Kris McQuade Movies
- 2000
A prodigal son returns home to a decidedly unenthusiastic reception in this dryly witty comedy-drama. Eddie (Ben Mendelsohn) grew up in Coollawarra, a small fishing community along Australia's southern coast. In his teens, Eddie gained the nickname "mullet" -- referring not to the neck-warmer hair style, but to a small fish that's plentiful in local waters but no one cares to eat. One day, Eddie packed up and left Coollawarra without warning, spending three years in nearby Sydney, but just as abruptly, he returns to his hometown and sets up housekeeping in an aging mobile home. Eddie soon discovers that things have changed a bit while he was away; the local fishing spots are no longer producing much catch, his parents (Tony Barry and Kris McQuade) are arguing even more than usual, his sister Robbie (Peta Brady) isn't so sure how she feels about having Eddie back in town, and his brother Pete (Andrew S. Gilbert) has gotten married -- to Eddie's old girlfriend, Tully (Susie Porter). Mullet also features Belinda McClory as Kay, the local barmaid who narrates the story. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Mendelsohn, Susie Porter, (more)
Somewhere in Sydney, Josh (David Wenham) and Cin (Susie Porter) meet at a party one night. They share a cab ride afterward, and Cin invites Josh up to her apartment, where she works as a dressmaker. Josh is a wildlife photographer based in London, and he is scheduled to return there in three days to continue some assignments for National Geographic. Although he thinks that his one-night stand with Cin will be pleasantly uncomplicated, he is forced to reconsider this initial assessment after their planned night together blossoms into a three-day whoopee fest. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Wenham, Susie Porter, (more)
Since the breakup of his marriage, Billy Apples (Max Cullen), the stocky, middle-aged owner of a hardware store in Sydney, Australia, hasn't had much going on in his life. Billy has one hobby, singing with a jazz band in a club in his neighborhood; he knows that he's not much of a vocalist and that his teenage daughter Casey (Rachael Coopes) considers him an embarrassment, especially since she's convinced that he's to blame for her parents' divorce. But late one night, Billy sees several comets dotting the night sky, and something miraculous occurs -- suddenly, Billy is capable of singing like Billie Holiday! While many people are puzzled by this development (Billy himself is near the top of the list), his new sound packs them in at the club, and soon Billy's career as a singer takes off and he signs a recording contract. His ex-wife even suggests that she might give their marriage another try, but success goes to Billy's head and he becomes difficult to get along with; then Billy's voice starts to change back, prior to his appearance in a major music contest. This musical fantasy won the Australian Film Institute award for Best Adapted Score in 1995. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Cullen, Kris McQuade, (more)
- 1993
- R
In this moody black and white drama, very much in the mode of the American "western," but with its own film noir characteristics, a whole town is heaved out of its doldrums when a pair of mysterious strangers come visiting. In the beginning of the film, Angel (Aden Young) is traveling with his friend Max (Dennis Miller) on a ship to Honeyfield, a town on the coast of Australia. He is coming home to die. Instead, he dies on board the ship, willing his boots to Angel, and an unopened package to someone called "The Dead Man," in Honeyfield. Also on the ship is a man named Tatts (David Field), a far less pleasant personality. When Angel gets off to head into Honeyfield, Tatts decides to follow along unseen. The package, Angel was told, contains something its intended recipient has been looking for without knowing it. On finding the recipient, a mean-spirited old man (Norman Kaye) who is more or less the boss and owner of the town, he learns that the package contains opium. Angel gets involved with other citizens of the town, and gets to know what became of the woman Max was coming back to. Just being a fresh face is enough to stir things up, but Angel brings things to a boil by bringing up memories of the past. The pot boils over, though, when Tatt comes into town and begins playing his games. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aden Young, David Field, (more)
This wildly off-beat comedy is about a male dancer (Paul Mercurio) who refuses to follow the accepted rules of ballroom dancing and creates his own style of choreography, which infuriates the ballroom dancing establishment. Before he's scheduled to compete in the Pan-Pacific ballroom championships, he's forced to take up a new partner (Tara Morice), a beginner who initially seems without promise. With his help, she turns into an assured and wonderful dancer. Baz Luhrmann's visual style may be too bright, gaudy and exaggerated for some tastes, yet he treats his characters with compassion, which makes Strictly Ballroom such an engaging comedy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, (more)
- 1992
- NR
Filmed in the Australian outback, but set in an unnamed country, this stylish and decidedly liberal drama attempts to be the inspirational tale of workers and rural folk who band together to quash their oppressors: greedy corporate types and the military dictatorship that uses violence to protect the businesses. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lorna Lesley, Helen Jones, (more)
- 1989
The two-part Australian miniseries Fields of Fire III was the third and final annual installment in the Australian TV saga inspired by Robert Marchand's novel Cane. Returning to the fold were Todd Boyce as British expatriate Bluey and Melissa Docker as Aussie lass Dusty, whose romance and marriage had dominated the proceedings in Fields of Fire (set in the late '30s-early '40s) and Fields of Fire II (set in the immediate post-WWII era). Now it was 1951, and the emphasis was on Italian refugee Gina (Peta Toppano), newly widowed after the death of her black-marketeer husband. Returning to her roots, Gina set up a cane field with her brother Paolo, experiencing the usual trials and tribulation of small-business entrepreneurs in the uncertain years following the War. Fields of Fire III was broadcast by Australia's Nine Network on July 16 and 17, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
This sequel to the 1987 Australian miniseries Fields of Fire was set in 1946. Having weathered WWII, British expatriate Bluey (Todd Boyce) had wed Dusty (Melissa Docker), one of his co-workers in the Australian cane fields. Once this occurred, the focus of the action shifted to a pair of new characters: Gina (Peta Toppano), an Italian refugee, and Franco (Joseph Spano), Gina's black-marketeer husband. Telecast by Australia's Nine Network in two installments on May 22 and 23, 1988, Fields of Fire II was, like its predecessor, inspired by Robert Donaldson's novel Cane. A third and final derivation, Fields of Fire III, aired in 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Fields of Fire was the first of three Australian miniseries inspired by Robert Donaldson's novel Cane. Todd Boyce starred as Bluey, an Englishmen who headed "down under" in the late '30s to work in the Australian cane fields. The story picked up momentum -- and a score of new supporting characters -- at the outbreak of WWII. The two episodes of Fields of Fire were shown by Australia's Nine Network on June 14 and 15, 1987. It was soon followed by a brace of annual sequels, cleverly titled Fields of Fire II and Fields of Fire III. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Jane Campion's directorial debut feature, the made-for-TV drama Two Friends, is the story of two 14-year-old girls drifting apart in working-class Australia. Told with an inverted narrative, the friendship is dissolved at the beginning and then moves toward its highest point. As the film opens, high school student Louise (Emma Coles) gets a letter from Kelly (Kris Bedenko), who writes about trying to live on her own after dropping out of school and moving away from home. Louise is disinterested in her former friend, preferring to practice the piano. In episodic segments titled by the change of seasons, the story captures the memorable and distressing moments between the two girls. Both children of divorces, Kelly finds no support from either her lenient father or her demanding stepfather, who refuses to let her attend the same high school as Louise, because he feels it is too elitist. Kelly finds some comfort in Louise's mom, a kindhearted and helpful single parent who lets the girls throw a Christmas party. Two Friends received a theatrical release in the U.S. after the success of Campion's The Piano (1993). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Emma Coles, Kris Bidenko, (more)
- 1986
Sam Barlow (Gary Day) is a Vietnam veteran who runs a small store that caters to surfers in this action thriller. When his best friend is murdered, Sam takes on the mobsters to avenge the death. With the help of a beautiful blonde (Gosia Dobrowolska), Sam uncovers a sex scandal involving a high-ranking government official. Also implicated are a sadistic soldier of fortune (Rod Mullinar), and a corrupt cop (Tony Barry) who tries to impede the investigation. Although the hero sells surfing-related items, he is never actually seen surfing in the feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gary Day, Gosia Dobrowolska, (more)
The ugly American bullying his way through a foreign country was a subject for comedy in several films of the 1980s, most notably Bill Forsyth's Local Hero and this film from exiled Yugoslavian director Dusan Makavejev. Eric Roberts plays Becker, an aggressive marketing executive for the Coca-Cola Company; he has been assigned to figure out why sales in hot and dry Australia aren't higher. Becker comes up against a low-key but formidable adversary, T. George McDowell (Bill Kerr), whose homegrown soda has cornered the market in his little corner of the country. Complicating matters is Terri, a local woman (Greta Scacchi) Becker hires as his secretary; she's McDowell's daughter and a single mom who's romantically attracted to the brash American. Becker wants to make a deal on his (and his employer's) terms, but he finds himself falling prey to the charms of life Down Under and the ministrations of Terri. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, (more)
- 1983
- R
The Australian-made Buddies is essentially a Down Under gold rush western. Two friends in Queensland team up with a miner and his girl friend to search for diamonds. Their quest is threatened by a gang of slavering claim-jumpers. Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins, Dennis Miller and Kris McQuade (the girl) are the protagonists in this attractive location-filmed effort. The Australian film Buddies is sometimes confused with an unrelated U.S. produced AIDS-related drama of the same title. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins, (more)
- 1982
- R
Based on John Embling's book Tom, the Australian Fighting Back is set in a hellhole of a slum school. Most of the teachers have given up on the "unreachable" students. Not so idealistic John (Lewis Fitz-Gerald), who channels all his energies into elevating the intelligence and self-confidence of unruly 13-year-old Tom (Paul Smith). The latter actor is so good that it's hard to believe that Fighting Back was his first film. This sincerely-intentioned drama should not be confused with the like-vintage American actioner Fighting Back (aka Death Vengeance). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Paul L. Smith, (more)
Effusive piano tuner Norman Kaye is on the less sunny side of forty and still unattached. Shy and self-effacing office worker Wendy Hughes is likewise getting on in years sans a lifetime companion. From the outset, we know that Kaye and Hughes will somehow come together. This, however, is the only predictable aspect of this quirky Australian comedy. Director Paul Cox co-wrote the ever-fresh screenplay of Lonely Hearts with John Clarke. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wendy Hughes, Norman Kaye, (more)
- 1982
In a somewhat far-fetched premise (not uncommon to the genre), this action film has some Australians (including soldiers) joining up with Asian forces, all backed by American money, ready to take over Surfers Paradise, a resort and retirement area on the Gold Coast of Queensland. They are not interested in good surf or securing an ideal retirement home, they just want the off-shore petroleum rights and inland uranium deposits. Right into their scheme walks Michael Stacey (Ray Barrett), a one-time policeman who left the force because of an alcohol problem and now has to make money as a private eye. While he is looking for the missing daughter of an old friend, now in politics, he runs into the usual private-eye characters: the barmaid who is willing to spend some quality time with him, the corpse that shows up in his hotel room, and the former buddies who turn against his investigation. Two of his friends are fronting the coalition of take-over forces and invite Stacey to join them in their conspiracy. Now the detective has to make up his mind about where all this is going, and if he wants to avoid any unhealthy alliances, how can he do that and stay physically intact? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robyn Nevin
This romantic melodrama is based on a novel by Danielle Steele and chronicles a wife's reaction to her husband's run of bad luck. Their troubles begin when she returns home from a business trip and discovers that her husband has been arrested and jailed for raping a woman. Though he tends to philander, he is not a rapist. The only way the wife can cope with the pain is to become an alcoholic drug addict. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Robert Coleby, (more)
- 1979
- R
Australia has a huge Greek immigrant population, so it is only natural that a refugee from Greece's occasional revolutions has become a political refugee there. Now a taxi-driver, Kostas (Takis Emmanuel) was formerly a journalist, an educated, passionate man who didn't always live in a seedy rooming-house. His depressing if relatively peaceful exile is given new form when he gets involved with one of his fares, Carol (Wendy Hughes), an upper-class, genteel woman, who is repulsed (and attracted) by his odd, earthy ways and his passion. In many ways, their differing cultures predispose this relationship to failure, but the attraction between the two is too great for them to remain apart for long. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1975
An offbeat Australian comedy filmed in that country and in Canada, this is not the documentary its title suggests. Its unlikely protagonist is a mild-mannered window peeper named Dead-Eye Dick (Max Gillies). Dick spies on a Mexican couple. The husband is very jealous and is about to discover that his wife has a lover when Dead-Eye Dick rescues the lover, whose moniker is Mexico Pete (Serge Lazareff). The worldly Pete counsels the shy Dick on his problems approaching women. Dick claims that he's waiting for an Alaskan Eskimo named Nell. Pete and Dick decide to travel to Alaska to find this fantasy woman, and they have several wacky misadventures along the way. This mostly overlooked ripple in the Australian New Wave was produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Gillies, Serge Lazareff, (more)
- 1974
Alvin Purple (Graeme Blundell), the lothario hero of the Australian low-budgeter Alvin Purple (1974), "rides again" in this slapped-together sequel. This time, Alvin has more to contend with than the requisite beautiful girls who find him irresistable. It seems that there's an American gangster around and about, "Balls" McGee (also played by Graeme Blundell), who's the spitting image of our hero. The predictability of the plotline is enlivened by the film's unending stream of vulgar sight gags and scatological dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1973
A hilarious sex romp about Alvin, an ordinary guy who works in a waterbed store in Australia. Remarkably, he is always pursued by over-sexed women, which constantly gets him into hot water. The film that created a market for Australian films worldwide. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Graeme Blundell, George Whaley, (more)
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