Fortress
Tags: revenge, violence

Plot synopsis:
In a dystopian 2017, ex-army officer John Henry Brennick and his wife Karen are attempting to cross the Canada–United States border to Vancouver to have a second child. Strict one-child policies forbid a second pregnancy, even after their firstborn has died, so Karen wears a magnetic vest to trick the security scanners. A guard notices and raises the alarm.
Brennick is caught, believing Karen to have escaped, and sentenced to 31 years at the Fortress, a private maximum security prison run by the Men-Tel Corporation. To maintain discipline all inmates are implanted with "Intestinators" which induce severe pain or death as a form of physical control and mental conditioning. The prison is co-run by Director Poe, who oversees Zed-10, a computer that monitors day-to-day activities. The prison is located underground, in the middle of the desert, inside a deep pit that can only be crossed by a retractable bridge, while the prisoners are kept in overcrowded cells secured by laser walls.
John is imprisoned with inmates Abraham, a model prisoner who works as Poe's manservant and is awaiting parole; D-Day, a machine and demolitions expert; Nino Gomez and Stiggs, who tries to extort John. John learns his wife has been captured and is held in another level with his unborn child who, being illegal, is now officially owned by Men-Tel and will be confiscated at birth.
Stiggs has a friend, Maddox, who intimidates John and the two are involved in a brawl which culminates with Maddox being shot by a security turret. John manages to grab Maddox's Intestinator and gives it to D-Day before he is taken away to be subjected to a mind-wipe procedure as punishment.
Poe, infatuated with Karen, tells her that if she lives with him he will treat John well and release him from the mind-wipe chamber. She accepts to help John. Poe is revealed to be a cyborg, powerfully enhanced by Men-Tel cybernetics. Four months later, a heavily pregnant Karen manages to use her access to the prison computer in Poe's quarters to help John by restoring him from his mind-wiped state. Karen steals a holographic map and gives it to Abraham to give to John. D-Day dismantles Maddox's Intestinator and uses a magnetic component to pull out the others' Intestinators.
During their next work shift John's group puts their Intestinators in an air-duct and stage a brawl, causing Zed to trigger the devices and blow the duct open to prepare their escape. Poe promptly flushes the duct with steam and sends in "Strike Clones", networked cyborgs armed with flamethrowers and machine guns. Stiggs surrenders and gets shot dead, but the rest of the group kill a Strike Clone, steal its weapon and use it to kill the remaining clones.
Zed alerts Poe of Karen's actions. He reveals to her that her child, like all MenTel-owned babies, will be extracted in a fatal Caesarean to be made a cyborg. Abraham and Karen resist, but are powerless against the cyborg Poe and Abraham dies of strangulation.
Hijacking one of the gun turrets and using it as an elevator, John's group travels to Zed's control room. John takes Poe hostage and orders him to release Karen. Poe gives the order, but Zed refuses the command while stating that MenTel does not engage in any negotiations during hostage situations and a gun turret blasts Poe, blowing him to pieces and leaving John's group with no leverage. Once brought over to the core computer, D-Day hacks into Zed and accesses a powerful virus confiscated at the start of his sentence. D-Day manages to activate the virus after being shot and incapacited, causing a complete systems crash and all automated security to fail. John and Gomez rescue Karen, hijack a truck, and escape to Mexico where Karen enters labor in an abandoned barn and gives birth to her and John's child.

Review: I loved watching this movie growing up as a kid, and every time I watched it I was freaked out yet I couldn't get enough of it.
I knew the movie was based on a true story, and the country school setting reminded me of a place where I used to go camping.
I haven't seen it in years but remember the whole movie back to front.Set in a small country town, a class of students comprising the entire school and their teacher are kidnapped.
The teacher and kids are left to try and plan an escape from their captors.Hardly anyone in the world is going to see this movie, and they are all missing out.
I am so happy that Google exists, because after 15 YEARS of fruitless searching (including on IMDb, sorry!) I've found this movie again.
Images like the swim through the underground cavern and the older couple (?) being horrified by the rabbit masked man have haunted me to the point I thought I had imagined the whole thing.
The fact that I watched it as a pre-teen made the fight for survival of the woman and the children all the more real.
A group of Aussie thugs take a young teacher and her charges hostage, their escape and subsequent fight for survival turns bloody at the end.
I remember watching this movie every Saturday on TV why my mom cleaned the house.
I was talking to people randomly about the movie and people thought I was crazy because no one remembered it.
Finally two years ago a girl that I worked with was like yeah I know the movie you are talking about.
It took me 15 years and a NICE NICE guy from Austrialia (that I meet on in a chat room) to help me find the name of the movie.
Plus this movie is based on a true story..
Vividly I remember sleeping over my friends house and telling him about this movie Fortress that I had just seen and he was eager to see it after I went on and on about it.
I thought about the movie frequently growing up but never ever ever saw it again on TV or any channels such as HBO or Cinemax or Showtime.
About two weeks ago while looking through my Comcast cable at 3 in the morning I came across Fortress coming on the next day on HBO and I set my DVR to record it and just watched it last night.
I felt like a kid again.....and I couldn't believe how my memory flashed back and I knew pretty much everything that was coming up before it happened.
Hope I didn't bore you to death.....maybe some others can relate to my little story and feel the same way about this movie.Tommy New Jersey.
I had already looked up Fortress (1993) up on IMDB before watching it earlier this morning, so I knew the basic plot of this movie.
That the struggle for survival is never very far away.This movie captures that perfectly as a kidnapped school class turns from fleeing victims into tribal warriors.
It's one of those movies you don't get tired of seeing, when my niece was younger, I was watching it and she really liked, everytime she came over from then on we had to watch it, it's just that good.
What we have here is a fairly obscure little made for Australian TV movie that takes a common plot (kidnap) and moulds an interesting little morality tale around it.
The theme seen in this film was previously seen in classics such as The Virgin Spring, and later The Last House on the Left, except here it arguably more shocking (though much less visceral) as there are children involved.
The question that the movie asks is whether or not it is OK to "do unto others as they do unto you", though it never actually makes a judgement on this and the audience is left to decide - which makes the film instantly more interesting than morality tales that preach to the viewer (recent Oscar winner Crash is a good example of how badly that can turn out).
They soon realise that the best to get away from the villains may not be to run, but to stand and fight...This film works because the plot is kept simple and this allows us to focus on the important points that the story has to make.
The characters we are introduced to are all likable and believable also; and this again helps to convey the film's message as we can understand why they have been lured into the situation that they find themselves in.
The acting in the film is decent considering it's a TV movie.
Rachel Ward plays the part of the school teacher well, and definitely seems to have a rapport with the children.
A Problem that often befalls films like this is that the child actors tend to be annoying; but surprisingly, this film manages to avoid slipping into that pitfall as even the kids manage decent performances!
The first half of the movie doesn't feature a lot in the way of excitement, but things really hot up in the second half and the ending is certainly worth waiting for.
I can't say that this is a great movie, but it's certainly a very good one and one that fans of horror/thrillers will certainly want to check out!.
A school teacher and her students are kidnapped by four masked men.
I would recommend this film to anyone who loves movies that always keep you guessing, you will be surprised by the outcome..
The film scared the pants off me and my brother, and at the same time made us marvel at how ingenious and brutal the kids and the teacher could be when pushed to the edge.
For those who watched Aussie shows at the times, there were a few familiar soap faces as well as Rachel Ward.
This cross between Lord of the Flies and Walkabout is a true slice of thriller movie making.
It really makes you think "how would I react under similar circumstances?" The performances by the kids are great as is that by the teacher.
But the best scene of all is the way they close the movie - it's very dis-"heartening"..
In this movie, A group of crazed Aussie group of thugs, kidnap a group of students in a school house and hold them hostage.
A movie, with a plot that doesn't look promising at first, manages to stabilized itself with all the suspense.
An enjoyable fight-for-survival movie..
Kidnappers bite off more than they can chew when they abduct a teacher and her class from a remote school in the Outback.
Escaping from the cave in which they are held hostage, Sally Jones (Rachel Ward ) and her pupils must fight for survival against their captors.This surprisingly well made film, based on a true story, is an exciting, gritty and disturbing tale which shows how the the human instinct for survival can turn even the most innocent of people into savage killers.
Sally and her class, pushed to the limits, revert to an animalistic state which, by the end of the film, sees them wildly stabbing and tearing at their attackers in a frenzy of blood-lust.Director Arch Nicholson develops the story well, at first having the children bickering with each other, but eventually seeing them teaming together to beat a common foe.
Rachel Ward plays Mrs. Sally Jones, a teacher in the Outback of Australia.
The thrill factor of this movie comes with the fight between Good & Evil.
A young teacher, preparing for a well deserved hiatus, and her small class of 9 students are kidnapped by masked gunmen and taken to the Australian Outback.
To this day, years later may I add, the images of those crazed masked men are still vivid in my mind.
The underwater scene at the cave was probably one of the most horrifying moments in the entire movie.
The ending is enough to send chills down ones spine.Good news is, after lots of searching by both myself and my husband, he found a VHS copy online from an antique movie dealer and bought it for me for Christmas.
I am looking forward to watching it again, as it's been almost 15 years since I've last seen it..
It is an adventure to watch but certainly not an adventure anyone would want in real life.I think the plot summary gives away too much of the story.
I think it would be better to say that this is a story of one adult young woman school teacher and her nine young students.
It is very enjoyable to watch the kids get the best of the bad men (as unlike "Lord of the Flies", the actions that the children take are righteous ones!).
Please note: The events that take place toward the end of this movie are VERY violent!
I recommend this movie to those who like adventure / suspense & thrills!NOTE: There is partial nudity & bad language!
I saw this movie on tv when I was younger and spent years looking for it on video.
The fact that the villains faces are covered by masks the whole time really adds to the fear and suspense in the plot.
Watched it a lot as a kid and love it as an adult!
The plot is quite simple in that a small Outback school where only nine children of varying ages attend is overseen by an English school teacher.
Then in the middle of a normal school day four masked gunmen turn up and kidnap them.Once they are secreted in the bush they soon realise that these guys are not going to win any prizes for being nice.
This is a movie that I remember from my childhood, brilliant cast and simple but amazing well executed plot.Too many horror movies these days have characters that pathetically try and survive, I believe if you are ever kidnapped and manage to win the upper hand on your captors you would get revenge no matter how brutal and this movie has that and more.As others have said the masks are something that stays with your forever.
Rachel Ward is just exceptional, quite surprised this is just a "TV Movie" it deserves way more accolades.
I watched this movie when I was probably 9 years old on HBO.
Like many other posters here I watched this movie as a child in the 80s and I have been HAUNTED ever since by those masked faces.
After many conversations with people of a similar age I managed to find out what this movie was called - I want to watch it again to put those ghosts to rest.
I am incredibly relieved tonight, however, to find out that I'm not the only person who frequently thinks of this movie after watching it as a child - I honestly fear those masks appearing through my windows at nigh (ugh).
An Australian Outback teacher and her elementary class are kidnapped by masked men.
I would recommend anyone to watch it as long as you understand, sometimes the low budget movies are the creepiest.
This a very good suspense movie.
This a very good suspense movie.
But once the children begin to stand up for themselves the movie takes a very exciting turn for a very good ending..
I'm in that group of people that saw this movie as a young teenager back in 1986.
As a side note, while babysitting those same kids on a different night, I was introduced to Nicholas Cage in a movie called Birdie.
If you like Nick's work that falls more on the side of drama and a little less on the flashy lights, this movie is for you.
Through out the years the scenes in this movie really stuck with me.I wanted to watch this movie again!
Periodically every year or so I would ask someone if they have ever seen the movie, telling them the scenes I remembered,plot line, and that I thought it could be a foreign film.
I even checked with all the video stores with no luck.For about 9 years no one I asked had ever heard of this movie.
At 12 years old, this movie rocks!
When I saw this movie as a kid, I was fully immersed.
Instead of getting the kids, which I thought was the objective, the masked men stood outside the cave making taunting noises.
I saw hints of LORD OF THE FLIES, which is pretty deep for a TV movie.
Just like LORD OF THE FLIES, the children almost became savages in the end.
These are subtleties that you don't get when you're 12 years old viewing this movie.So though it's not quite as enjoyable as when I was young, at least now, I have a full comprehension, and it's still a great nostalgic flick..
A group of kidnapped kids in the Australian bush manage to escape and kill their kidnappers in a very brutal and bloody manner..
I watched this movie when I was 18 and it made a great impression on me.
Schoolteacher and class of rural bumpkins get kidnapped by cartoonish bunch of thugs, brought to the forest, try to escape, get caught, repeat, until they finally bond as a group and give the kidnappers a taste of their own medicine.My, the savage nature of the human animal!
Give me a break.The movie is corny, the children are annoying, the soundtrack is silly, and all that without taking into account the embarrassingly corny, "Yeah, group!" type moments.
Sally Jones (Rachel Ward) is a teacher in rural Australia.
With ingenuity, they escape the cave but the masked gunmen are not letting them go that easily.It's a fair action thriller TV movie.
Featuring not one, but two separate caves, an escape swim through an underground stream, along with some savage retributions against the masked tormentors, "Fortress" delivers enough entertainment that the plot holes are best forgiven.
Just to let you know the writer of Fortress (the man who gave us plot holes) is working with Asher Keddie (Sue) on a new project.http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=123752I guess those Aussies really stick together.Writer  Everett Deroche Everett is an established writer with a long list of credits to his name for both television and feature films over 25 years.
What were parents thinking letting children see this movie???????
I never remembered the name and then typed in like "santa kidnapper" in google and there it was FORTRESS!
School kids get kidnapped by guys in freaky masks.
Fortress is a beautiful yet disturbing film about the human instinct to survive.
The part where the kids and the teacher brutally kill one of the kidnappers is very disturbing - it's not often you see children killing an adult.
"Fortress" is more or less an amalgamation of "Lord of the Flies" and "Last House on the Left" with a teacher and her mixed classroom of nine children gradually reverting to savagery in order to save their own lives.
Rachel Ward is good as the teacher and I would really like to mention the actors whose faces were covered by the icky masks the entire time.
However; real children do have to deal with violence every day, so I appreciate, that this film isn't "Disney- ized" and shows the tough stuff.
Mostly due to the acting and the editing that allows that acting to come forward, I give it three strong, solid stars and recommend it if you like the idea: a framework of terror and brutality surrounding a group of kids and their teacher who discover the inner primitive savageness that is, in the end, their only possible savior..
Young school teacher Sally Jones (a fine and credible performance by the lovely Rachel Ward) and her nine students are taken hostage by four masked gunmen.
Fortress is a highly effective thriller supposedly based on true events, as so many compelling movies are.
Rachel Ward plays a school teacher in the Australian outback who is taken for ransom along with her entire student body.
The film is very suspenseful, and almost comes off as a masterpiece until the third act loses credibility when the captives begin to turn the tide against the kidnappers.
I'm yet another 80's kid who saw this on TV and was scared witless but didn't know the name of the movie and eventually couldn't recall if it was real or just a bad nightmare (a nightmare that happened to recur on and off for the following 2 decades!!!).
I must have shut off the movie before the ending, but now, 20 years later, I am happy to know they defeated the villains, albeit quite gruesomely.
During an ordinary day at school, suddenly four men in novelty masks kidnap and hold ransom a schoolteacher Sally Jones and her nine students.
So, when they finally escape, instead of running they decide to take a stand against their captors.Well, this is kinda disturbing for a TV movie, but I knew what I was getting myself into as read the novel by Gabrielle Lord when I was at school.
I didn't really know that there was a movie adapted from this tale that's loosely based on a true story until recently.
But saying that, this Australian TV movie is efficiently solid and packs a sting in its observation of the unsettling change in the children and their teacher when they come face to face on even ground with their captors.
The last third of the film takes on a feeling and atmosphere almost comparable to "Lord of the Flies", with the children becoming a bit scary.
In fact the finale is like something out of the occult.Not that any of this ruins the movie though, even if it is somewhat surprising.