Murder Live!

this movie isnt gonna win any awards, but it is worth watching simply because david morse is one of the more underrated and underappreciated actors working today. The movie has some good direction from roger spottiswoode and a screenplay above the usual tv movie fare. Marg helgenberg, of CSI fame, is also decent, and easy on the eyes. But Morse is the drawing point

A serious effort about how TV talk shows ruin lives - and on occasion, as with Jenny Jones, take them away. Co-written by Peter Horton who also plays the negotiator, directed by Roger Spottiswoode (48 Hrs., Turner & Hooch, Air America, Tomorrow Never Dies), with excellent work in the leading roles by David Morse and Marg Helgenberger (CSI, Erin Brockovich). The irony is thick here - the movie is the property of NBC, perpetrator of the infamous quiz show 'Twenty-One' which later became the subject of the Robert Redford movie.

The tenet is good, but it is concise and to the point, and so cannot be satisfactorily stretched into feature film format. Once the point has been made, there is little to do except introduce more and more plot vehicles to carry the movie to its somewhat unsatisfactory conclusion. This is nevertheless a noteworthy movie, and it's good that someone took the time to make this statement - even if it was the hypocritical NBC. But as the Morse character says, 'you vote with your remote', and the life-endangering 'crap' these shows churn out will be around as long (but only as long) as mindless TV viewers continue to beg to be fed on it.

'Murder live' is a unique film. Never before has a movie been so accurate in its depiction of questionable-quality TV talk shows and the very unfortunate events they can cause, as has recently been proved in real life. Even more impressive, is the fact that it is a TV-movie! Roger Spottiswoode and the actors (especially David Morse, Marge Helgenberger and Peter Horton-who also wrote the script) have done a terrific job. Shot in real time, in "live" TV broadcast style (that brings to mind the notorious Jerry Springer show), it never misses its target and also covers other issues such as police corruption and the indifference of the public (who would rather watch baseball). Well made, fast-paced and shocking, 'Murder Live' is a film that really gets you to think and deserves recognition as one of the greatest modern achievements of TV -and there's not many-. Don't miss it!

Rating: 9/10, or A2.

Movie starts as another ho-hum crime/suspense thriller, but it's chilling to hear truth about our culture spoken so plainly in a media package. I have no doubt that the talk-show TV execs will not want to show this too widely even if it was given to them free of charge. Well worth sticking with it. David Morse is one of those actors whose face you remember having seen somewhere, but you can't remember in which show -this movie really showcases his ability to carry a feature length film. I didn't think Terri Garr added much as the ex-wife - maybe I've seen her play that same type of 'tired of putting up with a difficult husband' role too many times.

Excellent performances and a worthwhile script mean that Murder Live! finally achieves what Mad City and Mistrial between them failed to do. It's refreshing to see satire handled without the sledgehammer subtlety of those efforts. One can only hope that this gem receives a much overdue release on DVD.