The Bone Collector (1999)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers (WGA):

Jeffery Deaver (book)
Jeremy Iacone (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Two cops on the trail of a brutal killer. They must see as one, they must act as one, they must think as one, before the next victim falls.

Plot:

Denzel Washington plays a quadriplegic homicide detective. He and his female partner track down a serial killer.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Police | Quadriplegic | Crime Scene | Seizure

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Lincoln Rhyme
Angelina Jolie	...	Amelia Donaghy
Queen Latifah	...	Thelma
Michael Rooker	...	Captain Howard Cheney
Mike McGlone	...	Detective Kenny Solomon
Luis Guzmán	...	Eddie Ortiz (as Luis Guzman)
Leland Orser	...	Richard Thompson
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Dr. Barry Lehman
Bobby Cannavale	...	Steve, Amelia's Boyfriend
Ed O'Neill	...	Detective Paulie Sellitto
Richard Zeman	...	Lieutenant Carl Hanson
Olivia Birkelund	...	Lindsay Rubin
Gary Swanson	...	Alan Rubin
James Bulleit	...	Train Engineer (as Jim Bulleit)
Frank Fontaine	...	Grandfather
Zena Grey	...	Granddaughter
Daniel Brochu	...	N.Y.U. Student (as Daniel C. Brochu)
Desmond Campbell	...	Taxi Inspector
Christian Veliz	...	Chris, Young Boy
Mercedes Gómez	...	Ortiz's Mother
Mary Hammett	...	Girlfriend in Nightclub (as Mary C. Hammett)
Amanda Gay	...	Girl in Nightclub
Steve Adams	...	Gas Worker #1
Larry Day	...	Gas Worker #2
Burke Lawrence	...	Police Instructor
Terry Simpson	...	Cop in Apartment
Eric Davis	...	Cop in Apartment
Arthur Holden	...	Bookstore Clerk
Yahsmin Daviault	...	Jeanine, Rhyme's Sister
Keenan Macwilliam	...	Kimmie, Rhyme's Niece
David Warshofsky	...	Amelia's Partner
Mateo Gómez	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Ted Whittall	...	Ortiz's Assistant
Peter Michael Dillon	...	Homicide Detective
Jonathan Stark	...	Male Detective
Fulvio Cecere	...	Forensics Expert
Hal Sherman	...	Fingerprint Cop
Russell Yuen	...	Forensics Worker
Andy Bradshaw	...	Uniform Cop
Jean-Marc Bisson	...	Rescue Worker
Christopher Bregman	...	Rescue Worker
Sonya Biddle	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Arthur	...	NYPD Officer (uncredited)
Phillip Noyce	...	Customer in Antique Bookshop (uncredited)
Todo Segalla	...	Cop (uncredited)
Andrew Semple	...	Perp (uncredited)
Sylvia Stewart	...	Female Cop (uncredited)

Directed by
Phillip Noyce

Writing credits (WGA)
Jeffery Deaver		(book)
Jeremy Iacone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Michael Bregman	....	producer
Bo Dietl	....	associate producer
Dan Jinks	....	executive producer
Michael Klawitter	....	executive producer
Louis A. Stroller	....	producer

Original Music by
Craig Armstrong

Cinematography by
Dean Semler

Film Editing by
William Hoy

Casting by
Will Cantler		(as William Cantler)
Bernard Telsey
David Vaccari

Production Design by
Nigel Phelps

Art Direction by
Claude Paré		(supervising art director)
Jefferson Sage

Set Decoration by
Marie-Claude Gosselin
Susan C. MacQuarrie
Harriet Zucker

Costume Design by
Odette Gadoury

Makeup Department
Robert Allicock	....	hair stylist: Queen Latifah
Roy Bryson	....	hair stylist: New York
Kymbra Callaghan	....	makeup artist: New York
Julie Casault	....	assistant makeup artist
Kathryn Casault	....	key makeup artist: Montreal
Larry M. Cherry	....	hair stylist: Mr. Washington
Réjean Forget	....	key hair stylist
Carl Fullerton	....	makeup artist: Mr. Washington
C.J. Goldman	....	special makeup effects artist
Ginette Lajeunesse	....	assistant hair stylist
Janeen Schreyer	....	makeup artist: Ms. Jolie
Sylvania Yau	....	special makeup effects coordinator

Production Management
Jan Foster	....	production manager: New York
Christina Kontos	....	production manager
Jimmy Kontos	....	unit manager
Marie Portelance	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Alloucherie	....	second assistant director
Charles-André Bertrand	....	second assistant director: second unit, Montreal
Christopher Bregman	....	third assistant director: Montreal
Kenneth G. Brown	....	second second assistant director: New York (as Ken Brown)
Kristin Cameron	....	second assistant director: New York (as Kristin Cameron Bernstein)
Noreen R. Cheleden	....	third assistant director: New York (as Noreen Cheleden)
Naomi Cromwell	....	third assistant director: New York
Buck Deachman	....	second second assistant director
Simon Dugas	....	third assistant director: Montreal
Ricky Friedman	....	first assistant director: second unit
John E. Gallagher	....	first assistant director: second unit, New York
Jonathan Goldman	....	second unit director: Montreal
Robert Grasmere	....	second unit director
Paul Hogan	....	dga trainee
Noga Isackson	....	first assistant director
Patrick Mangan	....	second assistant director: second unit, New York
Simon-Édouard Pilon	....	second second assistant director: Montreal
Jean Simard	....	third assistant director
Agnieszka Kroskowska	....	additional third assistant director: Montreal (uncredited)

Art Department
Claire Alary	....	assistant property master
Charles-André Bertrand	....	assistant set dresser
Jon Billington	....	assistant art director
Michel Brochu	....	construction coordinator
Rejean Brochu	....	construction coordinator
Louise Cova	....	assistant set decorator
Cory Fantie	....	model maker
Douglas Fox	....	property master (as Doug Fox)
Alain Giguère	....	head scenic painter
Ronny Gosselin	....	model supervisor
Matthew Gray	....	set designer
Simon Guilbault	....	draughtsman
Gina Hendricks	....	assistant property master: New York
Eric Lafrance	....	lead carpenter
Carl Lessard	....	graphic designer
Alex Maleev	....	storyboard artist
Jeffrey M. Marchetti	....	assistant property master: second unit New York
Robert Parle	....	set dresser
Raymond M. Samitz	....	construction coordinator: New York (as Ray Samitz)
Mario Santini	....	scenic painter
Claire Savoie	....	head painter
Elizabeth Schlitten	....	property master: New York
Doris Simard	....	art department coordinator
Eric Stepper	....	property master: New York second unit
Andrea Swistak	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	dialogue editor: London (as Chris Ackland)
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Paul Aulicino	....	first assistant sound editor
Allan Byer	....	production sound mixer: New York
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dave Campbell)
Martin Cantwell	....	assistant sound editor: London
William Cawley	....	sound assistant (as Bill Cawley)
Bradley Clouse	....	sound assistant
John T. Cucci	....	foley artist (as John Cucci)
Michael Dressel	....	foley supervisor
Jessica Gallavan	....	adr supervisor
Meredith Gold	....	adr assistant
François Grenon	....	boom operator
Charles Hamilton	....	sound recordist
Alan Holly	....	adr mixer
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Simon Kaye	....	production sound mixer
Jacques Leroide	....	foley editor: London (as Jacques Leriode)
Linda Lew	....	foley recordist
Colin Miller	....	supervising sound editor: London
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator: New York
Steve Nelson	....	digital sound editor
Jay Nierenberg	....	sound editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Stambler	....	supervising sound editor
David Sutton	....	boom operator
Richard Todman	....	assistant dialogue editor: London
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Donald L. Warner Jr.	....	digital sound editor (as Don Warner)
Karl Wasserman	....	cable person: New York
Bernard Weiser	....	digital sound editor
Richard E. Yawn	....	digital sound editor (as Richard Yawn)
Lance Brown	....	additional sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects
Mario Dumont	....	special effects floor supervisor
Normand Gobeille	....	special effects technician
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects coordinator: New York
André Laforest	....	special effects technician
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
Ron Petruccione	....	mechanical special effects (pyrotechnics)
Sebastien Roussel	....	special effects technician
Martin Williams	....	special effects rigger
Martin Williams	....	special effects supervisor: second unit

Visual Effects by
Stéphane Caron	....	motion control operator
Marc Cote	....	motion control supervisor
Daniel Coupal	....	motion control operator
Tom Debenham	....	compositing artist
Paddy Eason	....	compositing artist
Steve Gagné	....	CGI artist
Steve Gagni	....	CGI artist
Dan Glass	....	CG animator
Ronny Gosselin	....	model supervisor
Robert Grasmere	....	visual effects supervisor
Libby Hazell	....	visual effects line producer: CFC
Jean-Philippe Lafortune	....	computer graphics designer
Nickolas Landry	....	motion control software engineer
Ralph Maiers	....	in house supervisor: CRC Digital
Ralph Maiers	....	lead compositor: CRC Digital
Chris Monks	....	CG artist
Stephen Murphy	....	CG animator
Mark Nelmes	....	digital visual effects supervisor
Dominic Parker	....	CG lead animator
Rachael Penfold	....	visual effects producer
Frédéric Roberge	....	CGI production manager
Steven Santos	....	CGI artist
Jon Thum	....	compositing artist
Gavin Toomey	....	compositing artist
Hannah Walker	....	CG animator
Craig Chandler	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Christopher Grandel	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)
Oliver James	....	research and development (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recoding producer: CFC London (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Michael Arthur	....	stunt driver
Paul Bucossi	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
Lisa Cain	....	stunts
Darren Cerullo	....	stunts
Laura Dash	....	stunts
Marc Désourdy	....	stunts
Mark Dillahunt	....	stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
David Filippi	....	stunts
Hondo Flemming	....	stunts
Jean Frenette	....	stunt coordinator
Donald John Hewitt	....	stunts
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Allen Kane	....	stunts
Thorsten Kaye	....	stunts
Jennifer Lamb	....	stunts
Joanne Lamstein	....	stunts
Gilbert Larose Jr.	....	stunts
Stéphane Lefebvre	....	stunts
John E. Mack	....	stunts
Steve Mack	....	stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunts
Mick O'Rourke	....	stunts
Martine Ouimet	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunts
Isabella Rapone	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunt coordinator (as Mike Russo)
Michael Scherer	....	stunt coordinator
Keith Siglinger	....	stunts
Helen Stranzl	....	stunts
Tara McNamee	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer: New York
Braden Belmonte	....	clapper loader: New York (as Branden Belmonte)
Mike Benson	....	additional cinematographer
Sylvain Bergevin	....	best boy rigger
Jacques F. Bernier	....	first assistant camera: Montreal second unit
Patrick Bernier	....	second assistant camera: Montreal second unit
Alain Bisson Doyal	....	grip
Alain Bisson Doyal	....	rigging grip
Benoit Boivin	....	best boy rigger
Stéphane Byl	....	lighting technician
Mathieu Charest	....	key grip
Dean Crone	....	camera operator
Nadine Demeule	....	video assist operator
Bertrand Dupuis	....	grip
Terry Eckert	....	best boy grip: New York
Geoffrey Erb	....	director of photography: Montreal second unit
Gilles Fortier	....	rigging gaffer
Eames Gagnon	....	best boy
James J. Gilson	....	gaffer: USA (as Jim Gilson)
Peter Girolami	....	gaffer: New York
Damian Gonzales	....	electrician: New York
René Guillard	....	gaffer
René Guillard	....	gaffer: second unit
Craig Haagensen	....	director of photography: New York second unit
Kim Heath	....	best boy grip: USA
Joel Holland	....	video assist operator: New York
Barry Idoine	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Mai Iskander	....	second assistant camera: New York second unit (as Mai Is Kander)
Bruce Jordan	....	best boy grip: New York
Jean-Patrick Joseph	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Alison Kelly	....	second assistant camera: New York
Andrew Lapierre	....	24 frame video operator
Christian Lemay	....	second assistant camera
John Lewin	....	gaffer: Canada
Alan Mader	....	best boy: New York
Nicolas Marion	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Joe Martens	....	best boy: USA
Iohann Martin	....	24 frame video operator
Sal Martorano	....	gaffer: second unit, New York
John McAleer	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, second unit, New York
John Murphy	....	dolly grip
Jeff Nichol	....	best boy grip
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Patrick B. O'Brien	....	first assistant camera: New York
Thomas O'Connor	....	electrician: New York
Larry Orlick	....	first assistant camera: New York second unit
Billy Patsos	....	key grip: New York
Wayne Paull	....	camera operator: "b" camera, New York (as Wayne Paul)
William 'Bear' Paul	....	key grip: USA
Tony Pierce-Roberts	....	additional cinematographer: London
James Pollard	....	dolly grip: New York (as Jim Pollard)
Claude Pothier	....	rigging gaffer
Noah Prince	....	best boy: New York
Sonny Rea	....	key rigging grip: New York
Raymond Rivard	....	grip
Raymond Rivard	....	location grip reenforcement
Julie Sageau	....	video assist operator
Frank Schumo	....	grip
Jeff Scott	....	electrician
Takashi Seida	....	still photographer
Marc Simpson-Threlford	....	clapper loader
André Tisseur	....	key rigging grip
Christian Vezina	....	best boy rigger
Dominic Voisine	....	video assist operator
Jonathan Wenk	....	still photographer
Gregory White	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
John Choi	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Andrea Kenyon	....	casting: Canada
Barbara St-Philippe	....	additional extras casting
Myriam Vézina	....	casting: Canada
Randi Wells	....	extras casting: Canada

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pam Aaron	....	wardrobe supervisor: second unit
Sheila Gentile	....	costumer
Daniele Leger	....	assistant costume designer
Daniel Léger	....	costume supervisor
Lyse Pomerleau	....	wardrobe coordinator
Ginette Régis	....	head dresser
Frank Perry Rose	....	dresser: Mr. Washington

Editorial Department
Andi Kasen Bergman	....	second assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
John Coniglio	....	first assistant editor
George Dickson	....	post-production assistant
Claudette Duff	....	first assistant editor: Montreal
Andrew S. Eisen	....	additional editor
Jeanette Haley	....	post-production coordinator: London
Simon Harris	....	first assistant editor: London
Steve Harrow	....	post-production consultant: London
Kristian Lawler	....	post-production assistant: London
Antoine Saito	....	second assistant editor: Montreal
Mike Stanwick	....	color timer
Jane Winkles	....	second assistant editor: London

Music Department
George Acogny	....	music supervisor
Steve Browell	....	assistant music editor: London
Sarah Dolan	....	music coordinator
Matt Dunkley	....	additional orchestrator
Matt Dunkley	....	music copyist
Joe Fischer	....	music coordinator
Emma Ford	....	music coordinator
Geoff Foster	....	music engineer
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Stephen Hilton	....	music programmer
Stephen Hilton	....	musician: keyboards
Luis Jardin	....	musician: percussion
Pete Lockett	....	musician: percussion
Barbara McDermott	....	assistant music editor
Kim Planert	....	vocal engineer
Joe E. Rand	....	music editor
Cecilia Weston	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Vito G. Balenzano	....	driver
Eric Béliveau	....	transportation captain
Mark Bendit	....	driver
John Bober	....	driver: cast
Pierre Chabot	....	driver
Pierre Cheminat	....	driver
Richard Curry	....	transportation captain: New York (as Richie Curry)
Léo Dumont	....	driver
Julie Marion	....	driver
Daniel Matthews	....	transportation coordinator
Kevin Matthews	....	office driver
Edward O'Donnell	....	transportation coordinator: New York (as Ed O'Donnell)
Steve Szewczok	....	driver

Other crew
Mark Adam	....	animal handler
Mark Akeson	....	stand-in
R.C. Baral	....	post-production accountant
Christian Biron	....	assistant location manager
Danielle Boucher	....	production coordinator
Guylaine Boucher	....	assistant production coordinator
Laura Burrows	....	assistant to director
Jennifer Bydwell	....	product placement
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot: New York
Monique Champagne	....	script supervisor
John Charles	....	software manager: Sony DAC
Céline Daignault	....	supervising location manager
Robert Dawson	....	title designer
Teena Deocales	....	production secretary
François Doré	....	police liaison: Sûreté du Québec, Montreal
Paul Dupont	....	safety coordinator
Guy Efrat	....	location vision founder: pre-production
François Fauteux	....	location manager
John Glasspoole	....	stand-in
Catherine Gore	....	script supervisor: New York second unit
Tyler Hall	....	stand-in
Lori Jackman	....	stand-in
Lorraine Jamison	....	unit publicist
Maggie Kusik	....	production accountant
Catherine Lavoie	....	assistant script supervisor
Yannick Leblanc	....	computer interface coordinator
Amy Leigh Johnson	....	unit publicist: New York (as Amy Lee Johnson)
Ellina McCormick	....	stand-in
Douglas W. McHenry	....	post-production accountant
Jenny Montalbano Hind	....	assistant to producer
Adrien Morot	....	head prosthetics artist
Craig Nersesian	....	assistant: Louis A. Stroller
Caleb Omens	....	production assistant
Deborah Parker	....	location manager
Lou Phillips	....	production accountant
Bill Richards	....	aerial coordinator
Isabella Sarangetti	....	stand-in
Andrew Semple	....	stand-in
Malik Versatile Shabeed	....	stand-in
Barbara Stoia	....	script supervisor: New York
Gerry Therrien	....	animal trainer
Alistair Thompson	....	post-production accountant: London
Spiro Tsovras	....	production assistant
Denis Verrette	....	production assistant
Pete White	....	animal handler
Dave Young	....	weapons handler
Louis Zuppardi	....	production assistant
Mikayla Abromowitz	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Brian Cantaldi	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Brian McArthur	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Timothy D. Orr	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Carla Raij	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (as Columbia Pictures) (presents)
• Universal Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (2000) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors (2000) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films AB (2000) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (France) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (2002) (USA) (TV)
• V8 (2002) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sony Pictures (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Camera e-Motion (motion control)
• Computer Film Company, The (CFC) (visual effects and animation)
• Framestore CFC
• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Air Studios  music recorded at
• Camera e-Motion  motion control
• Cinema Research  opticals
• Cold Blue Rentals  armourers
• Custom Film Effects  end titles
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound facilities: london
• Decca Records  soundtrack
• Digirama  rostrum photography: london
• Digiscope  digital main titles
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• General Screen Enterprises  opticals: london
• One Step Up  foley recorded at
• Sound Design Company, The  post-production sound services
• Sylvia Fay Casting  extras casting: new york
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting
• Video Assist Inc.  24 frame playback
• Video Assist Inc.  computer graphic design

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violent content including grisly images, and for language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #36863) | Philippines:R-18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In Jeffery Deaver's novel Angelina Jolie's character Amelia Donaghy was named Amelia Sachs. The filmmakers changed it because it "sounded a lot like 'sex'".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Lincoln's socks have dirty soles when he is lying in bed. How does a quadriplegic dirty the soles of his socks?

Quotes:

Eddie Ortiz: It's everyone's worst nightmare; you get into a cab and there's some psycho from Jersey behind the wheel.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Spin City: The Bone Collectors (#5.4)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Juicy

Not a horrible movie, just a recycled one. Everybody is too familiar with the plot. ** (out of four).

THE BONE COLLECTOR / (1999) ** (out of four)

By Blake French:

Everybody has seen it, the notorious suspense thriller in which a serial killer madman plays cat and mouse games with a distressed cop; seldom are movies as predictable, dispensable, or formulaic. One of the most recent in this generation's trend of serial killer movies is called "The Bone Collector," and stars Golden Globe winning actor Denzel Washington and the sexy actress, Angelina Jolie. As often true, the production is well acted, directed with focus and precision by Philip Noyce ("The Saint," "Patriot Games"), and creates an appropriate mood for its characters. But even big stars and a appropriate atmosphere cannot save a movie this familiar and predictable.

Denzel Washington plays a heroic cop named Lincoln Rhyme. He is an underdeveloped character, however, the screenplay supplies him with a vast reputation and experiences as a cop; he has written a dozen books on crime scene tactics and his mind in an encyclopedia of crime solving methods. As the movie opens, he is paralyzed at a crime site, leaving him bedridden in his Manhattan apartment with control of only a single index finger. His headquarters is decorated with all sorts of high-tech gadgets and a kind nurse named Thelma (Queen Latifah), who is always there for him when he goes into violent seizures.

A few gruesome murders transpire, leaving a rookie cop, Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), whose assistance is selected by the paralyzed but smart cop who uses her as his body to stop the psychopathic serial killer. The killer uses a taxi cap to lure his victims to their final and disturbing death. What is most bothersome about this production is that it teases us with intriguing implications of the graphic murders instead of portraying guts and irony by exploiting the supposedly grotesque images.

The production consists mainly of sequences in which various characters loom in dark hallways, allies, rooms, or sets designed specifically for the killer to lurk around in. Of course there is plenty of suspenseful music and a few surprising moments, but the actual story greatly lacks imagination and edge. Angelina Jolie is the movie's standout performance, but she is mainly used as a plot device to explore such areas as listed above.

"The Bone Collector" is not a horrible movie, just a recycled one. The material has been experienced so many times before we can never become too involved in the story or too interested with the characters. What bothers me most is how this kind of story has no cause or purpose; the serial killer's motive, as always, is explained during the climax sequence, and is disposable and contrived. Why do screenwriters create killers with disturbing motives, but no reasoning behind them? Kind of defeats the purpose of rationalism, doesn't it.