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Fortress (1986 Film)
''Fortress'' is a 1985 Australian thriller film directed by Arch Nicholson and written by Everett De Roche, and starring Rachel Ward, based on Gabrielle Lord's 1980 novel of the same name. Plot Sally Jones is the sole teacher of a one-room school in the Outback, where she has nine pupils ranging in age from six to sixteen. One ordinary day, the younger children claim to have seen cartoon characters on the edges of the school playground. Sally dismisses this as fantasy, until four armed men wearing Halloween masks enter the school, led by a man Sally calls "Father Christmas" due to his Santa Claus mask. The men force Sally and the children into a van. Sally orders the children to gather their knapsacks and lunches and comply with the men. In the van, Sally and the older students overhear the men discussing holding the school for ransom, threatening to murder one child a day until their demands are met. Pretending innocence, Sally asks the kidnappers to stop for a rest break, whil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arch Nicholson
Arch Nicholson (1941 – 24 February 1990) was an Australian film director. He was born in Melbourne and grew up in Western Australia, originally training to be a teacher. Seeing ''Last Year at Marienbad'' made him want to become a filmmaker and he spent 12 years making documentaries at the Commonwealth Film Unit such as ''The Russians''. He then began directing episodes of TV shows such as ''The Flying Doctors'' and ''Special Squad''. Nicholson was married to former Play School presenter Jan Kingsbury. He died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 1990, aged 48.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p88-89 Select Credits *''A Good Thing Going'' (1978) (TV movie) *''Deadline'' (1982) *'' Buddies'' (1983) *''Fortress'' (1985) *''Dark Age'' (1987) *''Weekend with Kate ''Weekend with Kate'' is a 1990 Australian film directed by Arch Nicholson and starring Colin Friels and Catherine McClements Catherine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Punji Stick
The punji stick or punji stake is a type of booby trapped stake. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, which is sharpened, heated, and usually set in a hole. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (third edition, 2007) lists less frequent, earlier spellings for "punji stake (or stick)": panja, panjee, panjie, panji, and punge. Description Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. The presence of punji sticks may be camouflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They were often incorporated into various types of traps; for example, a camouflaged pit into which a soldier might fall (it would then be a trou de loup). Sometimes a pit would be dug with punji sticks in the sides pointing ''downward'' at an angle. A soldier stepping into the pit would find it impossible to remove their leg without doing severe damage, and injuries might be incurred by t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Stigwood
Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions like ''Hair'' and ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', and film productions including the successful '' Grease'' and ''Saturday Night Fever''.Ruhlmann On his death, one obituary judged that he had been for a time the most powerful tycoon in the entertainment industry: "Stigwood owned the record label that issued his artists’ albums and film soundtracks, and he also controlled publishing rights – not since Hollywood's golden days had so much power and wealth been concentrated in the hands of one mogul." Early life Stigwood was born in 1934 in Port Pirie, South Australia, the son of Gwendolyn (Burrows) and Gordon Stigwood, an electrical engineer. He was educated at Sacred Heart College in Adelaide. He hitchhiked to England in 1955. Amongst various early job ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including in the UK ('' The Sun'' and ''The Times)'', in Australia (''The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun'', and ''The Australian)'', in the US (''The Wall Street Journal'' and the ''New York Post''), book publisher HarperCollins, and the television broadcasting channels Sky News Australia and Fox News (through the Fox Corporation). He was also the owner of Sky (until 2018), 21st Century Fox ( until 2019), and the now-defunct '' News of the World''. With a net worth of billion , Murdoch is the 31st richest person in the United States and the 71st richest in the world. After his father's death in 1952, Murdoch took over the running of '' The News'', a small Adelaide newspaper owned by his father. In the 1950s and 1960s, Murdoch acquired a number of new ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lord Of The Flies
''Lord of the Flies'' is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes include the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality. The novel, which was Golding's debut, was generally well received. It was named in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels, reaching number 41 on the editor's list, and 25 on the reader's list. In 2003, it was listed at number 70 on the BBC's The Big Read poll, and in 2005 ''Time'' magazine named it as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005, and included it in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time. Popular reading in schools, especially in the English-speaking world, ''Lord of the Flies'' was ranked third in the nation's favourite books from school in a 201 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Faraday School Kidnapping
The Faraday School kidnapping occurred on 6 October 1972 at a one-teacher school in the rural town of Faraday in Victoria, Australia, where two plasterers, Edwin John Eastwood and Robert Clyde Boland, kidnapped six female pupils and their teacher for a $1,000,000 ransom. The Victorian government claimed it would pay the ransom. The victims escaped and the criminals were captured, tried and convicted. Eastwood escaped and later kidnapped a teacher and nine pupils. He was again captured, convicted and sentenced. While in prison, Eastwood strangled convicted rapist Glen Davies in what was ruled self-defence. He was eventually released, having served his sentence. Incident Eastwood and Boland entered the school armed with a sawn-off shotgun at about 3:00 p.m., and forced the teacher, 20-year-old Mary Gibbs, and her six pupils (girls aged between 5 and 10) into a red delivery van, leaving a note at the school threatening to kill all of the hostages unless a $1,000,000 cash ran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terence Donovan (actor)
Terence Donovan (born 28 October 1942), also billed as Terence J. Donovan and Terry Donovan, is an English-Australian actor of stage and television, and the father of fellow actor and singer Jason Donovan (from his marriage to actress and journalist Sue McIntosh). Donovan is best known to audiences for his roles in soap opera including ''Neighbours'' as patriarch Doug Willis and in ''Home and Away'' as List of Home and Away characters (1988)#Al Simpson, Al Simpson''. ''He has appeared in Australian TV drama series since the 1960s, including police drama series Division 4, ''Division 4'' and Cop Shop, ''Cop Shop'', as well as minor parts in numerous serials including The Prisoner, ''The Prisoner'', ''Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series), Sons and Daughters'', A Country Practice, ''A Country Practice'' and ''E Street (television show), E Street.'' Career Donovan, who was born in Staines-upon-Thames, Staines, England, United Kingdom, has been a staple of Austra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wendy Playfair
use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , nationality = , other_names = , citizenship = , education = , occupation = Actress , years_active = Radio (c 1940s), theatre 1949–1960, television and film 1960-2013 , employer = , organization = , known_for = ''Prisoner'' as Minnie Donovan , spouse = , children = , father = , mother = , relatives = , family = Thomas Playfair Thomas Alfred John Playfair (uncle) Judy Playfair (cousin)Kip Williams (grandson) , awards = Macquarie Radio Award , website = Wendy Playfair (born 28 August 1926) is an Australian radio, television and film character actress, best known for her roles in television serials. Playfair started her career in radio serials, but beca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernon Wells (actor)
Vernon George Wells (born 31 December 1945) is an Australian character actor. He began appearing on Australian television shows in the mid-1970s, such as '' Homicide'', ''Matlock Police'' and ''All the Rivers Run''. He is best known to international audiences for his role of Wez in the 1981 science fiction action film '' Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'' and Bennett in the military action film ''Commando''. After ''Mad Max 2'', Wells began appearing in Hollywood films, such as science fiction comedies '' Weird Science'' (1985) and ''Innerspace'' (1987). In the 2000s, Wells acted in the television series ''Power Rangers Time Force'' portraying the series' main villain Ransik. Early life Wells was born in Rushworth, Victoria, the son of Eva Maude (née Jackson) and Michael Wells. At the age of 14 he was part of a music band, then upon graduating high school, went to University and attained a degree in Telecommunications. Career 1970s Wells worked in a quarry, then as a salesman, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Bradshaw
David Bradshaw (born September 28, 1944) is an American artist based in Cecilia, Louisiana, and East Charleston, Vermont. He is a painter, sculptor, and printmaker. Biography Born in New York City, David Bradshaw was raised in Washington, D.C., and Old Greenwich, Connecticut. His father was a modern interior designer, and his mother a classical pianist. He pursued a BA at the Hartford Art School from 1962 to 1965. With less than one year remaining to obtain his degree he left school and traveled throughout Europe spending his time sketching the regional landscapes and its inhabitants. Upon returning, Bradshaw became extremely active in the US Civil Rights Movement. In 1976, he was alleged to have shot and killed Cheeseface, the dog who appeared on '' National Lampoon''s famous "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog" cover. Artistic work Trained in traditional artistic skills and processes Bradshaw is known for his use of handguns, explosive devices (typicall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Hehir
Peter Hehir (born 1949) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role as Bert Duggan on the soap opera ''The Sullivans'' from 1976 to 1978. His film appearances included ''Rikky and Pete'' (1988), ''The Girl Who Came Late'' (1991), '' Sweet Talker'' (1991), ''Return to the Blue Lagoon'' (1991), and '' The Boys'' (1998). Filmography *'' The Boys'' (1998) *''Return to the Blue Lagoon'' (1991) *'' Sweet Talker'' (1991) *''The Girl Who Came Late'' (1991) *''Rikky and Pete'' (1988) *'' Touch the Sun: Devil's Hill'' (1988) (TV) *'' Fortress'' (1986) (TV) *''Kangaroo'' (1986) *'' Two Friends'' (1986) (TV) *'' I Live with Me Dad'' (1985) *'' A Street to Die'' (1985) *'' Cowra Breakout'' (1984) (TV) *'' Crime of the Decade'' (1984) (TV) *''Fast Talking'' (1984) *'' Scales of Justice'' TV Series (1983) *''Heatwave'' (1982) *'' The Last Outlaw'' TV Series (1980) *''The Last of the Knucklemen'' (1979) *''The Sullivans ''The Sullivans'' is an Australian period drama televisio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asher Keddie
Asher Keddie (born 31 July 1974) is an Australian actress. Beginning her career in the television series ''Five Mile Creek'' in the mid 1980s, Keddie received wide recognition for her role in the television series ''Offspring''. Her significant repertoire in television has led to her being dubbed as the 'Golden Girl of Australian Television'. Keddie also had a small role in the film '' X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', as Dr. Carol Frost. Aside from television and film work, she has several theatre credits, including in the Melbourne Theatre Company production of ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' as Madame de Tourvel. She won the Logie Award for Most Popular Actress five times in a row between 2011 and 2015. Keddie won the 2013 Gold Logie award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, for her role as Dr Nina Proudman in the Network Ten drama ''Offspring''. She had previously been nominated twice for the award. Keddie has a total of seven Logie Awards. Early life Keddie was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
