Bruce Smeaton

[8] The Earthling is an odd, disconcerting sort of film that nevertheless casts a spell and is a bit hard to shake when it’s over. It stars William Holden (Sunset Boulevard) in his penultimate film performance, playing a terminally ill man who returns home to his native Australia to die alone in the vast wilderness. Once there, he lives off the land, sleeping in makeshift …

[8] Three girls and a teacher mysteriously disappear during a 1900 school picnic at a strange rock formation in this Australian film from director Peter Weir (Witness, Master and Commander). Weir uses his trademark poetic license to suggest a supernatural cause, but don’t look for a firm answers — the film is based on a true story that was never solved.