Tui Bow Movies
Set in contemporary Australia, this hallucinatory drama is predicated on time displacement. University student Jackie Grenville (Tracey Tainsh), motoring through the rural region, suddenly finds herself in 1944. She witnesses a horrible murder, then is zapped back to the present. Retracing her steps, Jackie and her boyfriend Barry Norden (David Reyne) try to solve the mystery. They unearth an unexpected fortune--and a highly expected (to the audience, at any rate) crazed killer. Adding to the film's catalog of horror cliches is the local constabulary, who refuse to believe Jackie's story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracey Tanish, David Reyne, (more)
- 1982
- R
Heatwave is the mildly interesting story of a woman's attempt to stop a redevelopment plot which she thought was the cover-up for fraud and other criminal activity. Kate (Judy Davis), through her own efforts, manages to find some evidence to support her claims and also have a romance. Davis gives an energetic performance as the crusading woman, but the script lacks a convincing plot or characters. While it has some good moments, Heatwave is primarily notable because it was one of the earlier efforts of Australian director Phillip Noyce, who went on to make the very exciting Dead Calm. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judy Davis, Richard Moir, (more)
- 1980
- PG
Despite its title, The Earthling is not a science fiction opus. Instead, it's a low-key character study about a doomed man who finds a new lease on life by helping another lost soul. Suffering from terminal cancer, Patrick Foley (William Holden) returns to his native Australia. Intending to live out his last few months alone, Foley comes out of his shell long enough to teach impressionable young orphan Shawn Daley (Ricky Schroder) a few Bush Country survival skills. Ironically, director Peter Collinson was himself a cancer victim, who died shortly after the film's completion. The Earthling works best on a kiddie-matinee level, with Holden's performance and the gorgeous photography its chief assets. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Rick Schroder, (more)
- 1978
In Queensland, Australia in the 1920s, a rugged Irishman bucks the encroaching modern age to the detriment of himself and his family in The Irishman. Michael Craig plays Paddy Doolan, an individualistic force-of-nature who runs a team of imposing and impressive Clydesdale draught horses. With the internal combustion engine making inroads into the Australian outback, Doolan insists on ignoring the on-coming mechanical monstrosity and continues to put all his faith into his horse team. His recalcitrance tears apart his family -- consisting of his acquiescent wife Jenny (Robyn Nevin); his rebellious older son Will (Lou Brown); and supportive younger son Michael (Simon Burke). Refusing to give in to changing times, he not only ends up destroying his business and his family but himself as well. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Craig, Simon Burke, (more)
