327:. The older children and Sally help the younger children across this river to the outside. The group comes across a farmhouse occupied by an old man and his wife. However, the kidnappers have reached the farmhouse first. When the old man puts up a struggle, the kidnappers shoot him and his wife. Another kidnapper, objecting to the murder, is killed by Father Christmas.
346:
Several months later, police investigators visit the school to speak to Sally about the condition of the body of Father
Christmas. Sally claims no knowledge, insisting that she and the children rolled a large boulder onto him that killed him instantly. The investigators are unnerved by the presence
318:
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, while secretly ordering one of the children to hide in the
330:
Sally and the children are locked into the barn along with an armed kidnapper while the other kidnappers go on a supply run. Sally concocts a plan for the oldest schoolgirl, Narelle, to distract the kidnapper by flirting with him while another boy steals his shotgun. The plan is successful and the
31:
523:
was accepted as a compromise. However, two months prior to shooting
Thornton became pregnant and HBO and Crawford insisted on Armstrong. Actors Equity would not relent and the film shut down, despite the fact $ 700,000 had already been spent. The project was later re-activated when
322:
Sally and the children are barricaded inside a cave. One of the children recognizes the cave as one he used to explore with his cousins and indicates there may be an alternate exit. Sally and some of the older children explore the cave, discovering the exit across an
528:(a British actress who had moved to Australia) was approved. The film was then shot in Australia during 1985 over 12 5-day weeks at Hillside. The school they used in the film was the Rosehill primary school, near Bairnsdale, East Gippsland and in the Grampians.
334:
The children and their teacher flee into the
Outback. Now realizing that passivity will not save them, they decide to fight back. Discovering a cave, they proceed to fortify it, using lessons they learned in class about the hunting methods of
307:, 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
347:
of the children, who suddenly surround them. The investigators leave without further questions. Sally regards the preserved human heart on display among the school's science experiments, then, satisfied, dismisses the children for the day.
343:
and using their school supplies to make spears. One of the kidnappers is killed in the spike pit, but Father
Christmas makes it to the cave, where he is attacked by Sally and the children.
319:
woods and go for help. The kidnappers immediately realize one of their victims has gone missing and threaten to shoot one of the other children, forcing Sally to call the boy back.
757:
315:" due to his Father Christmas 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.
408:
619:
894:
889:
869:
879:
764:
572:
497:
in the US. Half the budget was from HBO, who insisted the lead be played by an actress who was familiar to the
American public.
874:
859:
99:
854:
679:
155:
614:
884:
462:
864:
750:
552:
548:
unusual for TV productions of the time. It was released to cinemas in
Australia on 26 June 1986.
480:
441:
336:
465:
of an isolated rural single teacher school and was influenced by
William Golding's 1954 novel
485:
794:
490:
414:
133:
726:
8:
849:
802:
269:
580:
786:
826:
721:
687:
467:
324:
545:
537:
500:
312:
280:
54:
818:
623:
520:
504:
476:
300:
79:
774:
512:
508:
472:
423:
308:
288:
276:
69:
44:
843:
691:
516:
381:
272:
734:
493:, who intended to make a feature film for local release and a telemovie for
331:
kidnapper is killed, but the boy is badly injured by a stray shotgun blast.
387:
369:
363:
742:
525:
402:
357:
340:
284:
89:
715:
544:
channel in the United States on 24 November 1985. It contains scenes of
489:(1981). However, this never happened. The film rights were purchased by
666:
The
Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry
138:
30:
304:
616:
Film
Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office
471:. At one stage it was thought the novel would be filmed by
541:
494:
163:
507:was announced as director. He dropped out and then
841:
758:
677:
536:The film was initially released directly to
311:enter the school, led by a man Sally calls "
772:
660:
658:
461:by Gabrielle Lord was inspired by the 1972
765:
751:
648:Hector Crawford, "The Rules of the Game",
29:
655:
438:Nick Waters as Detective Sergeant Cotter
895:English-language action adventure films
842:
678:O'connor, John J. (27 November 1985).
555:for direction of Photography in 1986.
746:
299:Sally Jones is the sole teacher of a
680:"Tv Review; 'fortress,' Film on Hbo"
511:was hired. Crawford and HBO wanted
13:
890:English-language crime drama films
14:
906:
870:Australian action adventure films
709:
880:Films directed by Arch Nicholson
503:wrote the script and originally
291:'s 1980 novel of the same name.
731:at Crawford Productions website
378:Marc Aden Gray as Tommy O'Brien
671:
668:, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p266-268
642:
629:
608:
595:
565:
444:as Detective Sergeant Mitchell
420:Roger Stephen as Mac the Mouse
1:
558:
452:
432:Elaine Cusick as Mrs. O'Brien
156:United International Pictures
875:1980s English-language films
7:
435:Laurie Moran as Mr. O'Brien
341:a pit with sharpened spikes
10:
911:
531:
184:24 November 1985
781:
463:Faraday School kidnapping
393:Bradley Meehan as Richard
253:
245:
237:
220:
210:
175:
148:
121:
113:
105:
95:
85:
75:
60:
50:
40:
28:
23:
622:18 February 2011 at the
481:Associated R&R Films
652:, September 1985 p20-22
553:American Cinema Editors
399:Richard Terrill as Toby
350:
294:
860:1985 crime drama films
396:Anna Crawford as Sarah
337:indigenous Australians
195:26 June 1986
192: (US, TV premiere)
35:Theatrical film poster
855:1980s adventure films
447:Ray Chubb as Publican
635:"Production Blues",
491:Crawford Productions
429:Ed Turley as Old Man
375:Robin Mason as Derek
134:Crawford Productions
885:1985 thriller films
639:, Oct-Nov 1980 p312
583:on 8 September 2021
405:as Father Christmas
787:A Good Thing Going
684:The New York Times
515:to play the lead.
483:as a follow-up to
139:HBO Premiere Films
837:
836:
827:Weekend with Kate
573:"Fortress (1985)"
468:Lord of the Flies
325:underground river
261:
260:
902:
767:
760:
753:
744:
743:
703:
702:
700:
698:
675:
669:
664:David Stratton,
662:
653:
646:
640:
633:
627:
612:
606:
605:, March 1986 p62
599:
593:
592:
590:
588:
579:. Archived from
569:
546:graphic violence
538:cable television
501:Everett De Roche
313:Father Christmas
281:Everett De Roche
203: (Australia)
202:
200:
191:
189:
168:
160:
55:Everett De Roche
33:
21:
20:
910:
909:
905:
904:
903:
901:
900:
899:
840:
839:
838:
833:
777:
771:
712:
707:
706:
696:
694:
676:
672:
663:
656:
647:
643:
634:
630:
624:Wayback Machine
613:
609:
600:
596:
586:
584:
571:
570:
566:
561:
534:
521:Sigrid Thornton
505:Bruce Beresford
477:Robert Stigwood
455:
450:
442:Terence Donovan
353:
309:Halloween masks
301:one-room school
297:
283:, and starring
279:and written by
233:
213:
206:
198:
196:
187:
185:
178:
171:
167:(United States)
166:
158:
144:
143:
126:
124:
117:Danny Beckerman
80:Raymond Menmuir
67:
36:
19:
12:
11:
5:
908:
898:
897:
892:
887:
882:
877:
872:
867:
865:Survival films
862:
857:
852:
835:
834:
832:
831:
823:
815:
807:
799:
791:
782:
779:
778:
775:Arch Nicholson
770:
769:
762:
755:
747:
741:
740:
732:
724:
711:
710:External links
708:
705:
704:
670:
654:
641:
628:
607:
601:"Production",
594:
563:
562:
560:
557:
533:
530:
513:Bess Armstrong
509:Arch Nicholson
473:Rupert Murdoch
454:
451:
449:
448:
445:
439:
436:
433:
430:
427:
424:Wendy Playfair
421:
418:
412:
409:David Bradshaw
406:
400:
397:
394:
391:
385:
379:
376:
373:
367:
366:as Sid O'Brien
361:
360:as Sally Jones
354:
352:
349:
296:
293:
289:Gabrielle Lord
277:Arch Nicholson
259:
258:
255:
251:
250:
249:A$ 4.4 million
247:
243:
242:
239:
235:
234:
232:
231:
228:
224:
222:
218:
217:
214:
211:
208:
207:
205:
204:
193:
181:
179:
176:
173:
172:
170:
169:
161:
152:
150:
149:Distributed by
146:
145:
142:
141:
136:
130:
129:
127:
122:
119:
118:
115:
111:
110:
109:Ralph Strasser
107:
103:
102:
97:
96:Cinematography
93:
92:
87:
83:
82:
77:
73:
72:
70:Gabrielle Lord
62:
58:
57:
52:
48:
47:
45:Arch Nicholson
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
17:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
907:
896:
893:
891:
888:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
847:
845:
829:
828:
824:
821:
820:
816:
813:
812:
808:
805:
804:
800:
797:
796:
792:
789:
788:
784:
783:
780:
776:
768:
763:
761:
756:
754:
749:
748:
745:
738:
737:
733:
730:
729:
725:
723:
719:
718:
714:
713:
693:
689:
685:
681:
674:
667:
661:
659:
651:
650:Cinema Papers
645:
638:
637:Cinema Papers
632:
625:
621:
618:
617:
611:
604:
603:Cinema Papers
598:
582:
578:
574:
568:
564:
556:
554:
549:
547:
543:
539:
529:
527:
522:
519:objected, so
518:
517:Actors Equity
514:
510:
506:
502:
498:
496:
492:
488:
487:
482:
478:
474:
470:
469:
464:
460:
446:
443:
440:
437:
434:
431:
428:
425:
422:
419:
417:as Dabby Duck
416:
413:
410:
407:
404:
401:
398:
395:
392:
389:
386:
383:
382:Beth Buchanan
380:
377:
374:
371:
368:
365:
362:
359:
356:
355:
348:
344:
342:
338:
332:
328:
326:
320:
316:
314:
310:
306:
302:
292:
290:
286:
282:
278:
274:
273:thriller film
271:
267:
266:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
230:United States
229:
226:
225:
223:
219:
215:
209:
194:
183:
182:
180:
177:Release dates
174:
165:
162:
157:
154:
153:
151:
147:
140:
137:
135:
132:
131:
128:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
101:
100:David Connell
98:
94:
91:
88:
84:
81:
78:
74:
71:
66:
63:
59:
56:
53:
51:Screenplay by
49:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
22:
16:
825:
817:
810:
809:
801:
793:
785:
739:at Oz Movies
735:
727:
716:
695:. Retrieved
683:
673:
665:
649:
644:
636:
631:
615:
610:
602:
597:
585:. Retrieved
581:the original
576:
567:
550:
535:
499:
484:
466:
458:
456:
426:as Old Woman
415:Vernon Wells
411:as Pussy Cat
388:Asher Keddie
370:Rebecca Rigg
364:Sean Garlick
345:
333:
329:
321:
317:
298:
275:directed by
264:
263:
262:
212:Running time
64:
15:
587:8 September
551:It won the
526:Rachel Ward
403:Peter Hehir
358:Rachel Ward
287:, based on
285:Rachel Ward
159:(Australia)
90:Rachel Ward
76:Produced by
41:Directed by
850:1985 films
844:Categories
559:References
457:The novel
453:Production
372:as Narelle
270:Australian
268:is a 1985
257:A$ 139,000
254:Box office
216:91 minutes
199:1986-06-26
188:1985-11-24
123:Production
18:1985 film
773:Films of
697:8 January
692:0362-4331
486:Gallipoli
384:as Leanne
339:to build
227:Australia
221:Countries
125:companies
106:Edited by
819:Dark Age
811:Fortress
795:Deadline
736:Fortress
728:Fortress
717:Fortress
620:Archived
459:Fortress
265:Fortress
238:Language
114:Music by
86:Starring
65:Fortress
61:Based on
24:Fortress
803:Buddies
540:by the
532:Release
305:Outback
303:in the
241:English
197: (
186: (
830:(1990)
822:(1987)
814:(1985)
806:(1983)
798:(1982)
790:(1978)
690:
390:as Sue
246:Budget
722:IMDb
699:2018
688:ISSN
589:2021
475:and
351:Cast
295:Plot
720:at
577:BFI
542:HBO
495:HBO
479:'s
164:HBO
68:by
846::
686:.
682:.
657:^
575:.
766:e
759:t
752:v
701:.
626:.
591:.
201:)
190:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
