surfer and a rock singer. Enhanced by impressive sequences of surfboard derring-do and the exotic scenery of western Australia (as well as the first adult role for Nicole Kidman), this film has plenty to keep young audiences entertained. P.C. Simpson (Tom Burlinson) lives in a magnificent beachfront home with his wealthy father and indulges his passion for surfing on a daily basis. His father may fault him for not working at a regular job, but he can appreciate his son's remarkable abilities on the waves. Jade (Kidman) is a rock singer who starts an romance with the surfer, but just as it seems his life could not get better, several setbacks occur that threaten a wipeout. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This intriguing low-budget crime-thriller is reminiscent of vintage film noir detective stories with their distinctive atmosphere and musical scores. Price (David Bradshaw) is an investigative reporter with a nose for news. His editor (John Ewart) is always on edge, but the man may have good reason to be nervous. A series of murders (and one possible suicide) lead to suspicions about the activities of the government and their connection to secret scientific experiments. As Price digs deeper and deeper into his investigation, the plot twists and turns toward an ending that offers some fast-moving action. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Contrary to what outsider film-buffs and older people might think, for Australians a "garbo" is not someone with a resemblance to or an affiliation with the film star Greta Garbo. "Garbo" is short for "garbageman." This slapstick romp concerns the efforts of a pair of inept, clueless garbage-truck operators to compete with a far more efficient, modernized outfit. The two gents in question are the same two lads who performed in the "dills' school of comedy" (don't ask) as Los Trios Ringbarkus: Neill Gladwin and Stephen Kearney. Fans of this sort of humor won't quarrel with this film's lack of a coherent story line or witty lines, and fans of the two comedians will be especially pleased to run across it. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In the tradition of Arsenic and Old Lace, comes this morbidly funny Australian tale of murder and mayhem at the hands of two charming old ladies. The two impoverished widows, Flo and Minnie lead quiet lives in their ramshackle apartment above an antique shop. They augment their meager income by shoplifting food and stealing small electrical appliances. So far they have not been caught, but to find a steadier source of income, they decide to let out a spare room. Two men show up to apply for the space; one is fugitive-criminal, Grubb, and the other is Instep, a police officer nearing retirement. The ladies scramble to keep Grubb and Instep apart for they fear that the criminal will tell the cop about their own crimes. Unfortunately, the cop adjusts the gas heater in the room and accidentally kills Grubb. Flo and Minnie decide to dispose of Grubb by chopping him up and storing his remains in their refrigerator. Later, Instep, who is in love with Minnie, decides to impress her by extracting a roast from the fridge and preparing it for Sunday dinner. Later they end up cooking the rest of the late Grubb and feeding him to their chickens, which miraculously begin laying remarkable eggs and breeding rapidly. The birds' droppings prove to be exceptional fertilizer for the ladies' mushrooms. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi