Tony Morphett Movies

To avoid prosecution himself, Jeff Corrigan (Patrick Duffy), CFO of a multinational corporation, agrees to testify against his boss, whom he has only recently discovered is actually a powerful druglord. Now Jeff must enter the Federal Witness Relocation Program, taking his estranged wife, Liz (Pam Dawber), and his bratty children, April (Tanja Reichert) and Bram (David Kaye), along with him. Though he is resigned to live out his life incognito, Liz is frustrated by the new restrictions imposed on her, while the children are downright hostile. But the worst is still to come: the bad guys have found out where the Corrigans are living, and their murderous minions are rapidly closing in. Made for cable, Don't Look Behind You debuted over the Family channel on July 25, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Since Sky Trackers was produced on behalf of the Disney Channel cable service, we shouldn't be surprised that the principal characters are three children. When an extraterrestrial satellite crash lands in the Australian outback, the kids search for survivors. The plot thickens when it is learned that the aliens may be carrying a deadly virus. Pamela Sue Martin and Paul Williams are top-billed as the two adult doctors who try to find the kids before the kids can be exposed to the space capsule. Sky Trackers was first telecast in the US on May 27, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Living on the island of Tasmania off the coast of Australia in the 1950s, it's hard to be a teenager, knowing that momentous and exciting changes are happening on the mainland. This story is based on an autobiographical novel by C.J. Koch, and explores the relationships of a group of young people whose ruling ambition in life is to get to the mainland, and in particular to Melbourne, where things are livelier. Indeed, once they get there, they find that things are very much livelier than they had expected, and they are soon in over their heads. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The 1988 Australian miniseries Shiralee was, like the 1957 film of the same name, based on a bestselling novel by D'Arcy Niland. A shiralee is Australian slang for the bundle carried about by a swagman (a tramp or thief). In this instance, the "bundle" is the 10-year-old daughter of an Australian migrant laborer whose wife has left him. The laborer then takes his daughter on a long, "bonding" trek through the Outback. The effortless expertise of Bryan Brown as the swagman is matched by little Rebecca Smart as his daughter. For its American public TV debut in 1991, The Shiralee was shown in its two-hour version, which was released theatrically in some areas as Macauley's Daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This well-made Australian blend of Jaws and Alligator is a tense, action-packed thriller involving a monstrous crocodile, a tough ranger (John Jarratt), and a team of aborigines who worship the monster as the god "Numunwari." This leads to lots of gory clashes with the reptile, interwoven with some interesting tribal lore surrounding the legendary croc and a subplot involving a psychic connection between the beast and one of the aborigines. The climactic battle puts a sympathetic spin on the plight of Numunwari, believed to be the last of his kind -- but his unpleasant habit of snapping people in half makes it a bit difficult to muster up enough empathy for the monster. Based on a novel by Grahame Webb. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

A popular if short-lived Australian drama series, Glenview High focused on a rundown secondary school in a tough inner-city district. The plot lines of the 39 hour-long episodes were devoted to the trials and tribulations of the students and faculty members, with special emphasis upon novice English teacher Greg Walker (Grigor Taylor). The series was created by Grundy Television, one of Australia's leading purveyors of soap operas and game shows. Glenview High aired over the 7 Network from 1977 to 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of several feature film versions of the late 19th century novel by Rolf Boldrewood, this frontier adventure is set not in the Wild West of the U.S., but in the equally untamed Australian Outback of the same era. Two brothers, Jim (David McCallum) and Dick Marsten (Ronald Lewis) follow in their father's footsteps by leaving home to seek adventure as gunfighters. They become outlaws in the roving band led by stylish Captain Starlight (Peter Finch), who leads them on a series of escapades robbing banks and rustling cattle. Though they find the excitement and romance they craved, the Marstens soon become disillusioned with a life on the run and begin to wish that they could resume the mantle of honest, hard-working citizens. Unfortunately, events transpire to put the entire Starlight gang out of operation before the brothers can recommence their formerly law-abiding ways. Produced by Britain's Rank Organization, Robbery Under Arms (1957) was followed by a television series remake in 1985 and a handful of other films set against the colorful backdrop of the Australian frontier, including The Man from Snowy River (1982) and Quigley Down Under (1990). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide