Genius “Mystery Book” Telefilms (And Never
Let Her Go/In The Lake Of The Woods/Remember Me)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Telefilms: D
There was
a time TV Mystery was in top form, from TV series (the original Columbo) to
telefilms, but the genre imploded on TV once fine shows like the William Conrad
Nero Wolfe failed and Hart To Hart wrapped up. Medical/science thrillers eventually became a
cycle, but it has never been the same, even in the U.K. and elsewhere. Here’s three more examples of why.
And Never Let Her Go is based on the Ann Rule book
where a man (Mark Harmon) becomes a control freak with a single woman (Kathryn
Morris) who he seduces, only to have ulterior motives. Despite the presence of Paul Michael Glazer,
Rachel Ward and Olympia Dukakis, the teleplay is a mess and the actors can only
walk through the boredom.
In The Lake Of The Woods is based on a Tim O’Brien book
about a political couple (Peter Strauss and Kathleen Quinland) who go to a
cottage away from it all and have trouble when the wife disappears (maybe these
should be called the vanishing woman
mysteries) but the real troubling disappearance is that of a plot. Peter Boyle also stars.
Remember Me is from the better-known Mary
Higgins Clark, in which yet another couple goes to a remote house (I kid you
not) and trouble follows them. Kelly
McGillis and Cotter Smith are the couple, but the cast also includes Michael T.
Weiss, Stephen McHattie and Shanna Reed.
Considering its title, it is also forgettable, but the best of the three
by default.
The 1.33
X 1 image on all three films are softer than expected, not very well shot and
have very forgettable compositions, none of which help in the lack of suspense
department either. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo is weak in all cases, but fares better than the picture in any of
them. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
