Russell Mulcahy Movies
Director Russell Mulcahy was born in Melbourne, Australia, and got his start making music videos. He made his feature-film directorial debut in 1980 with the British film Derek and Clive Get the Horn starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. In 1986, Mulcahy directed the successful Highlander. He also scored well in the stylish 1994 film The Shadow. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2009
A conservative Presbyterian mother reaches out to the gay community for support after driving her homosexual son to suicide in this made-for-television movie adapted from Leroy Aaron's 1995 novel. Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelley) hails from a devoutly Christian family. Lately Bobby's been questioning his own sexuality, and upon confiding this information to his older brother, the news quickly circulates to their parents and other siblings. While Bobby's father and siblings resolve to stand by him despite their opposition to his startling revelation, his mother Mary (Sigourney Weaver) believes that her son is committing a sin, and encourages him to change his ways with the help of the church. Despondent over his experiences in the church, Bobby decides that his best option is to move out of the family home, all the while hoping that his mother will find a means of accepting him for who he is. But Mary is staunch in her position, and when Bobby realizes he'll never live up to his mother's expectations he takes his own life. Devastated, Mary seeks consolation from her pastor but fails to find the answers she's looking for. In time, Mary begins a dialogue with the gay community, and discovers that sometimes support can come from the places we least expect. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, (more)
- 2009
Adrien Brody stars as a courier who's been given the task of delivering a briefcase to a member of the mob in hiding while various crime families and corrupt officials are hot on his heels. Russell Mulcahy (Highlander) directs from a script by Wanted scribes Michael Brandt and Derek Haas. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, 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
- Starring:
- Erik Palladino, Michael Madsen, (more)
Resident Evil: Extinction director Russell Mulcahy takes the helm for this tense domestic thriller concerning a young couple who believe they have found the perfect live-in nanny, but discover just how wring they are when she begins to methodically destroy their picture perfect suburban lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gail O'Grady, William R. Moses, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Barry Pepper, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
- 2003
Romeo and Juliet was updated to contemporary Beverly Hills in this typically stylish Jerry Bruckheimer TV series. This time around, Juliet was Jewel Goldman (Olivia Wilde), the stunning teenage daughter of Larry Goldman (Ron Silver), a successful producer of steamy adult films. As for Romeo, he was Adam Roane (D.J. Cotrona), the hot-hunk son of district attorney Michael Roame (Kevin Anderson), a staunch anti-porn crusader. Yes, the elder Goldman and Roame were longtime enemies. Yes, both men forbade their children from seeing one another. And yes, Jewel and Adam managed to sneak in a few torrid balcony scenes -- though not always on the balcony. Created by Jim Leonard, Skin made its FOX network bow on October 20, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Silver, Kevin Anderson, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Tracy Pollan, Gil Bellows, (more)
Based on a true story, the made-for-cable feature The Lost Battalion is set in 1918 during the final months of WWI. Assigned to capture an enemy stronghold in Charlvaux at the height of the Argonne campaign, the men of the AEF 308th Battalion, 77th Division, are led by young American major Charles Whittlesey (Rick Schroder), an inexperienced but dedicated "citizen soldier." Totally cut off from the other allied troops, unaware of their vulnerability, and barraged by "friendly fire," the 500-plus men of the 308th bravely hold their position, suffering incredible losses and unspeakable deprivations in the process -- while the battalion's superior officers, far from the firing line, callously prepare to write off the men as expendable casualties. Fairly graphic and horrifying by basic-cable standards, The Lost Battalion was filmed on-location in Luxembourg, and made its American TV debut courtesy of the A&E Channel on December 2, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
The Showtime cable series Jeremiah was set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, 15 years after a mysterious virus had killed off everyone past puberty. The only survivors of the holocaust were teenagers and twentysomethings, with the eponymous Jeremiah (Luke Perry) falling into the latter category. Following fragmentary clues left by his father, Jeremiah navigated the dismal, ravaged countryside in search of the "Valhalla Sector," an idyllic locale which may or may not have held the key to a brighter future. He was joined in his quest by the glib, supremely untrustowrthy Kurdy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), and, on occasion, by other youthful remnants of the human race, both friendly and antagonistic. Co-executive produced by horror film specialist Joe Dante and Babylon 5 maven J. Michael Straczynski, the weekly, 60-minute Jeremiah was launched with a 100-minute pilot episode on March 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The gang is talking about tonight's King of Babylon contest. David (Chris Potter) doesn't want to go, but he changes his mind when Michael (Hal Sparks) tells him how everyone makes jokes about his age. When they get to the club, Blake (Dean Armstrong) is immediately approached by Dino (Peter Charles Nurse), his old dealer, who offers him crystal meth. Blake insists to Ted (Scott Lowell) that he can handle the pressure of being at the club. Brian (Gale Harold) continues to take Justin (Randy Harrison) for granted. Meanwhile, Uncle Vic (Jack Wetherall) spurns the advances of a man in the mall men's room. Emmett (Peter Paige) meets and instantly falls in love with Brent (Dave Tomlinson) in a moment straight out of West Side Story. When Brian hears David complaining about gay culture's obsession with youth and beauty, he accuses David of being jealous, and David tries to goad Brian into entering the strip contest. Blake steps away, and Ted walks off, angry at everyone, especially Michael, for not giving Blake a chance. Debbie (Sharon Gless) gets an urgent call from Vic, who's been arrested for indecent exposure. She goes to Melanie (Michelle Clunie) for help. The contest hostess, Sheba (Salvatore Migliore), sees Justin pouting and offers to help him teach Brian a lesson. Everyone thinks Brian signed up for the contest, but he actually entered David's name. David takes him up on the challenge. Mel and Debbie get to the police station, where the homophobic desk sergeant won't let them see Vic. Desperate to raise bail for him, they head to Babylon. In a scene straight out of The Way We Were, Emmett and Brent break up. Justin competes in the King of Babylon contest, winning over the crowd, including the guy Brian was about to have sex with. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2000
The romantic misadventures of a handful of gay and lesbian friends living in a working-class section of Pittsburgh set the stage for this made-for-cable series, based on a popular (and controversial) British television serial. Brian (Gale Harold) is a professionally driven advertising executive whose take-charge attitude extends to his love life; he's looking for a good time and has little use for commitment. One of Brian's few close friends is Lindsay (Thea Gill), a photographer and art instructor he met in college; Lindsay and her longtime lover Melanie (Michelle Clunie), a lawyer, recently had a child using sperm donated by Brian. One of Brian's biggest admirers is Michael (Hal Sparks), a comic-book artist and bookstore manager who has known Brian since high school; Michael, however, has just entered into a relationship with David (Chris Potter), a sensible older doctor who has only been out of the closet for a few years (after divorcing his wife) and is looking for a stable, long-term relationship. Justin (Randy Harrison) is a 17-year-old high-school student who was picked up by Brian at a club; Justin is convinced he's in love, though Brian hardly feels the same way. Rounding out Brian's circle of acquaintances are Ted (Scott Lowell), a shy accountant who has had bad luck with relationships and spends too much time looking for lust on the Internet, and Emmet (Peter Paige), a flamboyant club maven and owner of a cutting-edge boutique. Queer As Folk kicked off with a two-hour movie on December 3, 2000, and subsequently aired as a series of one-hour episodes; the show's appearance on the premium cable network Showtime allowed the producers to approach the material in a much bolder fashion than any conventional network would allow. As a result, the series is recommended for adults only. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Harold, Hal Sparks, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Jason Scott Lee, Louise Lombard, (more)
Released in the US on cable television, Blue Ice stars Michael Caine as an older, tireder version of his 1960s "Harry Palmer" character (his name, in fact, is Harry Anders). An M16 agent-turned-nightclub owner, Caine is a man of steadfast loyalties. Thus he takes it personally when several friends from his espionage days are mysteriously killed. Caine investigates on his own, which brings him in very close proximity with enigmatic consul's wife Sean Young. Befitting the fact that Caine's character is a jazz fancier, Blue Ice boasts an evocative musical score by Michael Kamen, of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard fame. Watch for jazz great Bobby Short and an unbilled Bob Hoskins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Sean Young, (more)
- 1984
Before he directed the cult classic Highlander (1986), music video creator Russell Mulcahy adapted this stylish, tongue-in-cheek horror film from the novel by Peter Brennan. Gregory Harrison stars as Carl Winters, a grief-stricken American husband who has come to a remote corner of Australia to seek answers in the death of his wife, a TV journalist who was investigating a story on kangaroo poaching. Carl meets Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr), a man obsessed with hunting down what he says is an enormous razorback boar that consumed his grandson. Although he was acquitted, most of the locals believe that Jake murdered the boy himself and invented the crazy story about a giant pig. Jake tells Carl that he believes the razorback is also responsible for his wife's death. At first skeptical, Carl becomes a believer when he encounters the beast. He and Jake track it to a dog food processing plant, where the owners are illegally butchering kangaroos for industrial use. The factory operators are also feeding the dog food to the gigantic razorback, increasing its size and carnivorous appetite. Joined by farmer Sarah Cameron (Arkie Whiteley), Carl and Jake set out to kill the powerful mutant. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Harrison, Arkie Whiteley, (more)
- 1980
A comedy performance by one of England's favorite comedy duos, replete with expletives undeleted. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames, (more)
- 2008
- R
- Add Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation to QueueAdd Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation to top of Queue
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
Director Russell Mulcahy takes over for the third chapter in the Resident Evil film franchise, which finds genetically altered Alice (Milla Jovovich) joining forces with Carlos (Oded Fehr) and L.J. (Mike Epps) to take down the Umbrella Corporation once and for all. Upon emerging from her hideout in the Nevada desert, Alice is quickly joined by old friends Carlos and L.J., as well as survivors Claire (Ali Larter), K-Mart (Spencer Locke), and Nurse Betty (Ashanti). Now instilled with super-human strength, senses, and dexterity as a result of the biogenetic experimentation conducted on her by the Umbrella Corporation, Alice and the rest of the survivors set out to eliminate a virus that threatens to turn every living human undead, and ensure that the mysterious organization pays the price for their horrific crimes against humanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Kerry Fox, (more)
Christopher Lambert stars in this thriller about a psychotic serial killer whose M.O. is unusual even by the standards of his deadly trade. Beginning shortly before Easter, he begins accumulating body parts for a bizarre, grisly religious ritual -- he intends to reassemble the body of Christ in time for his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Directed by Russell Mulcahy, who previously worked with Lambert on the original Highlander. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, James Kidnie, (more)
