Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-17 19:56:34

That's not my Westley!

This review is from: The Riverman (DVD) I bought this film for one reason, Mr. Cary Elwes. He does not disappoint in this. In this film he became Ted Bundy.His voice. His facial expressions. It was Bundy in the flesh once more. Superb acting job on his part.The film isn't filled with murders or action. Its more of a psychological thriller.

WitheringSage 2012-05-17 14:02:06

Surprisingly chilling performance from Elwes as Bundy...

I didn't know what to expect when I began watching this movie. I wasimmediately intrigued once it began going, however. This is the truestory of how Ted Bundy (Cary Elwes) actually helped to find the GreenRiver Killer back in the early 80's in his attempts to get a lightersentence and avoid the death penalty. Although this movie is not aboutTed Bundy it does go into his crimes a little bit and you get to know alittle bit more about Bundy's twisted psyche. The performances weregreat, but the one that stands out is Elwes portrayal of the serialkiller Ted Bundy. I didn't know if he could pull it off, but he did anexcellent job and was very believable and his performance was chilling.I give this movie a 9/10.

starring-1 2012-05-05 20:31:50

Only if you have a lot of interest in serial killers

First I must say that Cary Elwes did a very convincing portrayal of TedBundy. I thought he looked a lot like him and did a good acting job.This movie is for those who want to go deeply into the killer's mindand perhaps discover new things about Bundy and his childhood. (Forinstance in one part he tells the detective that as a child his motherthreatened to send him to stay with his grandfather if he wasn't goodand that he would try to be good but she would send him there anyway;then his grandfather would lock him in a closet). It also caused me tothink about how much more useful it would be to keep people like himalive to analyze, study and try to understand what triggered hisheinous psychology. This is a dark movie and not entertaining; not something I would watchfor entertainment or fun in any sense. It was more like watchingreenactments and felt sometimes more like watching a documentary than amovie.The film also goes into the psychology somewhat of a serial killerknown as "The Green River Killer."I think of this as more of an educational film. Women for instancecould watch it with an eye to learn tricks Bundy and the Green RiverKiller used to catch their prey (both seemed to like the trick ofpretending to be disabled and in need of help for example). The filmalso highlights what it is like for those who interviewed Bundy hopinghe could help them get into the mind of another killer they were tryingto apprehend -- how dark and freaky it is. All around, as is itssubject, the movie it pretty grisly. Definitely not a "date movie,"haha.Some people are fascinated with learning more about serial killers andfor those people this is probably a film they would like to see; butfor most of us, I think we would rather be spared all the grislydetails.Good acting all around and good cinematography, etc.; slow moving,graphic photos of murdered women I would rather not have seen. Ipersonally would not recommend this movie to anyone other than those Imentioned above -- who like to study this sort of thing and are alwayshungry for more details. Lots of creepiness here!And please, mothers, fathers and others: don't lock the kid(s) up inthe closet!! I gave this a 5 rating.

Grann-Bach 2012-05-05 13:58:20

More cinematic than your usual TV-film, and reasonably well-done overall

I haven't read the book behind this, and I don't know too many detailsabout Bundy or the Green River Killer case. I caught this on TV, and itlooked interesting enough, so I watched it, more or less attentively. Ihaven't seen any footage of the real Bundy, but according to others,Cary Elwes does well in portraying him accurately... and I can attestto the fact that he manages to be quite creepy. I don't know that Iwould have thought he would be able to play a part like that, ifnothing else, so convincingly. The acting in general isn't bad. Ihaven't seen anything else by the director, but he does fairly well.The film doesn't feel or look "TV", but rather like something producedfor the silver screen. Editing and cinematography are good. They neverget flashy or overdone, either. The pacing isn't bad, but the movieisn't particularly intense considering what it's about. The end comessomewhat abruptly. The movie could have been longer, and maybe itshould have, because what's there is good, but it could have used moretime spent on it. This is said to be the best acting job on Bundy thusfar seen, so anyone looking for that might want to give this a look. Agood enough TV-movie. I recommend this to those interested in thesubject and fans of the actors and/or film-makers. 6/10

whpratt1 2012-04-28 10:07:24

Great Film about the Mentally ILL !

It seems that more and more we see and hear about people who act likeTed Bundy, who are serial killers and others who murder their wives andchildren. Bruce Greenwood,(Robert Keppel),"The Republic of Love",'03,gave an outstanding performance having to deal with Ted Bundy andmaking the audience even think at times that he was going to followdown the same path as BUNDY himself! Kathleen Quinlan,(SandeKeppel),"Blessings TV,"'03, was the wife of Robert Keppel who was goingcrazy with the effects that Ted Bundy was making on her husband'spersonality, as well as his children. This film is morbid and difficultto view, especially with the horrible torture of his victims and theneedless waste of human LIFE!

2012-04-27 17:41:41

It's a fascinating look at Bundy & Ridgway

I had just bought the book, The Riverman, in Ketchikan, Alaska. I wason vacation and I bought it at a drugstore. It is perhaps one of thebest books ever written about Bundy. Keppel does not leave anything outregarding Bundy or Ridgway in the book but the film version is conducedto keeping the important facts and information. Those pictures ofBundy's murder victims are real authentic. What other films about Bundyfail to express is what he did with the bodies of his murdered victimsafterwards. In order to catch the Green River Killer, he had tobefriend Ted Bundy, played admirably by Cary Elwes. He does such anexcellent job that it's frightening and often chilling. Cary Elwes isthe best Bundy I have ever seen in television movies. He even bringsout a sympathetic side to his human monster never before. No, thismovie is not for children or squeamish adults. If the viewers watchwithout much information, they may not be able to grasp the horror ofboth the Green River and Bundy's legacies. But watch how Bundy uses hisknowledge to try to solve one of the world's biggest mysteries. WhileBundy did not live long enough to see the Riverman's capture, he died acomplete coward and confessed to all his crimes with hopes of savinghis own life.

Alex-372 2012-04-26 21:51:26

Excellent True Crime TV Movie

Riverman is a pretty good made for TV movie. Many movies based on booksare of a better quality, because the screenplay has a lot more to workwith.Riverman was written by Robert Keppel, and published long before GaryLeon Ridgway was caught for the Green River serial murders.The book is based around Keppel's interviews with another serialkiller, Ted Bundy, who also committed many of his murders in WashingtonState. The idea of a profiler going out and interviewing a (famous)serial killer was also the basis for the movie Silence Of The Lambs,with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.Where the movie is very good, is in showing the internal world of somany serial killers - the sociopath's inability to feel emotion exceptunder extreme circumstances, the childhood abuse, etc. What it onlyslightly touches upon is the fact that for Ted Bundy, killing was onlya means to an end. He was a necrophiliac who enjoyed the corpses morethan the live persons, and God knows whatever other psychotic factorswere in play as well. It remains a mystery why he kept the skulls -sex? Did they talk to him? These issues are brought up in a ratherrushed manner, compared to the book. But that is only a minor quibble,and perhaps inevitable in a made for TV movie.The irony is that Robert Keppel was only marginally involved inactually catching either Bundy or Ridgway. Bundy was caught because ofa traffic violation, and Keppel wasn't even involved at all inRidgway's apprehension in late November 2001.I would like to add that the movie also accurately shows that theseindividuals are rather pathetic geeks once apprehended. They prey onthe most vulnerable people in society, and often only then during theirmost vulnerable moments. They abuse the general trust people andsocieties need to operate. In short, anyone can sneak up on someone andhit them over the head. It is also why female serial killers almostexclusively target the very old and the very young, and very often usepoison. They only very rarely kill adult men by violent means (AileenWuornos is the exception).This is a very good true crime movie, however as a movie, it has someproblems.

james_oblivion 2012-04-26 20:46:33

One of the best TV movies ever

This A&E television movie, based on Robert Keppel's book about the huntfor the Green River Killer is, quite simply, one of the best TV moviesever made. As someone who loves cinema, and also as someone who's reada great deal about serial killers, I was amazed at the quality of thisfilm. In terms of writing, direction, cinematography, and acting, thismade-for-cable feature outshines many theatrical releases, and doesn'tcome across with that "Made-For-TV" vibe that one generally gets fromsuch productions. If I didn't know better, and I happened across thisfilm, I would never assume that it wasn't a theatrical film.The Riverman is very accurate, sticking close to the facts of both theGreen River case and the relationship between Keppel and serial killerTed Bundy. In fact, it is FAR more accurate than most films which claima basis in fact...particularly those involving serial murder. Therealways seems to be a tendency to sensationalize real-life serialkillers on film. This is unfortunate, because it defies a veryimportant fact...that serial killers are not raving monsters who standout from the crowd. As the incarcerated Ted Bundy says in the film,while informing detectives on the nature of the killer they areseeking: "He IS a normal guy. That's the point."In addition to following the search for the Green River Killer, thefilm also takes us to Death Row at Florida State Prison, where TedBundy, hoping for a stay of execution, acts as an "advisor" to thedetectives from his former home in Washington, then finally opens upabout his own crimes. An interesting fact is that, in real life, Bundyhad read Thomas Harris's novel, Red Dragon, and quite possibly got theidea of "advising" in the investigation of another killer's crimes fromthe Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter relationship in the book. Bundy actedas Lecter to Keppel's Graham...only Keppel, unlike Graham, had to livewith the fact that he had been unable to capture the man he'd hunted.And so, naturally, there are echoes of Red Dragon and The Silence ofthe Lambs to be found in the film version of The Riverman.Bundy is played here by well-known actor Cary Elwes, who gives aphenomenal performance. His Bundy is the "Final Days" Death Row Bundy,slowly unraveling as he realizes that nothing can stop the grinding ofthe wheels of Justice...until they grind to a halt in the deathchamber. And he plays the role like he was born for it. When I'd firstheard that he was playing Ted Bundy, I was taken aback, as I simplycouldn't picture it. But the performance speaks for itself, and issurely (to this date, at least) the definitive screen portrayal of theinfamous killer. The cast, in general, is extremelycapable...particularly Bruce Greenwood, whose portrait of Bob Keppel isintense and heartfelt. The acting is, all around, wonderful.The cinematography is also well handled and very appropriate to thesubject matter. It's also nice that it was presented in a widescreenaspect ratio. This, combined with the overall quality of thefilm-making (and a couple of uses of the "S-word") certainly makes thefilm seem more like a theatrical release than a TV movie. Generally,even good TV movies feel like just that...good TV MOVIES. The Rivermandoesn't. It just feels like a good MOVIE. A great one, in fact, whichis not to be missed.My only complaint is that the film could have been longer. If they'dextended the runtime to two hours (or even two and a half), they couldhave spent more time on the Green River case. And of course, whenyou've just seen 90 minutes of something fantastic, it's only naturalthat you wish it could have gone on longer. It's understandable whythis, being a TV movie, would be confined to a two-hour timeslot...andon a basic cable network, that means making time for commercials, aswell. Still, I wish it had been longer. It's too good to last only anhour and a half.

Cynthia Price 2012-04-23 18:24:44

Superb acting by Cary Elwes and Bruce Greenwood

I just saw this on TV from about the halfway point only, but wasfamiliar with the plot from my reading. I'm anxious to see it again. Ithought Cary Elwes BECAME Ted Bundy in a way that was eerie andabsolutely impressive. Bruce Greenwood had a part that could have beenmundane, but his tremendous depth as an actor turned it into adisturbing and memorable role. And I thought their joint scenes were ..well, completely intense -- contrary to the lead-in review from IMDb.Greenwood has always been one of my favorites, but I found Elwes a bitmore of a surprise. Would recommend this to acting classes everywhereand to anyone who can withstand an in-depth look at psyches that areway outside normal boundaries.

mdeckard21-1 2012-04-23 14:09:56

Pretty Good TV Movie

A&E is pretty good at making shows about serial killers, so why notmake a movie, right? The answer is yes. This is a well done TV filmthat hopefully will not be overlooked by the public. It has some of thestuff we've seen before but it saves itself with great pacing and deepemotion filled performances from it's two leads. Bruce Greenwood AndCary Elwes make this movie feel like a theatre released motion picture.The direction is a little card-boardish but that's forgivable seeing isthat this is a made for TV film. I watched twice tonight when it cameon, and taped it the second time. I would recommend this movie to anyfan of psychology. It goes deep into the mind of a ruthless killer andit never comes back from the edge.

2012-04-22 08:00:33

Excellent Performances of Real-Life Horror

This review is from: The Riverman (DVD) First, none of the tags apply to this film. Second, this is a documentary on the Green River Killer, America's most prolific serial killer, and how he was apprehended as a result of an utterly harrowing, terrifying mind-merge between a real-life profiler and Ted Bundy, America's second most prolific and most notorious serial killer. There is otherwise no plot, characters or exploitation of the grisly and unique story. The book on which this film is based is the basis of "Silence of the Lambs" and the "collaboration of one serial killer with police to identify another."What distinguishes this film is the extraordinary, risky, dangerous, authentically evil performance of Bundy by Cary Elwes. Elwes was the male eye-candy star of "Princess Bride" and a series of romantic adventure films in his youth, when his own beauty and life experience must have taught him how prostitutes and "johns" engage in fantasy possession of another person's body and will. Elwes' powerful beauty faded fast, and he then made a series of poorly acted, shallow, often overplayed and embarrassing films. An actor he was not. But an amazingly intelligent, intuitive, deep-minded person with almost total access to the horrors which underlie such peculiar beauty and obsession as motivates reciprocal using of another person, from prostitution to serial killing, he is. If this is a "performance" of Ted Bundy, it is one of the greatest screen portrayals of direct empathy with evil I have ever seen. More likely this is a revelation of the deepest shames, angers, dangers, revenges and obsessions that possesses often incomprehensible or trivialized psycho-pathology by a man who knows it.The difference between the Cary Elwes of glamor fame, the Cary Elwes of ham actor distinction, and this Cary Elwes who "is or becomes" the most fully realistically portrayed sexual psychopath in film history is literally unimaginable. Make no mistake:-- this is not a good director getting the best from a second-rate actor. This is an amazing man (Elwes) revealing breadth and depth in serial killer psycho-pathology seen only by those professionals unlucky enough to meet the Real Thing. Yes, bravo Hopkins, Cox and even Hall for dramatic portrayal -- theater work an audience can leave in the theater. Elwes is something of an entirely different dimension of dark reality you will not soon if ever forget.I will never trash Cary Elwes' work again, though I cannot explain his shallow performances as a youth. Maybe he was just too intelligent and sensitive for the roles his charismatic beauty landed him in and how he was treated and used. I don't know. But somehow he brings real horror up and out of the depths of the human soul for all to see, and it makes me quite glad I never had the misfortune to underestimate the man to his face.

inkburned 2012-04-21 15:14:35

Shades of other films, but a distinct style of its own

One thing I noticed about this movie almost immediately was thesimilarities between it and Silence of the Lambs. The theme of thedetective going to one serial killer in order to penetrate the mind ofanother serial killer is present within both films, but after that thesimilarities begin to dissipate. Bruce Greenwood as Robert Keppelallows his character to have faults and use at least some of them tohis advantage. Cary Elwes is almost unrecognizable in his nuancedperformance as Ted Bundy.For me, the direction left nothing to be desired. Although movies andnovels about murderers and serial killers are a dime a dozen these days(check the blurbs on the back of the paperback novels in the 'book'section of your grocery store, if it has one) 'The Riverman' adds someunexpected details that added depth to the characters and their story.There are glimpses into the minds of Bundy and Keppel throughout themovie, and I was pleased to see how they compared and overlapped. Theenergy was not as frantic as some cop shows make the serial killerchase out to be, but there was still a sense of urgency and electricityunderlying the interactions between Bundy, Keppel, and the youngdetective Dave Reichert who tries his best to do the job right. Thecontrol and fresh take on this piece take it above and beyond the restof the TV movies I've seen, and there have been a lot of them.Four and a half out of five.

2012-04-20 13:37:58

CARY CARRIES THIS ONE

PROS:*A career-defining performance by Cary Elwes as Ted Bundy--a cold calculating embodiment of evil*Good support from Bruce Greenwood and Sam Jaeger*Good capturing of 70s-80s cultureCONS:*While ostensibly about Gary Ridgeway, the movie focuses most of its time on Bundy and Koppel (sp) shedding little light on RidgewaySUMMARY: Though slow-paced and misguided, Elwes makes it worthwhile.

mattyboombattie74 2012-04-20 06:14:01

Well Done Film

I watched this last night on A&E. A well-done film that stays true tothe book that it was based on. Elwes's portrayal of Bundy was chillingto watch, as I remember vividly the interviews with the real Ted.I was disappointed with the ending though, how it did not focus on GaryRidgeway (The Green River Killer) more deeply. The film showed Bundy asnothing more than a narcissistic "entity", when his problems andmotivations ran much deeper than narcissism.The film also failed to mention that Ridgeway was spared the DeathPenalty for the GR murders on the condition that he would help locatethe remains of other missing women in the area. Perhaps more of Bundy'svictims' families would be able to enjoy this sense of closure hadFlorida kept him alive in isolation rather than sending him to theelectric chair. Keeping a man like Bundy alive, yet alone, is a worsepunishment than death.Overall, a well done movie. 4 out of 5 stars.