Colin Rogers Movies
- 2004
- R
- Add The Riverman to Queue
Some observers have described the made-for-cable The Riverman as a real-life Silence of the Lambs. Based on the book cowritten by Robert Keppel, formerly chief criminal investigator for the attorney general of Washington state, the film recounts Keppel's efforts to track down serial killer Gary Ridgeway, aka the Green River Killer. With 10 unsolved murders weighing on his mind, Keppel (played by Bruce Greenwood) agrees to a plan whereby an imprisoned mass murderer with a similar M.O. will be brought into the investigation in hopes of second-guessing the killer at large. Thus, Keppel travels to Florida, there to inaugurate a series of chilling interviews with the infamous Ted Bundy (Cary Elwes). Inasmuch as Bundy hopes that by helping track down the Green River Killer he himself will be able to escape the death penalty, Keppel finds himself between the proverbial rock and hard place: How can he secure Bundy's cooperation without making promises he cannot possibly keep? The Riverman was first telecast by the A&E network on September 6, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood
Twelve-year-old James (Trevor Morgan) is haunted by the car crash that claimed his mother's life two years earlier. Estranged from his father (Ray Liotta) and nurturing a deep hatred of his stepmother (Catherine McCormack), James is none too pleased about the prospect of spending his summer vacation at their Maine beach house. With no one his own age for company, he spends his time exploring the surrounding beaches. One day, while playing in the dunes, James accidentally breaks a fence belonging to Maddy Bennett (Vanessa Redgrave), a cranky old woman with a reputation for loony behavior. James embarks on a mission to fix the fence, and as he works, he and Maddy form a deep friendship. But when the boy's family learns of the friendship, they wrongfully blame Maddy for their own problems, prompting Maddy to react in a manner that profoundly affects the entire family. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Redgrave, Ray Liotta, (more)
- 1995
Based on the 1990 mystery-suspense novel by Ruth Rendell, the two-part British miniseries The Strawberry Tree focused on a middle-aged lady named Petra Summers, played by Lisa Harrow. Petra's calm, well-ordered existence was sorely threatened when the spectres of her past caught up with her. Among the supporting players were George Baker (who also scripted) in his familiar guise of Inspector Wexford, Eleanor Bron as Rosario, Simon Ward as Will Harvey, and Tamara Ustinov, daughter of Peter Ustinov, as the District Nurse. The Strawberry Tree was originally broadcast April 21 and 28, 1995 as part of ITV's Ruth Rendell Mysteries anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Harrow
Adapted by John Mortimer from his own novel, the British miniseries Summer's Lease starred Susan Fleetwood as British housewife Molly Pargeter who, with her family, spent an eventful summer vacation at La Felicita, a villa in Tuscany. Molly had hoped to soak in the local color and revel in the artistic masterpieces all around her, but instead ended up trying to solve a couple of mysteries involving a dried-up water supply and a missing landlord (who turned out to have several shady "friends"). In the process, Molly took up with an old flame, all the while attempting to patch up her tottering marriage to the plodding Hugh Pargeter. Stealing the show (and winning several TV awards in the process) was John Gielgud as Molly's father, Haverford Downs, a libidinous and slightly daft author. First telecast by BBC2 in 1989, the four-part Summer's Lease was subsequently aired in America as part of PBS's Masterpiece Theatre anthology in the spring of 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annette Crosbie, Susan Fleetwood, (more)
- 1983
While doing conventional research at the BBC in the late 1970s, the writing team of Tom Keene and Brian Haynes uncovered evidence of an incredible contemporary espionage incident. Their findings formed the basis of the team's fictional book Spyship, published in 1980. When an ordinary British fishing vessel turned up missing somewhere in the North Atlantic, gonzo journalist Martin Taylor was determined to find out the reason -- only to run up against the twin barriers of Royal Navy stonewalling and Soviet Politburo obfuscation. An Anglo-Australian co-production, the BBC miniseries version of Spyship was filmed on location in England and Norway. The series' six 55-minute episodes were originally telecast in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
