An American Murder (1989) Online

I didn't expect too much so I wasn't disappointed. In fact Back in the 80's when this movie came out, American Murder, I was one of the investors. I thought it would be a "blockbuster" but apparently it was just a "Bust". All I got was to get to sit next to Michael J Pollard at the premiere, a VCR of the movie and a loss of my $5000.00. It went straight to video. Overall I thought it was a decent movie. basic plot and it took my mind off of the outside world. It had all the plot people go to a movie for, at least in the 80's. Besides I got to meet and hang out with the Hollywood types. They don't even they have this movie in the back room of Hollywood video, much less in the front. SO if any one has a name of someone connected to the movie that I can call to try and get some of my money back leave a message. So all I can say is....Bah Humbug

Uncle Martin

This is a terrible movie, terrible script, bad direction and nonsensical ending. Also, bad performances, except from Clancy Brown who is criminally underused here, and Michael Pollard. Watching this movie was purgatory--you do it to unload enough bad movie karma to actually see a good one further down the line.

The movie presents a father and son who look like they couldn't every possibly have been related. The part of the male lead is not well written and seems uncharismatic in this role. You can see the plot points a mile away. The actions of the female lead and that of her brother, the cop, also make no sense. So, a major action on her part at the end of the movie makes no sense script-wise.

I was surprised at the low rating this film got from viewers. I saw it one late night on TV and it hit the spot - I actually think it was back in 1989 when it first appeared. Yet I remember it pretty well, with a nice twist or two, and an interesting ambiance on a windmill farm. Michael Pollard looks suitably seedy for his role which pretty much sums up the unfulfilled early promise of his career, and everyone else plays it pretty straight ahead. I definitely recommend it as a rental, although some of the themes, which might have seemed a bit edgy in 1989, now may seem tame, which is a shame, considering that contemporary "edginess" is often just used as a necessary marketing tool, sort of like clamoring just to get noticed.

Michael Bowen plays an innocentish young man who hitchhikes a thousand miles to visit his absentee millionaire father (the creepy Ray Wise) at a sprawling, windmill-powered ranch and ends up tangled in the dangerous web of his young, scheming and seductive stepmother from hell (the yummy Clare Wren), thus causing trouble for the already dysfunctional family. An edgy, stylish and exciting drama that received no promotion and was sent straight to VHS and cable TV--where I first saw it. It is beautifully written, smartly acted, and tightly directed from a script that keeps you biting your nails. I cannot believe the reviewers who disliked it ever actually saw it. It is an undiscovered classic.

That reviewers liked this movie surprises me. The plot is a muddle. The characters are wooden. Michael Bowen spends most of the film spying on the other characters and misjudging all of them. No one has any redeeming quality or point-of-interest. This is not an edgy work. It is not imaginative. It is not ironic. It is not clever. There is nothing straight forward about this tedious work. That it missed theatrical release is no surprise. That the "This Network" airs it diminishes that venue. I definitely recommend turning to a rerun of the Garden Smart show on PBS or even a good informational if you encountered this mess on late night television. If you encounter it on daytime television, take a long walk. Even if you walk in smog, you will feel better not having suffered through this shambles. Life is short. This movie is long.

Innocent goes on a trip, falls into the clutches of a femme fatale, gets involved in a murder plot but all is not as it seems, blah blah blah. You've seen it a million times, mostly done better than what's here. Despite the packaging, nothing here's particularly sexy. Nothing here's especially exciting, either, though there's one great moment where creepy Michael Pollard locks the hero in a crate and tips him into the lake. Not that it makes much sense in the context of the movie, but it's the only time I really was shaken awake.

Notable only for some excellent location shooting in what looks to be the Midwest somewhere, and for some smart cinematography that makes the most of the locations, framing the small cast in it's vast expanses.