Written in Blood

"Written in Blood" includes some good screenwriting which makes use of clues from the Sherlock Holmes detective stories left by a serial killer at the scene of the crime. Peter Coyote is the only recognizable name in the cast, and his character holds one of the keys to unlocking the mysteries of this grade-B yarn. The director's set-ups and some of the acting left a lot to be desired.

Still, the film is well-paced and entertaining, especially with those intriguing details from the stories of Sherlock Holmes. This movie is palatable if one is able to accept it for its clear intent of a made-for-television and very, very low-budget thriller.

...to validate whether my hunch is correct. I think there is a really interesting and intriguing mystery thriller story here. It's a shame that an American TV director and American TV actors were used for the production of this movie. There is an obvious TV cliché feel to many of the scenes and overall plot navigation of this movie. The director seems to pull his feeling of the scene in comparison to movie chemistry that has worked well in other films. For example, the relationship between the two partners while John Traveller is in jail. It attempts a similar feel to the chemistry between Agent Starling and Hannibal Lector...but undoubtedly less intriguing performance.

Another aspect of the movie to reinforce the TV feel of it, is the lack of continuity to the filming styles throughout the movie. There are not drastic differences but enough subtle nuances to the lighting and scene cut styles, it leaves the viewer in limbo to the overall feeling of the movie.

I look forward to when this film is redone by a different director and cast.

I wanted to see this because I liked the show "The Pretender" starring Michael T. Weiss, who appears in this film, "Written in Blood." Weiss plays Matt Ransom, a police detective. In the beginning, we see clearly that he and his wife are not getting along. He gets a call from his partner, John Traveler (Peter Coyote), telling him to get over to his place. There, Ransom finds Traveler's wife and lover dead in the bedroom, and Traveler is holding the gun. The man murdered was the son of another detective. Traveler is convicted, found guilty, and imprisoned for life. Ransom's testimony helped get the conviction.

Though his boss wants him to go on leave, Ransom wants to keep working, especially due to a couple of strange new cases. His boss doesn't think they're connected; he does. He brings the details to Traveler as a way of reconnecting with him and also to keep him going while he's in prison. Traveler points out that the clues left at the scenes are from Sherlock Holmes stories. On the personal end, Ransom's marriage is over, and Traveler's daughter is attracted to him and wants a relationship.

This is a low budget film with parts probably filmed at a 19.99 per night LA motel. Some of the acting isn't very good, particularly from the actress who played Ransom's wife, and Peter Coyote's role should have been bigger to give the film a little gravitas. Weiss is good, sporting a long greasy haircut one might wear undercover, but he wasn't.

An interesting story, not a bad film given the cast and finances.

You never know what you'll find when the dogs wake you at 3am. This interesting film-noir thriller was not as good as it could have been.

I like Michael T. Weiss as Jarod in "The Pretender." Of course, I liked Andrea Parker more. He tended to overact in this film and his haircut was atrocious. Normally, I wouldn't comment on something like that, but it was a definite distraction Peter Coyote played his partner who went to jail for murdering his wife and her lover. I always like Coyote and he was the best thing about this movie.

Maureen Flannigan (A Day Without a Mexican) as the hot daughter with a secret, added immensely to the action.

It was Flannigan's character that should have been built up more. We were not provided enough motivation and it left gaping holes in the story.

It was OK for 3am.

Supposedly set in Cally Forny Eh, this crapfest has ZERO palmtrees, has ONE black actor who plays the Lieutenant in charge of the Police Squad, and a few characters who are supposedly latinos. It's so realistic!

Peter Coyote was desperate to make his mortgage payment, so he took on the role of the guy inside a cell (inside another room) in the "Metropolitan Detention Center". Seriously!

As for the story - or lack of it - I had it figgered out in the bathroom. AVOID!