Michael Lake Movies

WWE superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stars as a death row inmate who gets a rare second shot at life in director Scott Wiper's adrenaline-charged action thriller. Jack Conrad (Austin) is a dangerous convict currently awaiting execution in a corrupt Central American prison. "Purchased" by a wealthy television producer and transported to a deserted island, the formidable inmate is offered the opportunity to avoid capital punishment and win back his freedom by fighting to the death against nine other condemned criminals in an illegal game to be broadcast uncensored over the Internet. Rick Hoffman and Vinnie Jones co-star in a brutal battle royal of non-stop carnage. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Easily (if somewhat too glibly) describable as "The Terminator in drag," the futuristic made-for-TV drama Chameleon revolves around a female cyborg killing machine at large in the year 2028. Designed expressly to destroy all enemies, the robotic Kam (Bobbie Phillips), who can change her appearance at will and is virtually unstoppable, abruptly and unexpectedly develops maternal feelings. The object of her compassion is Ghen (Eric Lloyd), the young son of the leader of a liberation movement that the dictatorial government is doing its best to eliminate. Despite orders to kill every member of the movement, Kam instead dedicates herself to saving Ghen from his evil human pursuers. First telecast October 23, 1998, on UPN, Chameleon later spawned a handful of direct-to-video sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This supernatural chiller was made especially for the USA cable network. A couple teetering on the brink of divorce find themselves forced to pull together after an evil poltergeist enters their home and endangers, not only their lives, but that of their son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A man tries to win the hand of the love of his life -- which is an uphill battle, since she's about to get married -- in this romantic comedy from Australia. Seventeen-year-old Stephen (Simon Bossell) first sees Melissa (Saffron Burrows) across the room at a party, and from that moment on, he's hopelessly in love with her. However, as he's crossing the room to introduce himself, who should get there first but his fraternal twin brother Rick (Alden Young). While Stephen is the brighter of the two, Rick is more attractive and outgoing, and Stephen quickly realizes that he doesn't stand a chance with Melissa if Rick is his competition. Ten years later, Stephen is doing quite well as a stockbroker, though his love life remains a disaster, while Rick is the manager of the Hotel de Love, a cheesy honeymoon resort complete with heart-shaped bathtubs for two and artificial indoor waterfalls. While Stephen is paying his brother a visit at the hotel, who should check in but Melissa, with her bookish fiancé Norman (Peter O'Brien) in tow. While Melissa is surprised to see her former flame Rick, she has no idea that Stephen still carries a torch for her after all these years. Stephen tries to win Melissa away from Norman, which given his romantic ineptitude is no easy task; he seeks advice from Alison (Pippa Grandison), Rick's girlfriend, who works as a fortune teller at the hotel, though the results are not what anyone expected. Meanwhile, Stephen and Rick's quarrelsome parents, Jack and Edith (Ray Barrett and Julia Blake), have come to the hotel for a second honeymoon, and they hope to patch up their marriage. Hotel de Love was the feature debut for writer/director Craig Rosenberg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Elements of Orwellian science-fiction and old-fashioned prison dramas are combined in this futuristic action film, as an unjustly imprisoned couple attempts to escape from a high-tech jail known as The Fortress. The Fortress is the tool of a repressive government, an imposing, computerized hell, featuring lasers for cell bars, robot guards, computerized brainwashing, and the like. Still, some things never change, including the presence of an evil warden, who harasses the pretty wife while her husband frantically searches for a way out. The special effects and design work are effective, particularly in comparison to the film's modest budget, but the story will undoubtedly seem disappointingly predictable to many viewers. Nevertheless, the film's blend of competent (if unoriginal) action and technology proved enough of a draw to make the film a financial success internationally, though it received little notice in the United States. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

New Zealand-born filmmaker Jane Campion directs the darkly humorous family drama Sweetie. Thin and mousy Kay (Karen Colson) works in a factory and lives a dreary existence with her well-meaning boyfriend, Louis (Tom Lycos). One day, her sister Dawn (Genevieve Lemon) arrives with her so-called manager, Bob (Michael Lake). Nicknamed Sweetie, Dawn is everything Kay is not: boisterous, impulsive, and overweight. Kay is consumed with uptight phobias, while Dawn hangs on to her unrealistic childhood dreams of show business. Meanwhile, their parents, Gordon (Jon Darling) and Flo (Dorothy Barry), are involved in a strange separation. Kay, Louis, and Gordon trick Dawn so they can visit Flo at a ranch in the Australian outback. Everyone gets together back at the family home where Dawn pulls an immature stunt, exposing the psychological realities of the situation. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Felix (Michael Lake) and his sister Betty (Melissa Davis) are crucifix-obsessed weirdos living in an isolated house in the desert, who, even in this obscure location, are able to lay their hands on many candles. For some reason, they want to leave this place where they feel stranded, and they have been working for quite a long time to build an airplane. Along comes a stranger named Smith (Norman Boyd), who duly helps them finish the plane. Alas, by that time Betty has become completely bonkers, and Felix feels he must stay with her - so Smith flys out alone. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Inspired by an epic poem by A.B. "Banjo" Patterson, The Man From Snowy River was a major step forward for the regenerated Australian film industry of the early '80s. This "down-under Western" spotlights Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig, a headstrong young man who goes to work for a powerful cattle baron. Burlinson falls in love with Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), his boss' daughter, and becomes enmeshed in a bitter land feud. Kirk Douglas has a high old time in the dual role of hard-hearted landowner Harrison and grizzled, one-legged old prospector Spur. Previously filmed in 1920, The Man From Snowy River was directed by the other George Miller, not the director of the same name who helmed Mad Max (1979). A monumental moneymaker, the film inspired a 1988 sequel, confusingly titled Return to Snowy River, Part II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fresh out of medical school, Paul Armstrong (Simon Burke) has landed a job at an Australian urban venereal and sexual disease clinic. While he understands the medical stuff he learned in school pretty well, he is stuffy and a bit of a prude. Most of all, he hasn't yet adjusted to the idea that homosexuals are real human beings. However, in this fast-paced yet gentle comedy, which focuses on the intern's clinical encounters, he swiftly learns the ropes and changes his tune on a lot of issues, as he encounters women and men with all sorts of social and sexual problems. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The suffocating repressiveness of the Victorian era is superbly realized by director Bruce Beresford in The Getting of Wisdom. Thirteen-year-old Laura (Susannah Fowle), an incorrigible free spirit from the Australian outback, is enrolled in a prestigious girl's boarding school. The indoctrination process is a rough one, and Laura very nearly loses her individuality and sense of self-worth. When she does mature, however, it is on her terms, and not the school's. Intriguingly, The Getting of Wisdom is based on the reminiscences of a 19th-century female writer who used the pen name of Henry Handel Richardson. Despite its somber dramatic overtones, the film contains moments of uninhibited humor, a trademark of director Beresford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide