Peter Ford Movies

Xena (Lucy Lawless) and a small band of Greek soldiers have sworn to make a stand against rival Roman warriors Caesar (Karl Urban) and Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). It is not that the two "noble" Romans have buried their own hatchet; it is simply that their civil war threatens to spill over into, and ultimately destroy, Greece. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is ridden with guilt over her participation in a battle that will cost thousands of lives for the sake of a single village. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Xena (Lucy Lawless) once again faces destruction at the hands of war god Ares (Kevin Smith), who has formed a new and powerful army under warlord, Agathon (Jonno Roberts). With no other options, Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) must forge their own ragtag army, consisting of four condemned prisoners. Unfortunately, Ares has a distinct and dangerous advantage: newly forged armor and weapons that render Ares and his minions all but invulnerable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) appoint themselves protectors of a 12-year-old runaway named Icus (David de Latour). The boy has been slated to be sacrificed to a new God -- and, much to Xena's surprise, Icus' father and brother are determined to kill the youngster. Things become even dicier when Gabrielle is drugged and the religious zealots recapture Icus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The frontier of the title is Australia, the locale for this sprawling four-hour TV movie. Linda Evans stars as an American divorcee who marries an Australian cattleman (Tony Bonner). He dies in a plane crash, leaving Evans and her two teenaged stepchildren stranded on a drought- and debt-ridden ranch. She finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a feud between a covetous land baron (Jason Robards) and his idealistic son (Jack Thompson). With problems of her own, Evans refuses to take sides...until she falls in love with the son. The Last Frontier was filmed on location in Australia's Northern Territory and Barossa Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An Australian wildlife sanctuary is violated by low-life poachers intent on destruction. The attractive female director of the sanctuary (Cassandra Delaney) becomes their intended prey, as she struggles to avoid falling into their clutches. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

This stunning, post-apocalyptic action thriller from director George Miller stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a policeman in the near future who is tired of his job. Since the apocalypse, the lengthy, desolate stretches of highway in the Australian outback have become bloodstained battlegrounds. Max has seen too many innocents and fellow officers murdered by the bomb's savage offspring, bestial marauding bikers for whom killing, rape, and looting is a way of life. He just wants to retire and spend time with his wife and son but lets his boss talk him into taking a peaceful vacation and he starts to reconsider. Then his world is shattered as a gang led by the evil Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) murders his family in retaliation for the death of one of its members. Dead inside, Max straps on his helmet and climbs into a souped-up V8 racing machine to seek his bloody revenge. Despite an obviously low budget and a plot reminiscent of many spaghetti Westerns, Mad Max is tremendously exciting, thanks to some of the most spectacular road stunts ever put on film. Cinematographer David Eggby and stunt coordinator Grant Page did some of their best work under Miller's direction and crafted a gritty, gripping thrill ride which spawned two sequels, numerous imitations, and made Mel Gibson an international star. One sequence, in which a man is chained to a car and must cut off a limb before the machine explodes is one of the most tense scenes of the decade. The American version dubbed all the voices -- including Gibson's -- in a particularly cartoonish manner. Trivia buffs should note that Max's car is a 1973 Ford Falcon GT Coupe with a 300 bhp 351C V8 engine, customized with the front end of a Ford Fairmont and other modifications. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Will (Chuck Connors) leads a group of American Civil War veterans into San Carlos, Columbia. The local mayor (Cesar Romero) welcomes the quintet, unaware they are scouting out the town for Columbian General Martinez (Andre Maruis). Soon the visitors are reveling with gypsies Mila (Anita Quinn) and Ramon (Jose Greco). Will and Mila end up making love, much to the dismay of the jealous Ramon. Will shoots and kills the hotheaded Ramon, and the mayor is called on to restore order. The five Americans are held for questioning following the murder. When the scouts fail to return to the General, the storm clouds of war gather over the once-peaceful town. Mila becomes ostracized by the townsfolk for her brazen behavior that resulted in Ramon's death. The mayor considers letting Will and Mila leave town in an effort to avoid further bloodshed. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Suspense builds around the investigation of a plane crash that caused 53 deaths in this dramatic adaption of Ernest K. Gann's novel. Authorities systematically eliminate probable causes, finally placing blame on the pilot, who was seen drinking before the flight. The airline's director of flight operations, Sam McBane (Glen Ford), knowing the pilot's excellent WW II record, refuses to accept the authorities' conclusions and begins his own investigation. With the help of the only survivor, a stewardess (Suzanne Pleshette), McBane re-creates the events leading to the crash in an attempt to discover the true cause. The character of the incriminated pilot, Captain Jack Savage (Rod Taylor), is revealed through a series of flashbacks, from a wartime army camp (with a cameo by Jane Russell) to the climactic moment of the thrilling crash. Milton Krasner's crisp cinematography earned him an Oscar nomination. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide