Customer Reviews

Fortress

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like many people who have seen this film, I saw it when I was a kid in the early 1980s on HBO. The plot revolves around a young school teacher and the children of various ages that she teaches in a schoolhouse in Australia. The teacher and the children are kidnapped by men wearing masks who are planning on holding their victims for a hefty ransom and perhaps a little "fun" with the teacher and the eldest girl. The movie is suspenseful and full of action as the victims escape from one holding area to another until the end when they take a stand, make a fortress, and take things into their own hands.

Scenes from this movie have stuck with me my whole life. I had nightmares for weeks about the masked bandits coming after me and for awhile I could never look at a Daffy Duck mask the same again. I also vividly remember the students and teacher making a last stand at the old cave where they made their fortress. I was always impressed by how crafty those group of kids were and always hoped I could be as cunning in a similar situation.

This is a great movie. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to find. It's rather rare on video, video stores just don't carry it (I've looked in over 20 different ones and not one carries it), and I search the cable guides weekly but haven't seen it listed since around 1990. Hopefully, the fine folks at HBO will wise up and re-release this film on VHS and DVD soon.

I first saw this movie on cable TV (I'm pretty sure) about 7 or 8 years ago! I was most likely in the 4th or 5th grade. It was absolutely stunning and created all kinds of suspense in my mind. Was the young woman and her students going to die or we're they along for a horrible joy ride? I have been looking for this movie for the 7 or 8 years since I've seen it. Until about 2 weeks ago, a friend has enlightened me with the title of this movie!! I was asking all sorts of people about it and describing all that I had remembered, but didn't even know the title! WELL, IF YOU WANT A GREAT MOVIE TO WATCH, THIS IS THE ONE! I hope to GOD, it gets re-released again....can we email the distributer? What's their name? Thanks......

Fortress, starring Rachel Ward - Australian siren of 80's movies, gives one of her best performances in this action/suspense thriller. The story takes place in a tiny town in the outback of Australia. Ward plays Sally Jones, a teacher who, along with her class, is kidnapped by a group of masked men who hope for a large ransom, in exchange for the group. The only hope for Sally and her class is escape into the wilds of the outback. The school children and their teacher push the narrative forward with heart-stopping action and relentless suspense which ends with a spine-tingling conclusion. If this movie sounds interesting, write to amazon.com and asked that it be re-released. It's currently unavailable.

I have been searching for this movie for years and I received an E-mail today telling me where to buy it. Just 19.99 at videoflicks.com! Order away, I got my copy.

Setting: Australian wilderness- desolate and isolated. An Australian teacher and her students. A schoolhouse in the middle of nowhere. They start the day off like normal and are in the middle of a lesson when a group of whackos in crazy masks show up with guns at the window. Some of the masks they use are Santa Claus, A mouse, a duck, etc. The teachers and students are then forced into a van and driven off into the even more remote wilderness area where they are trapped in a cave... Now they have to devise a plan and fight for their own survival and try to get away from these kidnappers before its too late. They have to use their brains to get out of this situation. It reminded me of a Lord of the flies type of deal. The ending was a little disturbing to me. They're in a cave and the last kidnapper comes in and it involves spears, wont give it away here but this was scary and quite plausible situation. Recommended.

When I first saw this movie I think I was like 28 years old and I've never forgot it. It's a real thriller movie with action, suspense and drama. It's for sure one of my favorites. I've been searching to buy it on DVD, but unfortunately they haven't released it on DVD yet and that's what I hope to happen very soon. Probably I'll be one of the first persons to buy it.
Great movie!!!

This film is so incredible and exciting! Rachel Ward turns in a top performance as Miss Sally Jones, school teacher in the Australian Outback. She also lives with two of her students, Sid and (the troublemaking) Tommy O'Brien. Norelle is a fellow classmate who gets the "curse" and Derrick is a chubs who likes to pick on "the little ones." All is well til they are kidnapped by 4 masked men. Father Christmas is the head villian and is assisted by Dabby Duck, Pussycat and Mack the Mouse! Fabulous things happen as the children are buried in an underground cave, swim underneath rocks, and learn Survival 101! We are also treated to an awesome soundtrack including "Piggy on a Railway." And remember if you children behave, Miss Jones shall shout you all a hamburger at Poobarrows. Even a cup of capricious! Please HBO put this out on DVD now!

I was really young when I saw this movie, but it was excellent. Please re-release this film as soon as possible. I have been trying to get my hands on it for a long time

Like half of Amrica, I saw a little movie on HBO when I was 4. I remember everything about the movie. That was 10 years ago! That is how amazed you will be when you see this movie, that is, if you see this movie. It was stunning. I'll spoil it for you because,chances are, you won't get to see it. Or you won't be reading this, thinking it is too long.

The plot is about group of students, all different ages, and a teacher are kidnapped from their one-room school house, by a band of rubber mask wearing killers. They want ransom, of course. They are put under ground and escape underwater. Then they find a nice old couple. The criminals see them and kill the old couple. That is when the group start getting mad, and killing them....

I was fortunate enough to tape this movie and I watched it more times than anyone. Then my father taped over it when I was about 7.

I looked through The cable guide for years and never seeing this movie, or, if I did, It was on so late and I didn't have a timer on my VCR.

I WILL get this movie some how, but I'm not paying that much... for a used copy.

I wish you all can get to see this perfect example of filmmaking.

I first saw this movie when I was 7 or 8 years old, I am now 25. I don't remember much of little details of things I did or didn't do at that age, but I have never forgotten this movie. Like most families, well at least in my aunts house, who used to record all the favorite movies she rented...we would see them over and over again in her house. Well, this movie gave me some sort of gut to fight, and to not give up. OH, it scared me, hehe, but I always thought of myself as what if I was one of those kids in school that day. OH MY GOSH!!! It was a great movie, well, during those years...and its one of those movies I talk about to my little cousins. And its become one of their scariest movies as well. So, it has not been forgotten.