Doug Mitchell Movies

Brimming with gritty New York street violence and more than enough exploitative elements to please even the pickiest of genre aficionados, this lurid tale centers on the exploits of Terry, a former member of the Golden Falcons, a girl gang from Manhattan. Ambitious, ruthless and manipulative, Terry falls for Johnny. Not wanting a mere follower, she seduces him into killing the current leader of the Brooklyn Rebels and taking over. To cover his dirty deed, she makes it look as if the Rebels' rivals, the WW II helmet-wearing Aliens from Queens, were responsible. The malicious Terry's machinations lead to an all-out gang war that decimates the ranks of the Rebels. The girl friends of the downed gang members are quite upset. When they learn that Terry is ultimately responsible for the destruction, they band together to get a gruesome form of revenge. Highlights include a vicious catfight, an exciting rumble sequence and a gang rape. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

About 15 years after the events of Mad Max 2, nuclear war has finally destroyed what little was left of civilization. Grizzled and older, former cop Max (Mel Gibson) roams the Australian desert in a camel-drawn vehicle -- until father-and-son thieves Jebediah Sr. (Bruce Spence) and Jr. (Adam Cockburn) use their jury-rigged airplane to steal his possessions and means of transportation. Max soon winds up in Bartertown, a cesspool of post-apocalyptic capitalism powered by methane-rich pig manure and overseen by two competing overlords, Aunty Entity (Tina Turner) and Master (Angelo Rossitto), a crafty midget who rides around on the back of his hulking underling, Blaster (Paul Larsson). Seeking to re-equip himself, Max strikes a deal with the haughty Aunty to kill Blaster in ritualized combat inside Thunderdome, a giant jungle gym where Bartertown's conflicts are played out in a postmodern update of blood and circuses. Although Max manages to fell the mighty Blaster, he refuses to kill him after realizing the brute is actually a retarded boy. Aunty's henchmen murder Blaster nonetheless, then punish Max for violating the law that "Two men enter, one man leaves." Lashed to the back of a hapless pack animal and sent out into a sandstorm, a near-death Max is rescued by a band of tribal children and teens. The descendants of the victims of an airplane crash, the kids inhabit a lush valley and wait for the day when Captain Walker, the plane's pilot, will return to lead them back to civilization. Some of the children, refusing to believe that Max isn't Walker and that the glorious cities of their mythology no longer exist, set off in search of civilization on their own. Max and three tribe members must then rescue their friends from Bordertown and the clutches of Aunty Entity -- a quest that ends in a lengthy desert chase sequence that echoes the first two Mad Max films. Spence also appeared in Mad Max 2 in a different role, that of the Gyro Captain. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

 

Grieving over the death of their son, a married couple decide to take a long yachting trip for relaxation's sake. Their journey takes a dark turn, however, when they rescue a young man from a drifting vessel. The couple soon discover that the other ship's crew had been brutally murdered by their new passenger, and find themselves in a battle of wits against this violent sociopath. Interestingly, a previous attempt had been made at adapting the novel that inspired this film by none other than Orson Welles; footage from his unfinished version, known as "The Deep," can be seen in the documentary Orson Welles: The One-Man Band. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Australian filmmaker John Duigan followed up his captivating The Year My Voice Broke with Flirting. Noah Taylor repeats his "Danny" characterization from the earlier film, while Thandie Newton plays a Ugandan exchange student who attends an Australian girls boarding school. Billeted at a nearby boy's school, Danny finds himself falling in love with Newton, though he is frequently at a loss as to how to express himself. Flirting is the second in a proposed trilogy of John Duigan-directed films revolving around Danny's "awkward" years. Featured in the cast as one of Newton's schoolmates is Nicole Kidman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This narcissistic and sometimes painfully analytical Australian film took ten years to make. It is essentially the diary of film editor Robert Gibson and included in the tale are scenes from his professional and personal life, with a special emphasis on his complex relationships with women, who agreed to let him make this film, and who frequently offer their own take on the events chronicled. First there is April with whom he has been tumultuously involved for a while. Eventually she heads for London and he promises to follow, but soon after she leaves he meets Gianna, a barmaid, and falls instantly in love. Still he goes to London and asks April for her hand. Trouble ensues when she finds out about Gianna. Gibson goes back to Australia and moves in with the barmaid and they plan to marry. He buys her a $4,000 engagement ring. Time passes and Gianna becomes colder and more withdrawn. When they eventually break up she refuses to return it. The disconsolate Gibson then ends up with Cindy, to whom the film is dedicated. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This documentary is one of a series put together by the British Film Institute which is called Century of Cinema, detailing the history of moviemaking around the world. This one was put together by director George Miller (Mad Max) and operates under the premise that filmmaking is for the modern Australian what the ancient storyline songs were for the tribal Aborigines. While the premise is not convincingly developed, the fascinating history of Australian filmmaking is shown, with appropriate clips from the films under discussion. Purists were reportedly distressed that some film clips included were not "letterboxed," but otherwise found this documentary to be both informative and interesting. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi