Gerard Kennedy Movies

The owner of a posh Australian health clinic uses the residents of a small suburban community named Pebble Court as a test market for some revolutionary new vitamin supplements. Unbeknownst to the locals, the pills have some particularly unpleasant side effects, as illustrated by the messy death of her boyfriend after he discovers the truth and is given a lethal dose. Before long, the locals are beginning to mutate, melt, explode, or turn into deformed psychopathic monsters. As Pebble Court becomes a miniature apocalypse, a pair of detectives plod their way through one bloody massacre after another before finally stumbling onto the diabolical Dr. Carrera (Ian Smith), inventor of the lethal vitamins and numerous other medical disasters. The odd, disjointed and episodic feel of this film is due to the script being assembled out of four separate stories by director/co-writer Philip Brophy. Without a solid framing story or sympathetic lead to give them cohesion (aside from the obvious premise that Carrera's drugs are not particularly healthy), the disparate vignettes fall apart faster than the doctor's victims. That said, there is enough wry humor, frantic pacing and boisterous gore effects to sustain horror audiences' interest for the abbreviated running time. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Written by Jeffrey M. Hayes, "The Sands of Seth" guest stars Tim Elliot as Dr. Selim, the curator of a Cairo archeological museum -- and head of an ancient Egyptian cult. Determined to restore the glories of the Egyptian empires of old, Selim murders anyone who does not share his lofty vision. To get the goods on Selim, the IMF fabricates a series of amazing archaeological "discoveries." With the original telecast of "The Sands of Seth" on February 24, 1990, the Mission: Impossible series revival of 1988-1990 was officially put on hiatus, never to return. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Broadcast on November 6, 1988 as the third episode of the "new" Mission: Impossible, "Holograms" was actually a remake of "Fakeout", a 1966 installment of the original series. Guest star Gerard Kennedy plays Colonel Usher, a drug-trafficking Carribean dictator. To topple both Usher and his whole regime, the IMF stages the "return" of the dictator's long-lost son. While the script of "Fakeout" was credited to Leigh Chapman, Robert Brennan was listed as the writer of "Holograms." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

Australia's Victorian Alps serve as the backdrop for Panic Station. The setting is a satellite-relay station with a two-man crew. Naturally, our heroes are lonely and bored. But this state of affairs changes with a literal bolt from the blue. Richard Moir, Reg Evans, and Gerard Kennedy star in this 80-minute character study, which was released in some areas as Plains of Heaven. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although it is sometimes billed as an animated feature, this children's story is an entirely live-action film, filled with wacky and silly-looking adults for the amusement of the youngsters. It is, however, based on Fatty Finn, a cartoon-strip character popular in 1930s Australia. Set in the earlier part of the century, the story concerns Fatty, a freckled youngster living in a pleasant suburb who feels the need to cut up a bit just to prove himself, and though he ruffles a lot of feathers, the fact that he is basically a good kid eventually settles them down again. The funny-looking paterfamilias, John Finn, is played by the beloved Australian national treasure Bert Newton. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Made for Australian television, The Puzzle stars James Franciscus as an ex-tennis pro, turned adventurer with an archeological bent (we'd say "shades of Indiana Jones " except that this film was completed three years before Raiders of the Lost Ark). Right now, Franciscus in on the trail of an urn which purportedly contains the ashes of Buddha. The title refers to a series of cryptic clues leading to the urn's excavation. There are those who'd do anything to get their hands on that urn, as Franciscus soon discovers the hard way. The plot is thickened by the presence of an ex-wife and a desperate embezzler. Wendy Hughes and Robert Helpmann costar in this fast-paced meller. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This growing-up story, set in Australia during the '20s, features a young man (Christopher Pate) who gains from his wise grandmother's experience (Geraldine Fitzgerald). The 1977 film was produced and written by Michael Pate, who cast his son as the lead. ~ John Bush, Rovi

The Australian Eliza Fraser tries for the wig-and-bodice bawdiness of Tom Jones. The title character, played by Susannah York, is an 18th century lass who is shipwrecked together with Trevor Howard on a remote Australian island. Her lively exploits among the refugees help to make Eliza famous--or rather, notorious--throughout the British empire. Once rescued, Eliza earns her keep at county fairs by regaling audiences with her own tales of her adventures. Tim Burstall both wrote and directed Eliza Fraser from an original screenplay by David Williamson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi