Susan Lyons Movies

Existing in that uncertain twilight zone between performance and reality, first time feature filmmaker Ben Hackworth's weighty directorial debut tells the tale of a legendary theater director who stages a most unusual swansong. Named after a rousing form of sacred rights performed by Australian Aborigines to acknowledge significant life events, Corroboree opens to find an acclaimed theater director (Ian Scott) preparing to reenact key moments from his life at the scenic country estate where he has come to spend his last days. In addition to serving as a personal memorial, the performance is also meant to help the many actresses who admire the theater veteran to find some level of comfort in his upcoming rendezvous with the afterlife. The actresses will all portray characters from the director's past, beginning with his childhood and gradually moving into young adulthood and middle age. The pivotal role has been assigned to a young actor named Conor (Conor O'Hanlon) - whom the director has personally recruited via a detailed, pre-recorded message. Conor doesn't quite know what to expect upon arriving at the remote country estate, but soon discovers that the various life scenes will all be played out in various rooms at specific times. While the actresses are all somewhat distant to Conor at first, they soon take him under their wings and provide him with personal writings that will help him to better identify with the director and provide a sense of continuity. As the performance becomes increasingly elaborate, revelations about the subject matter, the director's sexuality, and his carefully crafted plans for young Conor find the unique display taking on an especially profound air. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rebecca Gibney starred as forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax in this off-and-on Australian drama series. Because of her frequent delvings into the "dark side" of humanity, Jane was unable to place full trust in anyone, least of all the police officials for whom she worked. Thus, whenever involved in a particularly disturbing murder case, she felt the need to consult an analyst, Marion Walters (Catherine Wilkin). Created by Roger Simpson, Halifax F.P. was seen in Australia from 1997 to 2001, averaging four two-hour episodes per season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Heads are a poppin' everywhere in this Australian private-eye movie that combines elements of horror and science fiction. Dirk Trent is not the classic movie PI. He fat, clumsy, and nerdy. While tracking down a woman's unfaithful husband, his assistant films what at first seems to be the husband murdering his secretary in a cheap motel. Upon closer examination, Trent deduces that the husband didn't kill her because his head exploded first. Soon he discovers a whole series of people whose heads have blown-up. His investigations lead him to Dr. Henderson who has been conducting odd experiments to cure brain tumors. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Bells live on a sheep station in the Australian outback, struggling from year to year just to get by. In this story, they have suffered for a number of years from one of Australia's periodic droughts, and are practically the last holdouts in their part of the country to remain on the land. Everyone else has been forced to abandon their farms and move into the city. Despite that, their sheep are doing fairly well, and they have hopes that they can survive the drought. Just then, the government lowers its price supports for wool, and they can't get enough at shearing time to make even a reasonable payment on their debts. They are forced to kill off their sheep, sell their land, and move in with relatives in Sydney. The Bell's daughter Mathilda (Amy Terelinck), who is heartbroken at all these events and who desperately misses her half-wild (dingo) dog and misses the outdoors, runs away. Though the family is able to "get by" in the city, it becomes clear that from their perpsective they are not living - only surviving. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Originally released in Australia as Wendy Cracked a Walnut, Almost made it to American shores in 1991, nearly five years after its completion. Rosanna Arquette plays Wendy, whose notions of life have been formed by romance novels. On her tenth wedding anniversary, Wendy hopes that her neglectful husband Ronnie (Bruce Spence) will rekindle his premarital ardor. While Ronnie is delayed by circumstances beyond his control (including a bolt of lightning), Wendy makes the acquaintance of handsome stranger Jake (Hugo Weaving). Convinced that Ronnie is cheating on her, Wendy decides to fight fire with fire by running off with Jake-just like in one of her Harlequin Romances. Ronnie tries his best (which is none too good) to win his wife back, leading to an archly whimsical finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Australian Winds of Jarrah was inspired by a "Harlequin Romance" novel. Running away from a failed romance, stunning Englishwoman Susan Lyons heads to 19th century Australia. Here she pulls a "Jane Eyre", becoming nanny for the children of woman-hating Terence Donovan. The tried-and-true formula soon kicks in, and a bodice-ripping affair commences. Sure, Winds of Jarrah is trash...but it's classy trash. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi