Russell Mulcahy Movies

A legendary gunman discovers why sometimes the simplest-sounding missions can also be the most dangerous when he attempts to recover a briefcase containing "the meaning of love" from a five-star hotel. Even the worst criminals tremble with fear upon hearing the name Malone (Thomas Jane). If only half of the rumors surrounding the tough-as-nails triggerman are true, then he's still the meanest guy ever to walk these unforgiving streets. Some say that Malone picked up his first gun after gangsters killed his entire family, and those are the most optimistic rumors concerning his shady background. Contacted by his point man, Murph, and asked to retrieve a briefcase from a haughty local hotel, Malone makes quick work of the thugs and hitmen who've been awaiting his arrival. But Malone didn't expect to walk into a shoot-out, and after pressing Murph for more information, he discovers that the man who contracted him for the perilous assignment was none other than powerful local mob boss Whitmore. Now that he has the briefcase, Malone is supposed to give it to blonde bombshell Evelyn (Elsa Pataky), who will in turn deliver it to Whitmore in exchange for her brother Sammy. Should the briefcase fail to materialize, Sammy will pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, suspecting that the case contains work visas for a group of immigrant girls he wants to put to work as prostitutes, Whitmore recruits hulking giant Boulder (Ving Rhames) and blade-wielding psycho Mauler (Chris Yen) to get the briefcase back from Malone. Should they fail in achieving this simple task, deranged pyromaniac Matchstick (Doug Hutchison) will almost certainly succeed. Later, at the drop-off, Mauler kills Sammy, sparking an intense shoot-out during which Malone and Evelyn are separated. With nowhere to run and the three thugs fast gaining ground, Malone vows to protect the contents of the case and take down Whitmore once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Filmmaker Mark Hartley explores Australia's hidden genre in this documentary that casually casts aside "official" film history to celebrate the demented genius of director Brian Trenchard-Smith, and the exciting wave of little-known but supremely entertaining films that entertained adventurous Australian filmgoers throughout the 1970s and '80s. Every film student worth his or her weight in celluloid has seen Breaker Morant and Picnic at Hanging Rock, but what about the lesser-known gems that didn't make the film-school textbooks? In his forward to Tim Lucas' book Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark, director Martin Scorsese states, "We have to keep resisting the idea of official film history, a stately procession of 'important works' that leaves some of the most exciting films and filmmakers tucked away in the shadows." In this documentary, director Hartley explores the films forgotten by "official film history" with the comprehensive eye of a true film buff. As a child watching such films as Snapshot and The Man from Hong Kong, Hartley immediately recognized how wildly disparate they were in tone and execution from the films that comprised Australia's traditional film library. Appearing like American genre films that just happened to be shot in Australia and cast with Australian actors, these so-called "Ozploitation" flicks flourished in the wake of relaxed censorship laws down under. Yet despite constant chatter about the "new wave" of Australian cinema, financially successful films like The Man from Hong Kong and Patrick that were popular both at home and abroad were never mentioned, sneeringly dismissed as "genre" films rather than Australian films. Perhaps in the wake of such successful Australian films as Wolf Creek and Undead -- and looking ahead to such films as the slasher shocker Storm Warning and the eagerly anticipated remake of Long Weekend -- curious filmgoers are finally prepared to discover what they've been missing all these years. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Michael Madsen, Erik Palladino, and David Moscow star in director Russell Mulcahy's action thriller about an undercover FBI agent on a mission to infiltrate the treacherous world of "choppers." Special Agent Kevin Hawkins (Palladino) knows that the stakes are high when he ventures into the world of fast cars, but he never expected to find himself stuck between a murderous crime boss (Madsen) and a vicious group of cutthroat gangsters. Now, with danger closing in from both sides of the criminal underworld, Hawkins straps himself in for a race that could mean the difference between life and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Discover the centuries-old secrets of King Tutankhamen as two archaeologists race to recover the sacred object with the power to save the world, or destroy it, in this globe-trotting adventure starring Casper Van Dien, Jonathan Hyde, and Leonor Varela, and directed by action veteran Russell Mulcahy (Highlander). The year is 1922, and Danny Freemont (Van Dien) is an archeologist whose outlandish theories about the pyramids, Atlantis, and the Egyptian Book of the Dead have made him something of an outcast in the scientific community. Perhaps no one is more critical of Freemont's unconventional approach to archeology than Dr. Azelia Barakat (Varela), a serious-minded Egyptologist who scoffs at her free-spirited colleague's ideas about King Tutankhamen's mythical tomb. When Freemont determines that the Emerald Tablet rumored to be buried with the Egyptian king will provide its owner with the power to rule the world, Dr. Barakat's curiosity soon trumps her skepticism and the pair quickly set up a team of experts to locate the tomb and find the tablet. Despite Freemont and Dr. Barakat's noble intentions, their efforts to locate and protect the Emerald Tablet threaten to backfire as nefarious archeologist Morgan Sinclair (Hyde) tracks their every move in hopes of beating them to the prize and using the treasure to unleash the ultimate evil. Now, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the race to uncover one of history's greatest mysteries is on, and it's going to be a wild ride. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Barry Pepper stars as stock-car racing legend Dale Earnhardt in this made-for-cable drama. Dale was raised by Ralph Earnhardt (J.K. Simmons), a proud man who worked at a mill to feed and clothe his family but found true satisfaction rebuilding jalopies in his garage and racing them at local events on the weekends. Ralph was a minor legend in Southern stock-car racing, and when Dale dropped out of high school to follow his own passion for racing, he started out in his father's shadow -- and with no illusions about the odds stacked against him. But after more than a decade of struggle, Dale finally began to break into the big leagues in the late '70s, and in time he became the biggest money maker in NASCAR history, tying with the great Richard Petty as the winner of the Winston Cup trophies. But the lessons Dale learned from his father took on a deeper meaning when his own teenage son, Dale Jr. (Chad McCumbee), also decided to take up racing at the age of 16 -- and Dale tried to keep his hot-headed son away from the track. Named for Earnhardt's racing number, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story debuted on the ESPN cable network on December 11, 2004, and was released on home video shortly afterward. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The scene is San Francisco, where a diabolically crafty serial killer is preying on newlywed couples, killing the groom before the bride and then removing both wedding rings. Assigned to track down this maniac is homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer (Tracy Pollan), who, despite the usual quota of false clues and red herrings, seems more than prepared for the biggest challenge of her career. But Lindsay is not prepared for facing her own mortality: She has been diagnosed with a blood disease that nearly always proves fatal and may not live long enough to bring the honeymoon killer to justice. Based on a novel by James Patterson (as indicated by the film's "official" title), First to Die debuted February 23, 2003, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the true story of a youth from Brisbane, Australia, who overcame family dysfunction to become a world-class athlete, director Russell Mulcahy's drama centers on young Tony Fingleton's (Jesse Spencer) relationship with his distant father, Harold (Geoffrey Rush), and the dedication it took to win his respect. Born into a large family and convinced by his father that he will never amount to the achievements of his brothers, Tony attempts to win his father's respect by becoming a champion swimmer. Despite his best efforts to please his father, Tony also begins to realize his own self-worth in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this espionage thriller, Christopher Lambert stars as Tony Eckhardt, an Israeli intelligence agent with the Mossad. Tony has a license to kill and he may be forced to put it to use as he finds himself chasing a notorious Palestinian terrorist who is determined to put a stop to peace negotiations between their two nations. The Point Men also features Kerry Fox and Vincent Regan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Best known for his Highlander series, Russell Mulcahy pays homage to the Hammer films of the 1960s with this all-star recreation of the Mummy story. Centuries ago, a sadistic prince named Talos was buried and his tomb was infinitely cursed so that no man would ever again suffer from his evil ways. But hundreds of years later, a group of archeologists break the seal of the tomb and are brutally massacred. The bandages of Talos are discovered years later by the head archeologist's daughter and brought back to London to be displayed in a museum. But the bandages go on a violent rampage. His evil threatens to spread around the world when the approaching alignment of the planets will raise the legendary Talos to a level of immortal power. The American detective in charge of the affair and the daughter of the archeologist race against time to defeat the malicious mummy. Russell Mulcahy has modern computer graphics techniques on his side in this remake of the classic Mummy monster story. At the same time, he has invited the legendary Christopher Lee to appear in the role of the ill-fated archeologist who discovers Talos. Shelley Duvall and Jason Scott Lee round out the main cast. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

A crime fighter created in the 1930s and popularized in movies, pulp novels, and a radio show starring a young Orson Welles, The Shadow came back to life in 1994 in this slick, well-cast production. Alec Baldwin stars as Lamont Cranston, a murderous opium dealer reformed by a Tibetan mystic, who teaches him how to use his keen mental powers to manipulate others. As penance for his past misdeeds, Cranston masquerades as a degenerate New York City playboy by day and secretly plays the heroic Shadow by night, staving off evildoers with a network of agents and a cab-driving sidekick (Peter Boyle). A greater challenge arrives when Cranston must fight Shiwan Khan (John Lone), the final descendent of Genghis Khan, who has received training from the same Tibetan master who instructed Cranston. Shiwan plans to use atomic weapons to take over New York and then the world. At the same time, Cranston meets socialite Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), and, although he's instantly enamored of her, he discovers that her psychic abilities render his secret identity vulnerable. The Shadow was directed by former music video creator Russell Mulcahy, whose feature film debut Highlander (1986) was a cult classic. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide