Richard Morgan Movies
- 1990
In this film, Australian rodeo men Bronco and Rick pick up hitchhiker Lucy on their way to a rodeo. However, after taking a wrong turn, their car breaks down in a spooky town and they are forced to ask for help at the decrepit Terminus Manor. When they discover that the manor residents are actually a group of hungry vampires, the trio must struggle to fight off the bloodsuckers and get out of town. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
Though officially based on Pierre Schoendoerffer's novel L'Adieu au Roi, Farewell to the King also bears echoes of Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim--with a lot of filmmaker John Milius' own Hemingwayesque slant thrown in. During World War II, American POW Learoyd (Nick Nolte) escapes a Japanese firing squad. Hiding himself in the wilds of Borneo, Learoyd is adopted by a head-hunting tribe of Nyak Indians, who consider him "divine" because of his elaborate tattoos. Before long, Learoyd is the reigning king of the Nyaks. When British soldiers approach him to rejoin the war against the Japanese, Learoyd resists (in language so flowery that it could have been written by Sir Walter Scott). But when his own tribe is threatened by the invaders, the "king" deigns to fight for their rights. Farewell to the King is breathtakingly photographed and quite exciting at times. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Nigel Havers, (more)
- 1984
In this run-of-the-mill suspense thriller, a woman fights for her survival on two different occasions. Kathy's (P.J. Soles) husband Joe (Kit Taylor) at first seems normal -- until Kathy catches him slashing a prostitute in the shower. She calls the police and Joe is institutionalized though not restrained enough -- he escapes and comes after Kathy. Terrified even after the sheriff dashes in and captures Joe, Kathy takes off for Australia to stay with her friend Gwen (Susan Stenmark) where new problems lie in wait. Gwen's landlord is deranged and spies on his tenants through hidden video cameras, a bad omen for Kathy's future safety. Although it is slow-paced and unimaginative, there is still enough suspense and action in this film to keep most viewers bracing themselves for whatever comes next. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- P.J. Soles, Kit Taylor, (more)
- 1977
- R
This Australian drama, set in 1915, follows a restless ex-soldier's journey through self discovery. He is currently the editor of a small town newspaper. Though once a thriving gold-mining town, his home is now rundown and sleepy. The editor lives with his pregnant wife. He walks with a limp as he was crippled while serving in the Australian army. He was part of the Gallipoli landings in 1915. His disability is the source of his difficulties at home and in the community. He seldom talks meaningfully to his wife. Instead, he prefers to hobble off to the river every morning before work. There he remembers his childhood. At the river he meets a beautiful painter; they soon become involved. He goes to a picnic with her and her urban pals, but he feels intimidated by them. He gets drunk and stumps off sans cane. He falls into an old mine shaft, and there, relives Gallipoli. He remembers that he crippled himself, and he also sees that the painter can live without him. He therefore, comes to a certain peace and returns to his normal life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sara Kestelman, Andrew McFarlane, (more)
Fred Schepsi wrote and directed this tense melodrama which takes place at a Roman Catholic boarding school. The film deals with the charged emotional tensions of a group of pubescent boys, who find their sexual urges stifled by the school's oppressive atmosphere. Depicting the chaste lifestyle of the religious functionaries, the burgeoning sexual desires of the young men are bottled up until they are ready to explode. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arthur Dignam, Nick Tate, (more)
