Black River

As a reader of Dean Koontzs' work I looked forward to seeing Black River (originally created as a mini-series but shown in the UK as a short movie). I have always found his work fast paced and well constructed, but I was a little disappointed with this offering as there seemed at times only a tenuous link running through the plot. To me Bo (Jay Mohr) seemed a little 2 dimensional and somewhat lacking in substance. He seemed more interested in finding out who was behind what was going on rather than "getting out of dodge", an aim he professed throughout. I feel that the concept put forward by the author was interesting and could have been handled in a slightly better way. Jay Mohr has in the past delighted me with his performances, however in this case he seemed to have the aspect of someone running around like a headless chicken who shouted all his lines. All in all, a bit of a disappointment.

Is there some type of written rule in American TVMs ( And for the sake of argument I class this as a TVM - not a mini series ) that there must be a tear jerking scene included ? I`m just curious because BLACK RIVER opens with a man called Bo Aikens burying his dog and boy is the sentiment laid on with a trowel . Am I supposed to empathise with Bo because his dog died ? Well I don`t and even if I did any sympathy I might have had for him would have disappeared a few minutes later when he confesses he worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood , lived in a big house with his beautiful wife with a big car parked in a big garage , but decided to give it all up because he wanted to be taken seriously as a writer . So let`s see now , he was working as a Hollywood screenwriter ( And getting big bucks for doing so ) and gave it all up because he wasn`t getting enough critical acclaim ! In other words he`s a schmuck and deserves everything that comes his way in my opinion .

I`ve heard the name Dean Koontz but have never read any of his novels and couldn`t tell you anything about the author and it wasn`t untill I looked up his profile on this site that I found he was American born . Watching BLACK RIVER I wouldn`t have believed it because the American stereotypes of middle America in general and Black River in particular seem somewhat overplayed with American pie hospitality and the occasional redneck scumbag in a premise that would have probably worked better as an episode of THE X-FILES. In fact I`ve seen this type of story umpteen times in that show

'Black River' appears, at first glance, to have all the nescessary ingredients for a bad horror movie. In fact it turns out to be quite watchable sort of Night-Gallery-ish mystery/SF hybrid.

Put it this way, I didn't figure it out in the first 5 minutes. There is enough mystery and strangeness to keep you interested, even though you get the sensation that you've seen this movie several times before on Ray Bradbury's mystery theatre or something.

Based on a Dean Koontz novella(?), a disillusioned writer leaves LA in search of somewhere to put down roots, and ends up by accident in a small town called Black River, which looks like it's probably in coastal Oregon or northern California. Only trouble is, he can't leave. Every attempt to depart is foiled by some unlikely set of events; many of the locals are just a bit weird, there's a mysterious black van following him around, and so on. Something very strange is going on. Is it supernatural, a government conspiracy, or what?

I won't give it away, though to be honest I didn't think the ending was very credible at all, and rather let the film down.

The acting and production values are better than you might expect. What really keeps the movie in the mid-range, score-wise, is a blandness in the direction. There are times when some spooky atmosphere would have been desired, but the thing unfolds in a workmanlike manner, with not a lot in the way of atmosphere.

There is one thing I want to know, though: at the start of the movie, while still in LA, he is looking for a place to bury his beloved golden retriever. Now, in Black River, a dog keeps turning up who is the spitting image of his old pooch (Koontz has a thing for Golden Retrievers I take it, as there was one in Watchers as well). The thing is, you get the feeling the dog is on his side, and at other time that it's part of the 'conspiracy'. Thinking about it logically, I don't see any way that the latter could be true, though this is eventually implied.

Little things like that bother me. Thankfully though, there were no big things that bothered me about the movie. Quite watchable, but perhaps I'd have been disappointed if it were an overnight rental.

A solid 6 out of 10.

BLACK RIVER is a great retelling of old TV show episodes, like the "Star Trek" episode where Kirk eventually discovers the townsfolk have been worshiping a computer in a cave. Koontz, who over the years has turned into the best of the three major horror writers with a series of novels that have become downright metaphysical, obviously loves "The Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek" and probably "The Outer Limits." Jay ("Jerry McGuire") Mohr is a writer, originally from Vermont, who has become disillusioned with Los Angeles, and checks out a small Pacific Northwest town only to find he can't leave. Cameras are mounted on every traffic light, in every store and dwelling, and monitor everyone's movements while an unseen hand apparently controls the whole thing. Mohr is excellent as the frustrated prisoner, and is backed up by stellar performances from Ann (sister of Joan and John) Cusack as a too-happy waitress and Lisa ("House, MD") Edelstein as her architect sister who also has become trapped in the bucolic town of Black River. Other than what appears to be a limited budget and the fact it was clearly shot in Canada or some place other than the U.S., it is hard to tell this is a TV movie and not a theatrical release. The writing is first rate, and the actors have a ball with their roles in this old-fashioned paranoia thriller. Highly recommended. I can't wait for Hollywood to adapt any of Koontz's more recent output, which eschew standard horror plots in favor of near-transcendental stories interlaced with intermittent bouts of action.

Normally I've got some investment or interest in a movie before sticking it on, but Black River I went into completely blind. It was simply an algorithm recommendation to me and the synopsis, while not exactly original, sounded vaguely appealing.

I'll admit my heart sunk fairly early on when I was greeted with Dean Koontz name in the credits. Now, I actually quite enjoy Koontz work, but very rarely does it translate well to movie form. Indeed movies based on his works make his rival Stephen King look prolifically successful movie wise.

The movie follows Bo Aitkens (Jay Mohr) a moderately successful Hollywood author leaving LA behind in search of a quieter life following his divorce. While passing through the small town of Black River he is pulled over by the police and sent to the cells. Local Chief Salks (Ron Canada) lets him our and apologises for his erroneous arrest, but informs him his car has been impounded.

Stuck in the town, he encounters its eccentric Mayor Tomas (Stephen Tobolowsky), diner worker Mandy (Ann Cusack) and her recently discovered sister Laura (Lisa Edelstein) but starts receiving menacing phonecalls from someone calling himself Pericles instructing him what he can and cannot do. While menaced by a black SUV and thwarted at every attempt to leave the town by various fantastic means. He sets out to try and find out the town's mysterious secret and put an end to his imprisonment in the town.

Black River is a very strange movie to try and convey my feelings on. It becomes clear we are dealing with a TV movie within seconds, and I always feel like these deserve a bit of a break. These aren't made with huge budgets or great resources, and in all honesty most involved probably never really imagined it would be getting viewed after the initial broadcast, let alone over 20 years later.

Mohr is an actor I know I've seen in several movies, and while I can't name any of them, I feel like he's usually cast as the protagonist's rival for the affections of the female lead, or a jock. Here as a lead...he's a mixed bag. I mean he is working with less than spectacular material, but I'm not convinced we missed out on a great star here. Interestingly, his best moments are the couple of comedy spots which he's a lot more natural at, and even impressive with the timing and facial expressions on.

The rest of the cast? Well, they're tv actors. I don't mean that inherently as an insult, but don't expect anything memorable. Passable, but don't expect to come out looking these guys up for further viewing.

The plot is...I mean if you've watched any sci fi, horror or fantasy tv show in the last 30 years, you've seen an episode with this premise, give or take the antagonist. This doesn't reinvent the wheel, and is silly in places - when Bo tries to leave on foot where do those things that stop him come from? But it's all a rather tired trope. I found it passable, but nothing gripped me, and I feel like in a week's time I'll have forgotten almost all of it.

Still, it's not bad. Had I came across it on tv at original broadcast date I daresay I'd have enjoyed it a bit more. I couldn't honestly recommend seeking it out, but as far as tv movies go? It's a passable waste of time.