Susan Prior Movies
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)
- 2003
Director Paul Middleditch's third feature finds the humanistic filmmaker experimenting with a unique approach while attempting to explore means of overcoming grief and reforging lost human connections. Improvised by the actors, shot on video, and later transcribed into a screenplay and shot on film, A Cold Summer finds three damaged souls in need of companionship. Bobby (Teo Gebert) is a charismatic advertising executive with a drinking problem who lives in his BMW. When jazz singer and compulsive liar Tia (Olivia Pigeot) has her bag stolen, the two meet by chance and forge a tentative connection. Tia later runs into old friend Phaedra (Susan Prior) a "semi-artistic" florist who also dabbles in poetry and songwriting and is still recovering from her boyfriend's drug related death four years earlier. As each character attempts to deal with their own hardships, their relationships with one another prove to be key components in helping them to pick up the pieces and find a new approach to facing life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teo Gebert, Olivia Pigeot, (more)
- 2002
Moya is guided to the planet Khurtanan for some desperately needed repairs, but none of the planet's mechanics will cooperate unless corrupt local doctor Tumii (Bruce Spence) gives Moya's crew a clean bill of health. Instead, Tumii poisons the crew with the deadly Qatal Mollusk, holding out the antidote unless he is given an enormous bribe. The "good" doctor also strongarms Crichton and Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) into stealing a huge cache of Qatals which are being stored as weapons by a group of resistance fighters. Somehow all this intrigue leads to an incredible sequence wherein the two most aggressively male members of Moya's crew dress up in female drag. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Browder, Claudia Black, (more)
A runaway Japanese bride finds herself alone in Sydney, Australia when her lover fails to show up to save her from her husband, and she ends up on an off-road adventure with a handsome getaway driver while fleeing gangsters, cops from two countries and her murderously humiliated spouse. The whole mess begins when Midori (Youki Kudoh) engineers her own kidnapping to avoid her honeymoon night with her hyper-tense businessman husband Yukio (Kenji Isomura). When he notices Midori's absence, Yukio panics. Local policemen Bishop and Moffat are assigned the case and it is while talking to Yukio and the staff that they learn the truth. When the Japanese press finds out about Yukio's plight, they merrily proceed to crucify him in the headlines, making him a laughingstock. Meanwhile, Midori, after getting jilted, goes to a bank to exchange some money and is caught in the midst of an armed bankrobbery masterminded by Afghani hoodlums Mahood (Robert Mammone) and his brother Gullbuddin. The two are about to shoot the terrified Midori when their getaway driver Colin (Russell Crowe) intervenes. Gullbuddin is accidentally killed during the scuffle and Colin hits the highway with Midori. With the aforementioned crowd in hot pursuit, the two fugitives head for a farm in the boonies where Colin's elderly, embittered father lives in almost comical isolation. Along the way, the two encounter several memorable characters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Crowe, Youki Kudoh, (more)
Low-down and earthy, this Australian comedy, the sophomore effort from director David Caesar, tells the tale of two jobless Sydney slackers who try to become bank robbers. Though they could be out looking hard for work, Kev and Mick prefer to wile their days away drinking beer and watching crime dramas on television. They only show motivation when they run out of suds, though Kev does occasionally take time have sex with his girlfriend Betty on the living room couch in between shows. Mick is attracted to Lani, the pretty virgin who works in their favorite drive-through liquor store. It doesn't take long for Mick to steal Lani away from her older brother's overprotective eye and become her lover. Shortly thereafter Mick and Kev, feeling they have learned all they can from the telly, begin plotting their first heist. Unfortunately, a pair of robbers dressed as clowns rob the boys' intended bank before they do and this brings in a pair of detectives. Throw in the obstacles presented by the neighborhood crime lord, and the stage is set for the story's darkly humorous conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A socially inept young woman slowly learns to overcome her insecurities in this sleeper hit from Australia. The unconventional Muriel (Toni Collette) is deeply unsatisfied with her life, stuck in the nowhere town of Porpoise Spit and feeling rejected by her friends and family. Believing herself unattractive and worthless, she seeks meager solace in ABBA songs and fantasies of gorgeous weddings, with herself as the bride. Muriel's life takes a turn for the better, however, when she befriends the carefree Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths), who encourages her to take control of her life. Together, the two women travel to Sydney, where a series of liberating experiences help Muriel develop self-esteem and take the first steps towards maturity. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toni Collette, Bill Hunter, (more)
