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Films A-Z
1974-79
1980-84
1985-89
1990-94
1995-99
2000-04
Sam Neill Filmography
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1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999

1999
Photo of Sam Neill as Sir
Sir

Bicentennial Man (Buena Vista Pictures)

with Robin Williams, Embeth Davidtz, Wendy Crewson, Hallie Eisenberg 
Directed by Chris Columbus 
Based on The Bicentennial Man by Isaac Asimov (Doubleday, 1976)
Available on video and DVD in North America; on video in Russia

A tale of a talented robot named Andrew and his struggles to gain the recognition of mortals whose response to him, was only human. 

"I have to say I've laughed more on this film than I have on the last ten films combined. When we'd do a scene ... with Robin you never really know where it's going to go. It can go ways that are absolutely hilarious but completely unprintable." -- Sam Neill


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Molokai: The Story of Father Damien  (ERA Films)

with Derek Jacobi, Peter O'Toole, David Wenham, Kris Kristofferson, Aden Young, Leo McKern, Alice Krige, Kate Ceberano 
Directed by Paul Cox 
Based on Het zieke paradijs : de biografie van Damiaan by Hilde Eynikel (Standaard, 1993) 
Photo of Sam Neill as Walter Murray Gibson
Walter Murray Gibson
(Picture from Honolulu 
Star Bulletin; Thanks,
Katya)
Available on video and DVD in North America

The true story of the Belgian priest Father Damien who chose to respond to Walter Gibson's written challenge for a member of a religious order to come and bring order out of chaos at the leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Father Damien became famous for his sacrifice and devotion to his people, dying of leprosy himself. He was beatified in 1994. Synopsis

"It's a wonderful story about a wonderful man and a great role, but I'm afraid Mr. Gibson is not a very sympathetic character." -- Sam Neill


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1998
Photo of Sam Neill as Merlin
Merlin

Merlin -- TV Mini-Series (NBC)

with Isabella Rossellini, Miranda Richardson, Helena Bonham Carter, Sir John Gielgud, James Earl Jones, Rutger Hauer, Martin Short. 
Directed by Steve Barron 
 Based on Arthurian legends 
Screenplay: Merlin: The Shooting Script by Ed Khmara and David Stevens (Newmarket Press, 1998) 
Soundtrack: Merlin by Trevor Jones (Varese Sarabande  0-30206 59292-4) 
Available on video (short version) and DVD (both long version and special edition) in North America; long version (videotape) no longer sold by NBC; on video in Russia

Based on traditional Arthurian myths, this is the story of the last of the great magicians: his quest for the Holy Grail; his battles against Morgan le Fey and Mab, the Queen of Darkness; his relationship with King Arthur; and his love for the lady Nimue. Synopsis

"There's a very good reason why the whole Merlin mythology is alive and thriving fifteen hundred years after the Dark Ages. [It's a] great story about extraordinary people living in extraordinary times." -- Sam Neill 


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The Horse Whisperer (Touchstone)

with Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Dianne Wiest, Chris Cooper 
Directed by Robert Redford 
Based on The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans, published by Dell 
Also available: The Horse Whisperer: An Illustrated Companion to the Major Motion Picture by Gretel Ehrlich (Dell, 1998) 
Soundtracks: The Horse Whisperer by Thomas Newman (Hollywood  7-20616 21372-3) and The Horse Whisperer, Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture by Various (MCA 0-08817 00252-1) 
Photo of Sam Neill as Robert MacLean
Robert
MacLean
Available on video (LTX available) and DVD in North America; on video in Russia

Tom Booker, a horse whisperer, is hired by Annie Graves to calm her daughter's horse after a riding accident in which her daughter loses a leg and the horse loses its senses. Booker finds himself trying to heal the family as well as the horse. 

"There's something to be said for actors directing, because Bob is involved with every aspect of what he's doing. What a marvelous guy to work with. And Kristin Scott Thomas? Talk about a great woman -- Capable of anything." -- Sam Neill


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Photo of Sam Neill as Henry Bell
Henry
Bell

The Revengers' Comedies a.k.a. Sweet Revenge (J&M Entertainment)

with Helena Bonham Carter, Kristin Scott Thomas, Martin Clunes, Steve Coogan, Rupert Graves, John Wood, Charlotte Coleman, Liz Smith 
Directed by Malcolm Mowbray 
Based on the play "The Revengers' Comedies" by Alan Ayckbourn 
Available on video and DVD in North America; available on video in Denmark, Russia, Spain, and Italy; on VCD in Singapore

One night, preparing to leap into the Thames, a recently sacked middle manager and an eccentric heiress meet; she conceives of an insane plan to swap revenges and convinces him to participate. The stakes escalate until he is entangled in a web he barely understands.  Synopsis.

"I play a kind of Everyman Hapless Harry." -- Sam Neill


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The Games: Transport -- TV Series (Beyond Productions and Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

with John Clarke, Bryan Dawe, Gina Riley, Nicholas Bell 
Directed by Bruce Permezel 
Screenplay: The Games, by John Clarke & Ross Stevenson (ABC Books, 1999) 
Photo of Sam Neill as Sam, CEO of City TransWorld
Sam, CEO of 
City TransWorld 
(Cameo)
Broadcast on television in Australia (1998 - Series I, 2000 - Series II) and Canada; episode 1.13 available on the video The Games Series I: Millenium Bug in PAL format in Australia.

Satirical show about preparations in Sydney for the 2000 Olympics. Neill's cameo is episode 1.13, "Transport".

1997

Event Horizon (Paramount)

with Laurence Fishburne, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Sean Pertwee, Richard T. Cooper, Jack Noseworthy 
Directed by Paul Anderson 
Novelization: Event Horizon by Steven McDonald (Tor, 1997) 
Soundtrack: Event Horizon by Michael Kamen (London 0-422-828 939-2-5) 
Photo of Sam Neill as Dr. William Weir
Dr. William 
Weir
Available on video (also LTX), laserdisc, and DVD in North America; on video in the U.K. and Russia

A rescue mission is sent to the outer reaches of our solar system to salvage the Event Horizon, a prototype spaceship designed by Dr. Weir. It disappeared during its first mission and then suddenly reappears after seven years. As the crew members search for survivors, they discover the terrifying secrets that lie within. 

"We've got great actors, and that's rare. When you think of an ensemble cast, you don't necessarily think Larry Fishburne or Sam Neill. They're the type of actors who can floss their teeth and the audience will watch it because it's good." -- Philip Eisner, Event Horizon screenwriter


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Photo of Sam Neill as Lord Frederick Hoffman
Lord Frederick
Hoffman

Snow White: A Tale of Terror (Polygram)

with Sigourney Weaver, Gil Bellows, Monica Keena 
Directed by Michael Cohn 
Based on the story of Snow White as told by the Grimm Brothers
Available on video, DVD, and laserdisc in North America; on video in Russia

Lord Hoffman's wife dies giving birth to their daughter Lilli. After several years of mourning, he marries the beautiful Claudia. His daughter Lilli does not approve of her step-mother and the battle between the two women for his affection has tragic consequences. 

"This is about a lot of things that still lurk beneath our 20th century veneer: fear of the dark, fear of the forest, fear of aging, fear of youth, fear of sexuality. It's pretty much an Uncle Walt-free zone." -- Sam Neill


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1996

Children of the Revolution (Miramax)

with Judy Davis, F. Murray Abraham, Geoffrey Rush, Richard Roxburgh, Rachel Griffiths 
Directed by Peter Duncan 
Screenplay: Children of the Revolution by Peter Duncan (Currency Press, 1996) 
Photo of Sam Neill as Nine
Nine
Available on video and DVD in North America; on video in Russia.

An Australian communist has her long-held wish to meet Stalin fulfilled in the winter of 1953, but after one night, he's dead and she's pregnant. Young Joe was Joan's hope for the future of Australia, but he rebels against what she stands for, as he tries to figure out which of three men is really his father and attempts to find his own path. 

"I don't know if it's a comedy, or a tragedy or a documentary." -- Sam Neill


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Photo of Sam Neill as Al Dewey
Al Dewey

In Cold Blood -- TV Mini-Series (CBS)

with Eric Roberts, Anthony Edwards 
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan 
Based on In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 
Available on video and laserdisc in North America; on DVD in Canada

The brutal murder of a family at home in rural Kansas results in a manhunt for the two killers. Based on a true story. 

"I felt it might be a landmark television event, one that happens only rarely, one of those milestones that you remember." -- Sam Neill


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1995

Forgotten Silver -- TV Broadcast (WingNut Films)

with Peter Jackson, Jeffrey Thomas, Leonard Maltin, Harvey Weinstein 
Directed by Peter Jackson 
Photo of Sam Neill as Himself in Forgotten Silver
Himself
Available on video and DVD in North America 

A "serious account of the first New Zealand film maker in 1888" who made his own film stock from raw egg whites -- Sam Neill makes an appearance commenting on his importance, lending authenticity to this exceptionally elaborate hoax. 

"A spoof that enraged a lot of New Zealanders." -- Sam Neill


Photo of Sam Neill as King Charles II
King Charles II

Restoration (Miramax)

with Robert Downey Jr., Meg Ryan, Polly Walker, David Thewlis, Ian McKellan, Hugh Grant 
Directed by Michael Hoffman 
Based on Restoration by Rose Tremain 
Soundtrack: Restoration by James Newton Howard (Milan 7-31383 57072-8) 
Available on video, laserdisc, and DVD in North America; on video in the U.K. and Russia

Merivel, a doctor in 17th century Britain, is summoned by the king to cure the king's favorite, suffering from a debilitating malady. When he is successful, he is invited to join the royal court; soon after he is married to the king's mistress and given a title and land. But when he falls in love with his wife, which he has been forbidden to do, Merival is stripped everything and must again find his true calling in medicine. 

"The part was like putting on a really well-made glove. It seemed to fit me." -- Sam Neill


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Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey 
(British Film Institute)

Narrated by Sam Neill 
Directed, written and edited by Sam Neill and Judy Rymer 
Part of BFI's Century of Cinema Series 
Photo of Sam Neill as Himself in Cinema of Unease
Himself
Director Icon
Director/Writer/Editor
Not available on video in North America. On video in Australia and the UK.

Using his own life as a backdrop, Neill narrates the history of New Zealand cinema beginning with how New Zealanders in the 50s and 60s almost never saw themselves on screen; instead they saw British and American movies. The documentary then looks at the renaissance of NZ film in the 1970s and the celebrated achievements of New Zealand filmmakers in the late 1980s and the 1990s. 

"A love-hate letter to his adopted New Zealand and its dark, quirky cinema, Neill's docu continues to resonate long after the final fade." -- Variety


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Photo of Sam Neill as Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones

Victory (Miramax)

with Willem Dafoe, Irène Jacob, Rufus Sewell, Simon Callow 
Directed by Mark Peploe 
Based on Victory by Joseph Conrad 
On DVD in North America; available on video in South Africa and U.K.; on VCD in Singapore

Axel Heyst is living alone on a remote island by choice. On a rare visit to a seaport, he meets a violinist who is also a virtual prisoner, tied to a contract. He helps her escape and back on his island they fall in love. Unfortunately, their idyll is interrupted by the arrival of a trio of villains. 

''I play what may be best described as a psychopathic, aristocratic, gay, very unpleasant villain.  A wonderful character." -- Sam Neill


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In the Mouth of Madness (New Line)

with Jürgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, Charlton Heston, Hayden Christensen
Directed by John Carpenter 
Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft 
Soundtrack: In the Mouth of Madness by John Carpenter and Jim Lang (DRG 0-21471-2611-2-7) 
Photo of Sam Neill as John Trent
John Trent
Available on video, DVD, and laserdisc in North America; on video in the U.K. and Russia

Private Investigator John Trent is called in to find reclusive author Sutter Kane, who has disappeared with the text of his latest horror thriller; his waiting fans are going mad. Suspecting a publicity stunt, Trent is joined by Kane's editor in a visit to New Hampshire to track him down. Instead, they land in the supposedly fictional town of Hobb's End where reality has no meaning. 

"I liked the fact that John was mixing genres: the supernatural thriller and the private-eye mystery. This movie really is ambitious. It's also witty, cool and not unintelligent ... one of my favorites." -- Sam Neill 


Images from In the Mouth of Madness Sounds from In the Mouth of Madness
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Films A-Z | 1974-79 | 1980-84 | 1985-89 | 1990-94 | 1995-99 | 2000-04 | Top of Page

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Final Update: January 15, 2005

Copyright © Erika Grams 1995-2005 / Thanks to the Ibiblio.org for hosting this site and for technical assistance. Additional thanks to Kevin Nicastro for years of help and assistance and to all the wonderful members over the past 10 years of the Sam Neill Mailing Lists!

Last Updated: 15-Jan-2005 11:10

Additional Images from Ender's Design: Realm Graphics
Thanks to Robin and Justin for work in tracking down soundtrack information!