Brendan Maher Movies
Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson's enduring 1886 adventure novel, receives its 11th film adaptation in this two-and-a-half-hour miniseries starring young British TV vet James Anthony Pearson as Davie Balfour, the naïve and hopeful 15-year-old, poised to receive a vast inheritance when he is lured onto a cargo ship, knocked unconscious, and kidnapped by his malevolent uncle Ebenezer (Adrian Dunbar, Richard III), who devises a scheme to sell him into slavery. But Davie's unforeseen rescue at the hands of a Scottish rogue, Alan Breck (Iain Glen, Mountains of the Moon) sends Breck and Balfour racing across the Scottish moors, with English bounty hunters in hot pursuit. The film includes supporting performances by Paul McGann as Colonel MacNab and Kirstin Coulter Smithas Davie's paramour, Catriona. Co-produced by WGBH Boston and the BBC, and originally aired episodically on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, the first 90-minute segment of Kidnapped debuted Sunday evening, October 30, 2005, and the miniseries concluded with an hour-long segment on Sunday evening, November 6, 2005. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Iain Glen, James Anthony Pearson, (more)
- 2002
The formative years of celebrated Australian feminist Jill Ker-Conway are recounted in the two-hour TV biopic The Road From Coorain. Growing up in the Outback of New South Wales in the 1930s, Jill chafes under the domination of her mother, Eve (Juliet Stevenson), a prickly relationship that becomes even more so after the death of Jill's father. Though she grows wealthy from various investments, Eve becomes a bitter alcoholic, all but forcing Jill to go out into the world and stand on her own two feet. Drawn into the Australian intellectual renaissance of the 1940s, Jill finds her feminist values challenged when she falls in love with rough-hewn American mining engineer, Alec (Tim Guinee). First telecast in Australia on March 3, 2002, The Road From Coorain was seen in America as an episode of the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre on May 13, of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson
- 1999
While visiting a commerce planet, Crichton (Ben Browder) falls under the power of vampiric sorceror Maldis (Chris Haywood). Transported to a metaphysical limbo, Crichton ends up locked in gladitorial combat with his mortal enemy, Capt. Crais (Lani Tupu) It is up to Zhaan (Virginia Hey) to save Crichton and vanquish Maldis--but the personal price for her bravery may be more than she is willing to pay. "That Old Black Magic" originally aired on June 11, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this crime drama, a police detective must prove that he and his family did not perpetrate the robbery of an armored car. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcus Graham
- 1995
A co-production of Britain's BBC, Australia's ABC and a number of children's-television concerns, Genie From Down Under boasted one of the most blatantly self-explanatory titles in TV history. Alexandra Milman starred as an English girl named Penelope, who came upon a magic opal containing two Australian genies, dad Bruce and son, Baz (sounds a bit like the American Saturday-morning offering Sigmund and the Sea Monsters). The series' two seasons were produced three years apart, in 1995 and 1998, explaining the cast changes amongst the supporting players. Twenty-six half-hour episodes of Genie From Down Under were produced in all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Career counsellor Michael Thornton (Chris Haywood) decides to change his career and become an actor in this low-budget comedy. He dreams of performing Shakespeare but ends up in a television ad where only his hands appear on camera. He finds a friend in actress Mary McAllister (Nicole Kidman) until she is called to Hollywood to star in a horror feature. Katrina Foster plays Michael's understanding wife Helen, who supports him while he pursues his elusive dream. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Haywood, Nicole Kidman, (more)
- 1985
The arrival of Jack's mother is shaken when the family dog is suspected of killing a neighbor's sheep. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Jack and Con are involved in a spat in while trying to determine who the best coach driver is. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Jack decides to run for mayo. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Created by Russell Scott, the Australian miniseries Glass Babies was a bit of speculative fiction involving in-vitro fertilization. Concerned over the fact that his son, Michael (Andrew Sharp), and daughter-in-law, Sally (Belinda Davey), are unable to have children, powerful businessman John Craig (George Mikell) arranges for a private in-vitro session for Sally. Shortly after the baby is born, Michael dies, whereupon John demands that Sally turn over the child to him -- and he has the money and clout to back up that demand. The two 90-minute episodes of Glass Babies originally aired over Australia's 9 Network on April 22 and 24, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Though not the same series as the 1959 The Flying Doctor, this long-running Australian weekly dealt with essentially the same subject matter. Created by Vincent Moran and Terry Stapleton for Australia's Nine Network, the program was launched as a three-part miniseries (actually consisting of six hour-long episodes) in 1984, dealing with the courageous activities of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Photographed on location in the Outback and other far-flung regions, the series proved to be as popular internationally as it was Down Under. Over 200 hour-long installments of The Flying Doctors were produced between 1986 and 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
- Add The Good Guys and the Bad Guys to QueueAdd The Good Guys and the Bad Guys to top of Queue
In this comic western, Flagg (Robert Mitchum) is a veteran marshal forced to retire by the pompous Mayor Wilker (Martin Balsam). McKay (George Kennedy) is a wily gunslinger. The two combine forces to stop a young band of outlaws from robbing the train when it pulls into the station. Flagg warns the mayor of the upcoming attempt but is not taken seriously by the town politician. McKay and Flagg ride out to warn the train of the impending crime, which finds McKay facing members of his own gang in a traditional western showdown. David and John Carradine appear in this feature along with Tina Louise and Lois Nettleton. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, (more)
