Skeletons (1997) (TV)

Director:

David DeCoteau

Writer:

Joshua Michael Stern (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Beneath the surface, nothing is what it seems.

Plot:

A heart attack moves a Pulitzer winning journalist to leave NY for the peace of a small New England town...

Plot Keywords:

Journalist | Heart Attack | Homophobia | Small Town Law | Domestic Violence

Cast

Ron Silver	...	Peter Crane
James Coburn	...	Frank Jove
Christopher Plummer	...	R. Carlyle
Dee Wallace	...	Heather Crane (as Dee Wallace-Stone)
Kathleen Noone	...	Sadie
Dennis Christopher	...	Jim Norton
David Graf	...	Sam
Paul Bartel	...	Mayor Harley Dunbar
Kyle Howard	...	Zack Crane
Arlene Golonka	...	Melanie Jove
D. Paul Thomas	...	Sheriff Joe Carlton
Patrick Thomas	...	Toby Carlyle (as Pat Thomas)
Valerie Wildman	...	Belinda Dunbar
Brigitta Dau	...	Laura
Thomas Wilson Brown	...	Chris Makon

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | USA:R | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Hit Entertainment Inc.

Trivia:

This was one of the first seven films to be foreclosed by the Screen Actors Guild for non-payment of wages and residuals to SAG members. On 13 July 2004, rights to the film were sold at auction.

Quotes:

Reverend Carlyle: You cannot hide from an AK-47 that's been blessed by the lord.

Movie Connections:

References Bambi (1942)

Horrible and Bizarre Movie

I hold this movie in absolute disdain. It is one of those "we have a do-good, politically correct, neatly packaged little movie that we swear really does have a point." This movie is about a sleepy little town that has a gay murder that may or may not have been a hate crime (though they not-so-subtly make it clear that it was). An ill writer moves there, exposes the story, and is harassed to no end. This movie is basically here to say that moral positions against homosexuality are wrong, that religion is really an evil narcotic, and that anyone who disagrees is a bigoted homophobe. It is sad that the director let the soap-box proclamations get in the way, because the idea of a xenophobic little town with strange people and not enough genetic variation is a decent premise. James Coburn, Christopher Plummer, and Ron Silver are all very good actors, but they are simply not able to show what they can do.

The pace at which this film staggers reminds me of one of my alcoholic friend's storytelling abilities. It lurches forth and alternates between fast action that makes no sense, then bizarre attempts to build suspense that fail miserably. The film also takes a turn for the bizarre when a crazy lady befriends the ill writer. I can't say too much about it without giving the move away, but the end is especially bizarre and disappointing. All in all, a very bad movie.

I would, in closing, like to point out one key similarity between this movie and my aforementioned alcoholic friend. At the end of his stories he would usually throw up. At the end of this movie, you will.