David Field Movies

A gruff Australian farmer puts his own lonely life at risk in order to help a desperate refugee in director Peter Duncan's intimate rural drama. John (William McInnes) is the kind of man who likes his solitude. A man of habit whose best friend stands on four legs, John's volatile temperament makes it difficult for him to connect with most people. One morning, John is gazing out of his kitchen window when he spots a bloodied young woman stammering weakly towards his house. Instinctively, the farmer carries her into his home and begins tending to her massive wounds. Though John is unable to break the language barrier that will allow him to communicate openly with the woman, it is clear that she is terrified. Later driven by instinct to hide the woman when some unexpected visitors come knocking on his door, John decides against calling the police and does his best to aid her in her slow recovery. In the process John learns that the woman's name is Tahmeena (Monic Hendrickx). As Tahmeena's grasp of the English language takes hold, she and John begin to exchange stories: hers about being a refugee in Australia and his about being a widowed farmer just trying to keep the daily routine. Eventually, the outside world comes crashing down on the pair - threatening not just their growing bond, but their very lives as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An Australian cyber crime investigator stumbles across one of the internet's darkest mysteries in this thriller that proves even the most outlandish fantasies can come true in the cyberspace era. Phillip is no stranger to debauchery. In his time as an internet investigator, the relatively hot shot cyber cop has stumbled across some pretty repulsive fetishes. Upon learning of a bizarre new world of erotica in which men known as "feeders" seek out morbidly obese women known as "gainers," Phillip is discovers that one particularly exceptional "gainer" has gone missing after topping the scales at 600 pounds. When further investigation reveals that the website was created on Toledo, Ohio, the determined investigator books a flight to the Buckeye state against the wishes of his superior. As a result of his insubordinance, Phillip is fired from his job and forced to continue the investigation on his own watch, and at his own risk. Later, after discovering the horrific true nature of the "feeder" subculture, Phillip finds himself assuming the role of avenger as his sanity plunges into the darkest depths of despair. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A young man has a hard time getting crime to pay better than honest work in this comedy-drama from Australia. When Jack Flange (Alex O'Lachlan) gets word that his sister Nikki (Claudia Harrison) has been in a serious auto accident, he leaves his home in Sydney and travels to the small seaside community where she lives. Money is tight for Nikki, so Jack looks for a job to help out; however, the best he can do is working for Brownie (David Field), who runs an oyster farm with his father Mumbles (Jim Norton). Jack soon learns that oyster farming is tough, physically punishing work, and while Brownie would be a difficult boss on the best of days, the fact that his ex-wife Trish (Kerry Armstrong) has opened a competing business has made matters significantly worse. Wanting more money and less labor, Jack steals a cache of money from an armored car, and to help cover his tracks mails the cash to himself. However, when the money never arrives in the mailbox, Jack wonders if someone has made off with his ill-gotten gains -- and if the law might be after him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Australian filmmaker Jonathan Teplitzky directs the crime comedy Gettin' Square. Barry Wirth (Sam Worthington) is an ex-con who just wants to stay on the right side of the law. David Wenham plays Johnny "Spit" Spitieri, a zany, lovable drug addict who knew Barry in prison. They both get paroled by officer Annie Flynn (Freya Stafford) and plan to play it straight this time. They get jobs at the Texas Rose, a restaurant owned by Darren Barrington (Timothy Spall), another ex-con trying to go straight. Barry, Spit, and Darren team up against the local gang boss Chicka Martin (Gary Sweet).Things get messed up when Darren's shifty accountant Warren Halliwell (Steven Tandy) finds himself the interest of the Criminal Investigation Commission. Gettin' Square was the opening film at the 2003 Brisbane Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Moya is guided to the planet Khurtanan for some desperately needed repairs, but none of the planet's mechanics will cooperate unless corrupt local doctor Tumii (Bruce Spence) gives Moya's crew a clean bill of health. Instead, Tumii poisons the crew with the deadly Qatal Mollusk, holding out the antidote unless he is given an enormous bribe. The "good" doctor also strongarms Crichton and Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) into stealing a huge cache of Qatals which are being stored as weapons by a group of resistance fighters. Somehow all this intrigue leads to an incredible sequence wherein the two most aggressively male members of Moya's crew dress up in female drag. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Australian comedian Yahoo Serious wreaks havoc in his third effort as writer, director, and star. Roger Crumpkin (Serious) suffers from "obsessive-compulsive dismantling fixation," which is a fancy way of saying he's always taking things apart that he can't put back together. As a result, disaster follows him like a family of baby ducks trailing after their mother. Roger works for the world's largest free-range egg company, run by cheerful Kelvin Chevalier (Garry McDonald). Kelvin likes Roger and tolerates his ineptitude, but Kelvin's brother Duxton (David Field) does not feel the same way, and when Duxton forces Kelvin out of the firm, Roger is out of a job. Somehow, Roger becomes involved with Duxton's girlfriend Sunday (Helen Dallimore), who isn't much less accident-prone than Roger. Through Sunday, Roger learns that Duxton has an evil scheme to put nicotine in the company's eggs, causing his customers to literally become addicted to his product, and Roger and Sunday set out to stop him -- that is, when they aren't busy breaking things. Mr. Accident was completed in 1999, but wasn't released theatrically until the fall of 2000, its Australian opening coinciding with the Olympic games held in Sydney. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This Australian drama is based on the life and times of Mark "Chopper" Read, a notorious Aussie criminal who went on to become a best-selling author, publishing nine books about his exploits outside the law. In 1978, Chopper (played by Eric Bana) is serving a 16-year sentence for abducting a judge who was overseeing the trial of his best friend Jimmy (Simon Lyndon). Jimmy and Chopper end up sharing a cell, along with Keithy George (David Field), a crime boss; when a disagreement between Keithy and Chopper escalates into violence, Chopper kills Keithy, leading to retribution from the gangster's mates, who hire Jimmy to do their dirty work. To escape, Chopper forces a friend to cut off one of his ears so he'll be transferred to another prison. Eight years later, Chopper is out of prison and looking for Jimmy in hopes of getting revenge; in the meantime, he's looking to get even with another of his enemies, Neville (Vince Colosimo), and trying to keep his eye on his girlfriend, Tanya (Kate Beahan), who supports herself as a call girl. While the real "Chopper" Read was not directly involved in the production, comic Eric Bana was cast in the lead at Read's suggestion. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ghosts...of the Civil Dead is an Australian prison picture, ironically coproduced by a company calling itself "Correctional Services". The prison in question is a cruelly repressive institution, with a set of rules bordering on the Draconian. The inmates finally rebel in violent fashion against the regimented sadism of their captors. With its limited setting and its small cast, Ghosts...of the Civil Dead should have been easier to follow. The unnecessarily cluttered screenplay was written by the film's director, John Hillcoat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Australian melodrama of obsessive love and violence is as humid and brooding as the Papuan jungle in which most of was filmed. Set in a remote town in Papua, New Guinea (some scenes were shot in Northern Australia) the story begins as the bereaved widower Jack gets increasingly drunk with Sal the barkeeper and Steve, an ex-missionary. Rose, his wife has just died under mysterious circumstances. Time passes and Jack, who earns a meager living showing violent action-films to local villagers journeys to Melbourne for new movies. There he meets romance novelist Kate, a woman who uncannily resembles the late Rose. Jack quickly launches a romantic campaign and successfully lures Kate back to his lush jungle home where they spend much time making love and being happy. Unfortunately, Jack slowly changes. First he tries to get Kate to wear Rose's clothing. He then compulsively spends his time staring at films of Rose. It doesn't take long for Kate to see in the films that there was something going on between Rose and Sal. The implications coupled with Rose's sudden demise frightens Kate. Meanwhile, the village youth grow increasingly violent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Prison life is examined in this black and white Australian drama. The realistic portrayal of prison violence and language may be too graphic for some viewers. After he hits a prison guard, Dale is placed within the confines of the H division, the highest security area of the prison. Here Dale finds a living hell as he and the other prisoners are regularly beaten and abused by the cruel guards. Dale with his courageous spirit is not easily broken and leads a minor revolt. As a result, the government launches an investigation of the prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Australian drama, based on the novel Priest Island by E.L. Grant, tells the tale of a man exiled to a lonely island after he is caught stealing sheep. The story is set in an unnamed time in an unknown time. Peter had been stealing the sheep to pay the dowry for his beloved, Jean. He is sentenced to spend his life on an uninhabited island with only a few simple tools. If he leaves the island, he will be killed. While he learns to survive, Jean is forced to marry another. She gets pregnant but loses the baby during childbirth. Mary is a servant at the local inn. She is curious about the rumors of a good looking man exiled on a nearby island. She goes to the island with some chickens and a goat. Though Peter still mourns the loss of Jean, he and Mary soon become lovers. Mary bears him a son. Later a priest comes to baptize the child and marry the couple. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This two-part TV movie, produced in Australia, was based on the tragically true story of an Australian teenager (John Polson) condemned to death for dealing in drugs in Malaysia. Part One set up the circumstances which landed Polson and his friend Hugo Weaving on Malaysia's death row. In Part Two, Polson's mother, played by Julie Christie, races desperately against time to save her son from the gallows. She enlists the support of the Queen of England, the Pope, and a large international organization of concerned citizens--but the Malaysian government remains unmoved. Evocatively filmed in Macao, Dadah Is Death had the bad luck to premiere on American TV opposite the highly rated miniseries Favorite Son. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide