kevin-tye As a reader of Dean Koontzs' work I looked forward to seeing Black River (originally created as a mini-series but shown in the UK as a short movie). I have always found his work fast paced and well constructed, but I was a little disappointed with this offering as there seemed at times only a tenuous link running through the plot. To me Bo (Jay Mohr) seemed a little 2 dimensional and somewhat lacking in substance. He seemed more interested in finding out who was behind what was going on rather than "getting out of dodge", an aim he professed throughout. I feel that the concept put forward by the author was interesting and could have been handled in a slightly better way. Jay Mohr has in the past delighted me with his performances, however in this case he seemed to have the aspect of someone running around like a headless chicken who shouted all his lines. All in all, a bit of a disappointment.

Rhys (DrBugSmith) Yes I can be a bit snotty sometimes about movies, but this obvious mini movie (scenes fade black for the ads) made for enjoyable if semi-predictable viewing. Call me naive but this did last the distance interest wise for me. Maybe my 'Big Brother' dark side was calling? Comparisons to the more darkly humourous 'U-Turn' immediately rise, but what the hell, its' an engrossing subject trapped inside a crazy town... I hope I'm not the only one? Was it just me or everytime Jay Mohr, (seen him before on something?) actually had a good facial expression, they pull a wierd camera angle and lose it? Lisa Edelstien has an attractive allure and made her character the most believable in my opinion. Overall worthwhile, with time to kill afterwards... 6/10

Spooky2001 You have always heard of small towns that are said to be the perfect American town. Well, Black River is a too perfect town. Everybody is nice. Anybody that is mean they get rid of. A perfect American town except there is something wrong with the town. There is a "big brother" watching you at every corner. You can never leave the town because "big brother" will not let you. It is a good movie. If you like weird movies then you should see this one.

8-Foot Here we have another egotistical super-intelligent computer; this one goes by the name of "Pericles" and has somehow continued to function after termination of a supposedly failed development project. (Doesn't anyone know where to find the plug for these machines?) In a fit of conscience, Pericles wants to set a better example than its storied predecessor computers, e.g., "Hal," whose misdeeds had given their ilk a bad name. Its mission is to create a cultural oasis in its home town of Black River. To this end, it not only lures desirable residents but captures, though not necessarily captivates, selected others wandering through the town. Jay Mohr plays a successful novelist passing through, while Lisa Edelstein is a promising architect lured to the town. While Jay likes Lisa, that pull can't offset his desire to escape Pericles' machinations that prevent his leaving. Local color, you might say, is displayed by the waitress, real estate agent, police chief, and mayor, not to mention the telephones.This all sounds better than it is. In "2001," Hal's actions were totally within the bounds of what an advanced computer controlling a spaceship could do. Alas, Pericles goes so far overboard, albeit sometimes in interesting ways, that the required suspension of disbelief is not achieved. That and the poorly managed tension and flow keep "Black River" far out of the top ratings, especially after having just seen some top classics and in recalling "2001.""Black River" has a good start and a conclusion that slightly offsets the lengthy middle disconnect with the viewer. However, don't feel guilty if you bail out early on; the time you save is your own. 'Twas an idea that with more work might have turned into something good---or not.