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Fortress

  • 1992
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
30K
YOUR RATING
Christopher Lambert in Fortress (1992)
In a future, private underground prison/Fortress, the inmates are computer controlled with CCTV, dream readers and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife are inside but want to escape before birth.
Play trailer2:04
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeSci-Fi

In a future, private underground prison/Fortress, the inmates are computer controlled with CCTV, dream readers and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife ... Read allIn a future, private underground prison/Fortress, the inmates are computer controlled with CCTV, dream readers and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife are inside but want to escape before birth.In a future, private underground prison/Fortress, the inmates are computer controlled with CCTV, dream readers and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife are inside but want to escape before birth.

  • Director
    • Stuart Gordon
  • Writers
    • Troy Neighbors
    • Steven Feinberg
    • David Venable
  • Stars
    • Christopher Lambert
    • Loryn Locklin
    • Kurtwood Smith
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    30K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stuart Gordon
    • Writers
      • Troy Neighbors
      • Steven Feinberg
      • David Venable
    • Stars
      • Christopher Lambert
      • Loryn Locklin
      • Kurtwood Smith
    • 87User reviews
    • 72Critic reviews
    • 48Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:04
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos146

    1 Sheet 26 X 38
    Christopher Lambert in Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)
    Christopher Lambert in Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)
    Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklin in Fortress (1992)
    Christopher Lambert in Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)
    Christopher Lambert in Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)
    Fortress (1992)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christopher Lambert
    Christopher Lambert
    • John Henry Brennick
    Loryn Locklin
    Loryn Locklin
    • Karen B. Brennick
    Kurtwood Smith
    Kurtwood Smith
    • Prison Director Poe
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    Clifton Collins Jr.
    • Nino Gomez
    • (as Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez)
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    Lincoln Kilpatrick
    • Abraham
    Jeffrey Combs
    Jeffrey Combs
    • D-Day
    Tom Towles
    Tom Towles
    • Stiggs
    Vernon Wells
    Vernon Wells
    • Maddox
    Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
    Carolyn Purdy-Gordon
    • Zed-10
    • (voice)
    Alan Zitner
    • Claustrophobic Prisoner
    Deni Gordon
    • Karen's Cellmate
    Eric Briant Wells
    • Border Guard
    Dragicia Debert
    • Bio Scanner Guard
    Heidi Stein
    • Pregnant Woman
    Harry Nurmi
    • Guard #1
    Peter Lamb
    • Guard #2
    Troy Hunter
    • Guard #3
    Peter Marshall
    • Travel Authorization Guard
    • Director
      • Stuart Gordon
    • Writers
      • Troy Neighbors
      • Steven Feinberg
      • David Venable
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to an interview with director Stuart Gordon, Arnold Schwarzenegger was to star as John Brennick since Arnold was a big fan of Re-Animator (1985) in which Arnold's stunt-double, Peter Kent was a cast member. Stuart Gordon: "...it was Arnold Schwarzenegger that got me the job and it was because of Re-Animator. We used Arnold's body-double in Re-Animator. The first reanimated corpse is a guy named Peter Kent, Arnold's double. He's got those big muscles. He got Arnold to see Re-Animator and Arnold liked it so much that he had a screening of it in his home, inviting all of these people, including producer John Davis. John had the rights to Fortress and Arnold was going to do it. For some reason, I'm not sure why, Arnold finally decided that he wasn't going to do the movie and dropped out. They had a big budget, probably like 60 million, 70 million dollars, which was a huge budget in those days. Now it sounds small. [laughs] Anyway, he dropped out and the budget went down. They cut the budget to about 15 million dollars."
    • Goofs
      After Maddox's lower midsection is obliterated by the turret, he continues to stand upright for many moments before turning and falling off the duct pipe. But with no spine, that part of his torso could not have remained fully upright.
    • Quotes

      D-Day, the Computer Geek: [Explaining the volatile nature of the Intestinator device] It's like TNT on PMS.

    • Alternate versions
      The Australian theatrical and home entertainment versions all have the violence intact, but the Aussie version features the happier, more upbeat ending -- deleting the truck chase/explosion.
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Prisons (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      DIE KUNST DER FUGE BWV 1080
      Contrapunctus 3&11 a 4

      Canon per augmentationem in contrario motu

      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

      Performed by Bell'Arte Ensemble

      Courtesy of Koch Import Service

    User reviews87

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Excellent futuristic fantasy!
    Well, it may not be everyone's cup of tea and it certainly has it's flaws - but for me at least, Fortress is one of the most fun B-movies released in the nineties, and that's no surprise considering it's helmed by the great Stuart Gordon! One of the main reasons why Fortress works so well is because it puts its focus in one place and every imaginative element of the film goes towards furthering the central plot. The title refers to the impregnable privately owned prison of the title. We are introduced to this penitentiary and its various pitfalls right from the start and while it's not hard to see where the film is going to go, it does at least make you wonder how it's going to get there. The central characters are John and Karen Brennick - a couple sent to the Fortress after she becomes pregnant with a second child, thus breaking a futuristic population control law. However, John isn't happy to just rot away in jail, and despite the numerous pitfalls that makes the Fortress escape proof - along with his fellow prisoners, he plots to escape with his wife.

    The basis of Fortress is your classic prison escape movie, the only difference being the prison at the centre of the tale. The Fortress itself is certainly made good use of as the inventive methods in place to stop the prisoners escaping are constantly kept at the forefront of the audience's mind. The film really is never boring for a minute; if there isn't something directly going on in the movie then Gordon is using the time to build up the situation that the prisoners find themselves in. The film features a good B-movie cast, with 'Highlander' Christopher Lambert taking the lead role. Lambert is hardly a great actor, but he at least looks the part and his athleticism serves him well. Loryn Locklin isn't given much to do as the leading lady, but the rest of the support cast includes the likes of Lincoln Kilpatrick, Vernon Wells (who, coincidently, was also in the 1986 Australian movie of the same title!) and Jeffrey Combs, who is just great as always. Kurtwood Smith is probably the biggest standout, however, as the maniacal head of the Fortress. This film really features everything you could ever want from a B-movie - constant action, imagination and some hilarious performances. It all boils down to a suitably over the top climax and while this might not be the best film ever made - its one hell of a lot of fun and I certainly recommend it!
    helpful•47
    6
    • The_Void
    • Aug 5, 2007

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    FAQ2

    • What is Fortress about?
    • How many different versions exist of this movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 3, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Australia
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Фортеця
    • Filming locations
      • Queensland, Australia
    • Production companies
      • Davis Entertainment
      • Village Roadshow Pictures
      • Fortress Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $8,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $6,739,141
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,040,711
      • Sep 6, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,739,141
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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