Black River (2001) (TV)

Director:

Jeff Bleckner

Writers (WGA):

Dean R. Koontz (novel)
Daniel Taplitz (teleplay)

Release Date:

6 July 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Remote. Controlled.

Plot:

A writer visits a town that isn't what it appears to be. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Jay Mohr	...	Boyd 'Bo' Aikens
Lisa Edelstein	...	Laura Crosby
Ann Cusack	...	Mandy Pruell
Ron Canada
Bill Dow
Scott Hylands
Dion Luther
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mayor Tom Thompson
Patricia Drake	...	Nancy Larshak
Ty Olsson	...	Frank Yarley
Robert Moloney	...	Sculptor
Betty Linde	...	Elderly Woman
Frank C. Turner	...	Farmer
Susan Bain	...	Frannie Fineman
Fulvio Cecere	...	Cop

Also Known As:

Dean Koontz's Black River

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violence and language.

Runtime:

100 min | Australia:83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG | Australia:M (video rating) | USA:PG

Company:

Bayonne Entertainment

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bo Aikens is going into Helen's diner to talk to Laura, Mandy's hair is up. A few seconds later when Mandy is seen watching Bo her hair is down. Then a few seconds later still, when Bo asks to borrow Mandy's radio, her hair is back up again.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

I`ve Seen This In THE X-FILES

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