Australian Cinema > types > action films; see also: exploitation.
Attack Force Z (Tim Burstall, 1982) Eastman colour, 35 mm, 110 min., prod. Lee Robinson for John MacCallum Productions & Central Motion Picture Corporation, wr. Roger Marshall, dp Lin Hung-Chung, music Eric Jupp, design Bernard Hides, ed. David Stiven; John Phillip Law, Mel Gibson, Chris Haywood, Sam Neill, Sylvia Chang, Koo Chuan Hsiang, John Waters; Phillip Noyce was the first director, but fell out with John MacCallum
Aussie Park Boyz (Nunzio La Bianca, 2004)
Aussie Park Boyz: The Next Chapter (Nunzio La Bianca, 2011)
Back of Beyond (Michael Robertson, 1995) Paul Mercurio, Colin Friels, Dee Smart, John Polson, Rebekah Elmalogou; drama; released on VHS; 94 min.
Buddies (Arch Nicholson, 1983) prod. wr. John Dingwall, dp David Eggby, design Phillip Warner, ed. Martin Down; Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins, Kris McQuade, Bruce Spence, Norman Kaye, Simon Chilvers, Lisa Peers, Dennis Miller; two miners searching for sapphires in Qld; AFI Best Screenplay; Eastman colour, 35mm Panavision, 97 min.
Beyond Reason (Giorgio Mangiamele, 1970) dp Giorgio Mangiamele; drama, thriller; patients locked in bunker of mental hospital during atomic warfare attack; 84 min.
Black Water (David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki, 2007) Diana Glenn, Maeve Dermody; horror; crocodile monster
Black Water: Abyss (Andrew Traucki, tba) wr. Sarah Smith, Ian John Ridley, prod. Michael Robertson, Neal Kingston; Jessica McNamee, Luke Mitchell, Amali Golden, Benjamin Hoetjes, Anthony Sharpe; sequel to Black Water
Bloodmoon (Alec Mills, 1990) aka Blood Moon
BMX Bandits (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1983) aka Shortwave, colour, 35 mm, 90 min., prod. Tom Broadbridge, Paul Davies for Nilsen Premiere, wr. Patrick Edgeworth, dp John Seale, production design Ross Major, ed. Allan Lake, music: Colin Stead and Frank Strangio; David Argue (Whitey), John Ley (Moustache), Nicole Kidman (Judy), Angelo D'Angelo (PJ), James Lugton (Goose), Bryan Marshall; children
Cool Change (George Miller, 1986) 35 mm, 93 min. prod. Dennis Wright for Delatite Productions, wr. Patrick Edgeworth, dp John Haddy, composer Bruce Rowlands, designer Leslie Binns, ed. Phil Reid; Lisa Armytage, John Blake, Wilbur Wilde, Alec Wilson; virtual sequel to The Man from Snowy River
Coolangatta Gold, The (Igor Auzins, 1984) aka The Gold and the Glory; prod. John Weiley for Angoloro Productions, wr. Peter Shreck, dp Keith Wagstaff, design Bob Hill, ed. Tim Wellburn; iron-man event; Joss McWilliam, Nick Tate, Josephine Smulders, Colin Friels, Robyn Nevin, Grant Kenny, Melissa Jaffer; Rocky formula; Eastman colour, 35mm, widescreen, 120 min.
Crocodile Dundee (Peter Faiman, 1986) prod. John Cornell for Rimfire Films, wr. Paul Hogan, Ken Shadie, dp Russell Boyd ed. David Stiven, design Graham Walker; Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, David Gulpilil (Neville Bell), Maggie Blinco, Steve Rackman, Gerry Skilton; Eastman colour, 35mm Panavision, 96 min.
Crocodile Dundee II (John Cornell, 1988) dp Russell Boyd; Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Ernie Dingo (Charlie)
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (Simon Wincer, 2001) Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, David Ngoombujarra (Arthur)
Dark Age (Arch Nicholson, 1987)
Dead End Drive-In (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1986)
Deathcheaters (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1976)
High Rolling (Igor Auzins, 1977) aka High Rolling in a Hot Corvette; prod. Tim Burstall for Hexagon Productions, wr. Forrest Redlich, dp Dan Burstall; Joseph Bottoms, Grigor Taylor, Judy Davis (film debut), John Clayton, Wendy Hughes; comedy adventure as two adventurers encounter drug dealers
Lightning Jack (Simon Wincer, 1994) wr. Paul Hogan; Paul Hogan, Cuba Gooding; first film floated as a public company on the stock exchange: huge loss
Mad Dog Morgan (Philippe Mora, 1976)
Mad Max (Dr George Miller, 1979) prod. Byron Kennedy for Mad Max Pty Ltd, wr. James McAusland, Dr George Miller, dp David Eggby, music Brian May, design Jon Dowding, ed. Tony Patterson, Cliff Hayes; Steve Bisley, Mel Gibson, Vince Gil, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Lulu Pinkus, Joanne Samuel; Eastman colour, 35mm, 90 min.
Mad Max 2 (Dr George Miller, 1981) aka The Road Warrior, prod. Byron Kennedy for Kennedy Miller, wr. Brian Hannant, Terry Hayes, Dr George Miller. photography Dean Semler, music Brian May, design Graham Walker; Mel Gibson, Emil Minty, Kjell Nilsson, Max Phipps, Mike Preston, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells, Virginia Hey, William Zappa, Arkie Whitelely; Eastman colour, 35mm, 94 min.
Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (Dr George Miller, George Ogilvie, 1985) prod. George Miller, Doug Mitchess, Terry Hayes, wr. Terry Hayes, George Miller, dp Dean Semler, visual design Ed Verraux, design Graham Walker, costume design Norma Moriceau, music Maurice Jarre, sound Roger Savage; Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Helen Buday, Frank Thring, Bruce Spence; Eastman colour, 70mm, 35mm, 102 min.
Mad Max: Fury Road (Dr George Miller, 2015) wr. Dr George Miller, Nick Lathouris, Brendan McCarthy; Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Megan Gale, Courtney Eaton; shot 2012 Namibia, Sydney; Cannes
Man from Hong Kong, The (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1975) aka Dragon Flies; wr. Brian Trenchard-Smith, dp Russell Boyd; Deryck Barnes, Rebecca Gilling, Bill Hunter, Hugh Keays-Byrne, George Lazenby, Grant Page, Ros Spiers, Frank Thring, Jimmy Wang Yu, Roger Ward, Phillip Avalon
Man From Snowy River, The (Beaumont Smith, 1920) Beaumont Smith's Productions, wr. Beaumont Smith from poems by A. B. Paterson, dp Lacey Percival; Cyril Mackay, Stella Southern, Tal Ordell; 61 min.
Man from Snowy River, The (George Miller, 1982) prod. Geoff Burrowes for Michael Edgley International, Cambridge Films, wr. John Dixon, Fred 'Cul' Cullen, from poem by 'Banjo' Paterson, dp Keith Wagstaff, music Bruce Rowland, design Leslie Binns, ed. Adrian Carr; Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Jack Thompson, Lorraine Bayly, Tony Bonner, Chris Haywood, Gus Mercurio; Eastman colour, 35mm, widescreen, 100 min.
Man from Snowy River II, The (Geoff Burrowes, 1988) aka Return to Snowy River, The Untamed; Brian Dennehy, Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton, Bryan Marshall
Midnite Spares (Quentin Masters, 1983)
Race for the Yankee Zephyr (David Hemmings, 1981)
Razorback (Russell Mulcahy, 1984)
Roadgames (Richard Franklin, 1981)
Rogue (Greg McLean, 2007)
Sky Pirates (Colin Eggleston, 1986)
Sons of Steel (Gary L. Keady, 1989) rock star and his girlfriend strive to turn back time in order to avert a disaster in the near future; exploitation
Stone (Sandy Harbutt, 1974)
Stunt Rock (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1978)
Wolf Creek (Greg McLean, 2005)
What follows is merely the odd collection of films discussed in this category in Moran & Vieth, Film in Australia: An Introduction, CUP, 2006, the book published by Cambridge University Press in Australia later than the time at which I sent them the proposal for my book Ten Types of Australian Film - which they said was not suitable for their list.
Mad Max ([Dr] George Miller, 1979)
Mad Max 2 ([Dr] George Miller, 1981)
Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome ([Dr] George Miller & George Ogilvie, 1985)
Man from Snowy River, The (George Miller, 1982)
Cool Change (George Miller, 1986)
Man from Snowy River 2, The (Geoff Burrowes, 1988)
Return of Captain Invincible, The (Philippe Mora, 1983)
Sons of Steel (Gary L. Keady, 1989)
Crocodile Dundee (Peter Faiman, 1986)
Crocodile Dundee 2 (John Cornell, 1988)
Crocodile Dundee in LA (Simon Wincer, 2001)
Lightning Jack (Simon Wincer, 1994)
Adventures of Barry McKenzie, The (Bruce Beresford, 1972)
High Rolling (Igor Auzins, 1977)
Buddies (Arch Nicholson, 1983)
Phantom, The (Simon Wincer, 1996)
Attack Force Z (Tim Burstall, 1980)
Odd Angry Shot, The (Tom Jeffrey, 1979)
Gallipoli (Peter Weir, 1981)
Lighthorsemen, The (Simon Wincer, 1987)
Shame (Steve Jodrell, 1988)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phil Noyce, 2002)
Garry Gillard | New: 12 October, 2006 | Now: 17 May, 2020