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Hercules Has Seen CBS’ New Serial Killer Thriller HARPER’S ISLAND!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
“Harper’s Island” is a thriller from writer-producer Ari Schlossberg, who penned the 2005 Robert De Niro vehicle “Hide and Seek” – a commercially successful big-screen thriller given positive reviews by 13 percent of the nation’s critics, according to the Rotten Tomatoes website.
The series is about a serial killer who disrupts a wedding celebration on a remote island 27 miles off Seattle, and was likely pitched as a scripted “Survivor,” with one member of the cast exiting the island each week via a grisly murder. There’s even a handsome boat crewman who looks a lot like Jeff Probst.
It stars at least two Cassidys, David Cassidy’s daughter Katie (“Supernatural”) and supercute Irish actress Elaine Cassidy (the U.K.’s “The Ghost Squad”), as well as Richard Burgi (“Desperate Housewives”), Harry Hamlin (“Veronica Mars”), Jim Beaver (“John From Cincinnati”), Christopher Gorham (“Ugly Betty”), Gina Holden (“Flash Gordon”), Chis Gauthier (“Eureka”), C.J. Thomason (“General Hospital”), Amber Borycki (“John Tucker Must Die”), Ben Cotton (“Stargate Atlantis”), Beverly Elliott (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), David Lewis (“The L Word”), Ali Liebert (“Kyle XY”), Brandon Jay McLaren (“Power Rangers SPD”), Sean Rogerson (“Underworld: Evolution”), Sarah Smyth (“Undressed”), Cassandra Sawtell (“Good Luck Chuck”) and Claudette Mink (“Paycheck”).
The pilot’s biggest problem is it fails to engender much rooting interest in the potential victims, who turn out to be a pretty dull and clichéd lot. Also, it’s on CBS, which places limits on violence with which big-screen slasher filmmakers needn’t contend.
Entertainment Weekly says:
… Elaine Cassidy's Abby is a spunky character through whom we see much of the action, but others are clichés, like the bride's jealous ex, the groom's black-sheep brother, etc. R-rated horror flicks have rendered the scariness of Harper's abrupt murders mild stuff; the series could have used more of Christie's tight plotting. …
USA Today says:
… Harper's won't please everyone, and some aspects would displease anyone. Those who enjoy slasher films will find it too tame, those who hate the very idea of such films will find it too gruesome, and those who want first-rate acting and top-level production values will find it wanting. As much fun as Harper's can be if you're inclined to recline into it, the show was clearly produced with too little talent and, odds are, too little money.…
The Los Angeles Times says:
… does not attempt to rise above the confines of its genre because it's too busy rolling around in them. It's tense enough, mysterious enough for those of us who enjoy occasionally watching the screen from behind our hands. But what's more significant is the fact that it could have been just as effective, possibly more so, without the grisly details, without viewers seeing the victims actually meet their very nasty ends. …
The Chicago Tribune says:
… most of the acting is about as superficial as the writing …
The Washington Post says:
… a cunningly constructed, habit-forming mystery … As in all horror stories, characters do manifestly dumb things, like swim alone, drunk, in a lighted pool at night, or go wandering off in the woods once the sun sets and it gets awfully hard to retrace your steps. Once there was a way to get back homeward, as the Beatles lamented, but not for everyone on Harper's Island. For that reason and others, the show may very well and fairly cleverly hold your attention -- in fact, grip it tightly and securely -- as it dangles its array of morbid possibilities in your face. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… might end up being a guilty pleasure. It's got blood and sex and intrigue galore, and there are enough red herrings and frightening gotchas to spill the popcorn two or three times an hour. The writing is just clever enough to probably make the killing-a-week conceit work. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… an entertaining enough diversion that may grow more intriguing as other series end their season-long runs next month and viewers become more desperate for fresh entertainment.
The Boston Herald says:
… everything about “Harper’s Island” feels like familiar territory. … “Harper’s” real suspense emanates from wondering who will strike first - the killer or low ratings. I’m betting on a merciless assassin named Nielsen.
The Boston Globe says:
CBS's "Harper's Island" is a limited-run series, which means it arrives tonight with a 100-percent definite end date of July 2. So you can relax. After July 2, you won't need to worry about stumbling across this enervating, vapid, and obscenely over-promoted thriller when you're channel surfing. After 13 episodes, it will never be able to stalk you again. …
Variety says:
… as constructed by series creator Ari Schlossberg and director Jon Turteltaub, "Harper's Island" too often indulges in slasher-movie absurdities, with a murderer who seems to be everywhere at once and genuine clues in too-short supply. This deficiency renders the 25 characters less suspects in a gradually unfolding mystery -- which they ought to be -- than simply shark bait. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… completely earnest in its awfulness: the clunky dialogue full of lines you've heard before; the plot twists you remember from every B horror movie; the stock characters whose sole purpose is to annoy you into hoping they get killed soon; the cheesy music cues and intruders that turn out to be just a flock of birds.Every single fragment of the series has been scavenged from other shows or movies. It's as if someone handed creator Ari Schlossberg a book on how to make a boilerplate, uninteresting slasher flick, and he lovingly followed every step. …
10 p.m. Thursday. CBS.
SHIPPING NOW!!
Herc Says This Prequel
To Abrams’ Movie Rocks!!
SHIPPING NEXT WEEK!!
The New Prequel About The People
Who Thought Cylons Were A Good Idea!!
SHIPPING NOW!!
Herc Says This Prequel
To Abrams’ Movie Rocks!!
SHIPPING NEXT WEEK!!
The New Prequel About The People
Who Thought Cylons Were A Good Idea!!
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I love me a good murder mystery...I'm in!
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If he's even in this. It still looks pretty lame though.
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You ruined my trifecta.
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like Push, Nevada?
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If not... skip.
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This actually COULD have worked AND set the tone for other such series. I know it is all about milking a series for as much money as a network can get, but I think there is a real strong niche out there for a clever show that lies somewhere between short run and mini-series. If this had actually turned out to be a halfway-decent murder mystery where everyone knew was going to end in 12 shows so that you could get into it without fear of it being cancelled. It would have opened the door for more of these. Who says the only way to make money is to make a show last forever. (I am thinking of the short-lived 'Drive'. I would have loved if that show had been something like this and the let plot arc run its course for one long mini-series).
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Jim Beaver is more known for his Supernatural stint than for his other stuff.
I will watch this for Jim Beaver and Katie Cassidy. -
separated at birth twin.
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people being stuck on the island, lack of rescue, no FBI involvement or anything along those lines which may pop up. This is the 21st century. Hell even in the 20 century they had these things called phones and radios.
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a reality show that was like this. Murder in Small Town X i think was the name. Where there was scripted actors in the town and the contestants just sort of saw shit go down. No lie, only Reality show i ever watched. I'm debating if i should check this out, my tivo is already going overtime with NBCs stuff tonight.
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Thought it might be good trash TV to watch after the regular season ends, but sounds like just derivative crap.
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Isn't that what CBS specializes in, albeit to huge audiences?
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the order in which characters will be killed.
Elaine Cassidy is getting the hype focus, so she will be in the final episode, perhaps even the killer.
Unless the scripters cheat and reveal a character thought to be killed earlier is really still alive.
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...It's going to turn out to be a situation where there isn't just one killer. Stereotypical Character #6 killed Stereotypical Character #2. Stereotypical Character #11 killed Stereotypical Character #6. Etc., etc., etc.
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ratings gold.
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...SUCKS. Bring back sexy 2D Erin, please.
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I'm bored as hell. I can't wait for the Sons of Anarchy second season.
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tht girl who plays the bride is HOT!...biggest name on the show, Harry Hamlin, got killed off in Episode 1...the dude that plays the bride's father is the creepy guy from Hostel 2
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Just watched the show. I'll watch next week because I'll be in front of the tv for Supernatural at 9:00 anyway.
Also Katie Cassidy(the bride) is gorgeous and Cameron Richardson takes her clothes off a lot.
Good stuff. -
Katie Cassidy is the daughter of David Cassidy (The Partridge Family)...damn she must have gotten her looks from her mother then
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Apr 10, 2009 8:00:32 AM CDT
It was worth it to see Harry Hamlin cut in half, but...
by leafar the lost
...aside from that it was horrible. Its just as bad as a teen horror movie, but with less violence and sex. I say, skip it, and start watching "Kings" so it gets a 2nd season.
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You put Harry Hamlin, a pretty entertaining actor under most circumstances, set him up as a potentially interesting shit-stirring character, suggest a love triangle with the blonde who likes to take her clothes off...and then kill him off and let the blonde's nobody douchebag boyfriend live? WTF? Smart writing there. And what's with the annoyingly creepy kid? Then it all became clear when the producer of Jericho was behind this!Hope they're not stupid enough to kill off the hot blondes until the end.
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Good call. Not much to add to that. A great actor, and interesting character; the fun loving drunk uncle with a bag of cash who feel the need to bring a concealed weapon, then they get rid of him. If this follows standard horror movie rules the girl who takes off the least clothes will survive, but I don't care because I'm done watching this turd. Bring back The Eleventh Hour even if it is a remake of the superior Patick Stewart British series. It's still better than this.
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will give it a try this summer.
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In Supernatural she looked very hot and in this show she doesn't look too shabby at all with her new hair color.
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on Bowen Island this winter. During that period of about a month or so where Vancouver got the worst snowfall I've experienced in my lifetime. One day of this PA work involved de-snowing a set with shovels, rakes, hoses and blowtorches. Apparently the show is set in the summer.
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Anyone else remember Murder in Small Town X? This seems like a lame copy of that and scripted as well. We need a HBO version of this...
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but the music...oh god the music. it's the same ok go rip off band for every song and it just sucks so much. just leave it out for the love of God. Stop pretending that dark mentally disturbed men would listen to anything resembling bouncy, damn near SKA, style music. Dish out for some real music or just use an actual score or how about nothing? How about just nothing at all? That would be better than this stupid crap.
SURPRISINGLY gory when viewed on DVD. for a while I thought CBS had relaxed it's blood standards, but then I noticed the dvd case read "the DVD edition" probably meaning unedited.
It tries and fails to be some version of Twin Peaks, but it could have been worse. At least it's trying to be a version of Twin Peaks and not Dawson's Creek or 90210 (tho almost everyone in the series is young and hot...so maybe a 90210 version of Twin Peaks).
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