John Doyle Movies
One of the most expensive miniseres ever assembled for Australian television, Changi covered a time-span of nearly 60 years. The story was told in flashback as a group of six former POWs, arranging a reunion, recalled their experiences in a Singapore prison camp. Though all six suffered mightily at the hands of their Japanese captors, all managed to survive the ordeal and remain friends even after cessation of hostilities. Still, each man had retained a deleterious "side effect" from his imprisonment, which threatened to cast a tragic pall on their reunion. Running an exhaustive gamut from comedy to horror, Changi sustained its believability by having each of the main characters played by two actors -- one young for the WWII scenes, one old for the postwar scenes. Though critics and the general public were impressed when the series first aired on Australia's ABC network from October 14 to November 12, 2001, there were a number of real-life prison camp survivors who condemned the project as unrealistic and offensive (and never mind that at least one of the lead actors on the show had himself weathered six years in a Japanese stockade). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A young pig fights convention to become a sheep dog -- or, rather, sheep pig -- in this charming Australian family film, which became an unexpected international success due to superior special effects and an intelligent script. The title refers to the name bestowed on a piglet soon after his separation from his family, when he finds himself on a strange farm. Confused and sad, Babe is adopted by a friendly dog and slowly adjusts to his new home. Discovering that the fate of most pigs is the dinner table, Babe devotes himself to becoming a useful member of the farm by trying to learn how to herd sheep, despite the skepticism of the other animals and the kindly but conventional Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell). Because technically impeccable animatronics and computer graphics allow the farm animals to converse easily among themselves, first-time director Chris Noonan can treat the film's menagerie as actual characters, playing scene not for cuteness but for real emotions. The result is often surprisingly touching, with Noonan and George Miller's script, based on Dick King-Smith's children's book and, indirectly, a true story, seamlessly combining gentle whimsy and sincere feeling. These same qualities are embodied by in Cromwell's beautifully understated performance as Farmer Hoggett, which anchors the film. Despite its unlikely premise and low profile, Babe's inspirational story was embraced by audiences and critics, and the movie became an international sleeper that won an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It was followed in 1999 by the less successful Babe: Pig in the City. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
This rental contains both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City
This rental contains both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City
- Starring:
- James Cromwell, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
- 1992
In this odd-ball rock & roll narrative from Australia, busy Mickey, a sound engineer for a futuristic heavy metal band, dreams of singing his own tender love songs someday. It looks as if his dreams just may come true when he encounters the enigmatic devil's-advocate Damien Shard who has invented the Psychotronic Alpha Sampler, a machine that scrambles brainwaves and basically makes dreams reality. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this film, Australian rodeo men Bronco and Rick pick up hitchhiker Lucy on their way to a rodeo. However, after taking a wrong turn, their car breaks down in a spooky town and they are forced to ask for help at the decrepit Terminus Manor. When they discover that the manor residents are actually a group of hungry vampires, the trio must struggle to fight off the bloodsuckers and get out of town. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
An international collection of well-known directors contributed to this compilation film, each fashioning a short film inspired by an aria from a famous opera. The approaches vary broadly, from the playful abstraction of Jean-Luc Godard's segment, which illustrates Armide with exercising body-builders, to the more literal approach of Franc Roddam, who transports Tristan und Isolde's story to modern-day Las Vegas. A particular stand-out is Julian Temple's take on Rigoletto, which recasts Verdi as the accompaniment to a contemporary Southern California sex farce. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theresa Russell, Nicola Swain, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Doyle, Nicola Bartlett, (more)
- 1985
After suffering a near-death experience, an executive realizes that his seemingly ideal life has become a horrifying nightmare in this dark Australian satire. Based on the novel by Peter Carey, who also penned the screenplay, the film begins with a deceptively calm, idyllic day in the life of ad man Harry Joy (Barry Otto). A heart attack leads Harry to experience a brief moment of brain death, however, and he awakens with a far darker vision of the world. In quick succession, he learns that his wife is cheating on him, his son has become a drug dealer, and his daughter is a junkie. Even his perfect career has become a nightmare, as he discovers that his latest client is in fact a heartless, deadly polluter. Enraged, Harry is determined to live a morally righteous life, a notion that proves an anathema to everyone around him. Several memorably bleak and explicit sequences may repel some viewers, while others will be disappointed that the satire becomes slower and less focused as the film continues. Nevertheless, Bliss's daring, bitter look at the modern world received a good deal of critical acclaim, particularly in its home country, where it won an Australian Academy Award. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Otto, Lynette Curran, (more)
