Fortress (1985) watch online HD

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 kidnappers wear masks that the viewer will remember forever. 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. See if you can find it, it's pretty good.

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 fairly low-fi quality of the film makes it all the scarier, classic HBO 80's fodder. 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. The setting of the Outback made their situation seem really perilous, for if there is so much open, empty space around you, it seems you have fewer places to hide (and I think may have sparked my latent fear of kidnapping and lack of hiding places). Excellent (as it stuck in my mind all these years, I guess it had to!)

I had the same experience other members had with this film. I saw it on HBO when I was eight and it's since become part of me. Like them, I Googled, queried, etc. Unfortunately, my memory failed on the major points and I came up empty-handed. Finally, another member of IMDb came through. Anyway, this film is a lost jewel. It scared the hell out of me as a kid and I hope to see it again if I can find a used copy of the VHS somewhere. The premise is pretty simple. 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 still recall holding my breath during the underwater cave scene and never quite being able to hold it long enough. If you get a chance to watch this flick do so. Its ultra-rare and unforgettable.

I remember watching this movie every Saturday on TV why my mom cleaned the house. I remember it freaking me out. I love this movie. I was probably 8 at the time. I was talking to people randomly about the movie and people thought I was crazy because no one remembered it. My sister didn't even remember it. Finally two years ago a girl that I worked with was like yeah I know the movie you are talking about. However we didn't know the name of the film. 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. I also want to say thanks to Amazon.com for being fantastic. I love this movie...I recommend it to anyone. Rachel Ward gives a Fantastic performance as well. Plus this movie is based on a true story.

HAHAHAHA I can't believe how many people share my scarred childhood. What were parents thinking letting children see this movie??????? In fact someone in my family taped it and I watched it over an over. My sister apparently had nightmares for years. I never remembered the name and then typed in like "santa kidnapper" in google and there it was FORTRESS! For a review, this movie is a classic. I can't believe more people don't know about this. I guess they had good parents :) The story is crazy. School kids get kidnapped by guys in freaky masks. They are forced to kill the kidnappers. Nothing burns an image into your head like the scene where everyone is roaring and stabbing Father Christmas and they show him blankly staring into space. Sorry to spoil this for anyone who hasn't seen it but I can't imagine you finding this if you know nothing about it. I mean how many people google "kidnapper in Santa mask and duck mask" LOL I'M COMING FOR YOU NORELLE!!!!

Point blank this movie flashed me back to 3rd grade spring time or 4th grade fall of 1985. 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. Something was magical that night because about an hour later he turned on HBO and the movie was just starting. I remember we watched it and we both loved it. All through the years growing up it was our little inside laugh.....we would talk about Father Christmas......haha. 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. I'm 29 years old and haven't seen that movie in 21 years. Wow!!!!!!!! Still Fantastic as it was when I was a child.......... 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 started out watching this because I thought it was a repeat of Fortress 1993 (have digital cable here & couldn't sleep last night). 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. So naturally, I figured this would be another corny 80's after school special type movie. Boy was a I wrong!! This movie was better & shocked me more then Fortress (1993) did. I recommend this movie to everyone & give it a 10!, cuz it fooled me, it wasn't predictable or 80's campy.

A recurring theme in Australian movies seems to be the closeness of pristine wilderness, of land not fit for man nor beast to modern technological civilization. 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. I liked it a lot and will tape it next time I catch it on cable (which is all too rarely).

I'm unsure why Fortress is listed in the Horror category as it isn't really a horror film, but I suppose it has many horrific elements to it. Anyhow.. Fortress is a beautiful yet disturbing film about the human instinct to survive. It shows how humans can only be pushed so far and how we are no different to anyone else - we will kill too if we have to. There are so many emotional and beautiful scenes and a few made me want to cry. 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. The masks used by the kidnappers are also very disturbing - the Santa Claus mask in particular since Santa is meant to be a symbol of innocence, yet here it symbolises evil.

Seek out this film at all costs! It's amazingly underrated and better than many films out there.

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. I guess it's the reality of it that makes it so 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). The plot focuses on a school teacher and her class. Their ordinary day is ruined when men with guns decide to take them all hostage and hold them for ransom. They manage to escape the kidnappers, but find themselves running out of steam as every escape attempt is thwarted. 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!

This film takes place in the outback region of Australia in the mid 1980's. A school teacher and her students are kidnapped by four masked men. They are then led on a unwilling adventure that tests their survival skills and transforms them prematurely into adults. I would recommend this film to anyone who loves movies that always keep you guessing, you will be surprised by the outcome.

Huh! Based on the lewd and exploitative VHS cover image as well as the brief synopsis on the back, I automatically assumed this was another ordinary and by-the-numbers rape & revenge exploitation thriller. The last thing I anticipated, however, was a made-for-TV production based on true events and atop of that boosting a few valuable morality lessons. Don't worry, though, as this isn't the "A Cry in the Dark" type of factual drama, but a raw and sleazy thriller with some very violent bits and strangely unsettling undertones. "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. One school day morning shortly before start of summer, Miss Jones' classroom gets invaded by a trio of anonymous men wearing menacing masks. They are kidnapped and locked up in a cave still unaware of their fades. Rather than to wait and see, the group plots to escape and flee into the Outback wildlife. But since every escape attempt ends with failure, the group agrees to fight back as one. This results into a perplexing and rather shocking climax. I heavily suspect the film version ending differs quite a bit from the factual events, but still even if the truth was half as harsh it would still be shocking! The transformation of the children and the teacher into rancorous and bloodthirsty little psychopaths is illustrated gradually slow and atmospheric, and thus the finale becomes more credible and even somewhat disturbing. Especially the very last scene, when a police inspector tries to question the class about what happened exactly, is creepy! There are some truly odd undertones and hidden perversity in "Fortress" and this is a particularly rare element to find in TV-productions. For instance, there's the clearly noticeable sexual tension and innuendo between Miss Jones and her boy student Sid. It already starts right from the beginning, when Sid kills a fox and Miss Jones protests, but their bond grows more intense during the Outback adventure. 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. Good job, guys! You were scary!

This Review may contain spoilers. To have children thrown into such violence and even enact such violence themselves, I imagine would be extremely traumatic for them, even coming from the farm, where they kill animals. I don't think, that it would be happy school days, business, as usual after that. 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. The children were portrayed quite realistically and their bond with their teacher seemed believable. The children seemed quite independent, as products of the outback. One reviewer made reference to the "Lord of the Flies". Quite thought-provoking.

I first remember seeing this after finding the novel in my local library. I would have been around 13, and it was in the 99p rental section of my local video store. 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. It made us both learn how to make candles from coke cans, and lethal home made arrows (which my dad confiscated). 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. An Aussie gem! Oh and what they do at the end...burrer (shiver!).

This movie stays with you. I think about it at least a couple times a year, every year for the last 17. 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. It maybe isn't the best of movies, but all the thrills, and chills are all in the right place, and it isn't such a bad movie to watch. *** out of ****

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. There is plenty of tense action and a few surprisingly gruesome moments, and the talented young cast give some great convincing performances.

As made for TV fare goes, this one is well worth a viewing.

This is a really enjoyable film within its genre. Rachel Ward delights as a complex and heroic character, with an adequate supporting cast of kids. Ms. Ward plays Sally Jones, a (very) rural schoolmarm whose class is abruptly abducted by a few degenerate crazies who hope to ransom the entire class to the government for a huge payoff (based on true events). Her character development throughout this suspenseful and terrifying film is wonderful. Various remarks have criticized the film for reasons such as "Sally removing her bra to swim underwater makes no sense." Or, "Why does she need to pull off her bra to swim the first time, and not the second time?" And that's what I like about the film. There's more than enough meat in the end product to give you plenty to chew on. Let me explain a bit, using these scenes as an example. When the group is first locked into the cave by the kidnappers, Sally goes off to find a way out. This she does - an underwater stream. She takes the oldest boy with her, and strips to her underwear to make the exploratory swim to find a passage out of the cave. There is more than enough energy exchange between Sally and the boy as she undresses to give us a good story. It's obviously complex, and there are all sorts of factors at play. Her age, his respective age, their respective student/teacher roles. She may be drawing power from the experience of dominating him energetically. This is power she will need for the rest of the saga. She may be trying to garner his undying allegiance - she will need this from every member of the group. My point is that in the exchange of expressions between the boy and the woman, and the body language of both - there's plenty of juice to supply a good story. Once again, when the group is getting ready to make the swim to escape, Sally is about to pull off her bra (topless swimming is not considered odd in Australia) until she sees the discomfort/anxiety of the oldest and most sexually developed girl (played by Rebecca Rigg/Riggs). As braless Narelle is about to pull off her top in response to Sally's lead, we assume Sally sees the anxiety on Narelle's face and decides to leave her own bra on to spare Narelle the experience of having to strip in public - something Narelle obviously sees as terrifying. This is a good call, because if any of the kids are close to freaking out it is obviously (to Sally) Narelle. Or, Sally sees that Narelle has some goodies of her own and decides she doesn't want the competition. I think there's that much potential complexity portrayed in the film at a number of turns in the story, and it is why I think this film stands out in spite of a low budget and a thin script. 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.

Kidnapped? Scared? Willing to fight back? That's what this movie is about. A young teacher who cares for her children is a big job these days. But when these abductors take them do they get scared? YES! But, do they stay scared? NO! These people fight back and hard. Rachel Ward plays Mrs. Sally Jones, a teacher in the Outback of Australia. And her students are taken hostage by some masked men. Sally and an older student have to perilously find an escape from these bandits in the Outback. When they were held in the caves, the were able to find a riverbed, and Sally had to swim without her clothes to find the escape route. So when she did she got the kids and the procedure made some of the students uneasy because they had to remove their clothes. And Sally have to keep her bra on because of the boys and girls uneasiness. I don't know which was traumatizing, the kidnapping ordeal, or seeing some of the opposite sex without clothes on? It not the issue, they had to escape, and those kidnappers really had it coming to them. A fun movie to see, and I think it's a major keeper. 3 out of 5 stars.

Mesmerizing. I loved this movie because once started I could not take my eyes off the screen in case I missed something. Excellent casting of characters - you feel you are there - part of the action taking place. AND what action! All School Teachers should be like this one. The thrill factor of this movie comes with the fight between Good & Evil. We all want Good to conquer but sometimes this does not happen. I would like anyone who has not seen this movie to watch it because it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would love to tell the end but I won't. You have to see it for yourself. The last few lines I have filled in because I could not leave my comment without leaving 10 lines of comment.

Fortress. I first saw this movie back in the late 80's. I was around 13 or 14 years old. On Friday nights, my mom would take me & my friends to the local video store to rent movies. This was at the top of our list.

The story is very simple to follow. 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. I remember holding my breath and gasping for air as I sat and watched them struggle to free themselves from captivity. 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.

If this is based on a true story then it is quite a story. It very well could be real. 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. I think the young ones rang in age from kindergarten to about 14 or 15. They are kidnaped and are very scared. Yet they do their best to escape, and they only want to survive and escape. They overcome fear and do their best to get away, but they make some mistakes. Is it the kidnappers that are the biggest problem or is it the wilderness? What happens when there is injury and death? All that can be scary but fear is a great enemy too.

This is an obvious spin from "Lord of the Flies"! It is done so well! 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! (12+)

I saw this movie on tv when I was younger and spent years looking for it on video. I finally found about 2 years ago and watched it again. This is the 2nd greatest tv movie ever (behind Assault on Precinct 13). The fact that the villains faces are covered by masks the whole time really adds to the fear and suspense in the plot. Films about regular people being thrust into situations they are not prepared for are my favorite types of film (i.e. Breakdown,Naked Prey, and even Castaway if you want to go for a more recent film). I think it gives a bigger sense of humanity to the characters. If you can find it, I extremely recommend that you see it.