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Skeletons

  • TV Movie
  • 1997
  • R
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
591
YOUR RATING
Skeletons (1997)
CrimeDramaHorrorMysteryThriller

A Pulitzer prize journalist has a heart attack and moves with his wife and son, from NYC to a town of 850 in Maine. Things are fine there until he investigates a man arrested for murdering h... Read allA Pulitzer prize journalist has a heart attack and moves with his wife and son, from NYC to a town of 850 in Maine. Things are fine there until he investigates a man arrested for murdering his boyfriend. Vandalism and worse follows.A Pulitzer prize journalist has a heart attack and moves with his wife and son, from NYC to a town of 850 in Maine. Things are fine there until he investigates a man arrested for murdering his boyfriend. Vandalism and worse follows.

  • Director
    • David DeCoteau
  • Writer
    • Joshua Michael Stern
  • Stars
    • Ron Silver
    • Christopher Plummer
    • Dee Wallace
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    591
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • David DeCoteau
    • Writer
      • Joshua Michael Stern
    • Stars
      • Ron Silver
      • Christopher Plummer
      • Dee Wallace
    • 13User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos35

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    Top cast29

    Edit
    Ron Silver
    Ron Silver
    • Peter Crane
    Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    • Reverend Carlyle
    Dee Wallace
    Dee Wallace
    • Heather Crane
    • (as Dee Wallace Stone)
    Kyle Howard
    Kyle Howard
    • Zach Crane
    James Coburn
    James Coburn
    • Frank Jove
    Arlene Golonka
    Arlene Golonka
    • Melanie Jove
    D. Paul Thomas
    • Sheriff Carlton
    Paul Bartel
    Paul Bartel
    • Mayor Dunbar
    David Graf
    David Graf
    • Sam
    Patrick Thomas
    Patrick Thomas
    • Toby Carlyle
    • (as Pat Thomas)
    Clive Rosengren
    Clive Rosengren
    • Jacob
    Raymond O'Connor
    Raymond O'Connor
    • Mr. Muir
    Kathleen Noone
    Kathleen Noone
    • Sadie
    Brigitta Dau
    Brigitta Dau
    • Laura
    Valerie Wildman
    Valerie Wildman
    • Belinda
    George 'Buck' Flower
    George 'Buck' Flower
    • Jerry Grommer
    • (as Buck Flower)
    Jennifer Rhodes
    Jennifer Rhodes
    • Mrs. Gallway
    Dennis Christopher
    Dennis Christopher
    • Jim Norton
    • Director
      • David DeCoteau
    • Writer
      • Joshua Michael Stern
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    5.3591
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    Featured reviews

    5retrogames

    Good cast in an enjoyable movie

    I was quite surprised by this movie which keeps you watching right to the end, mainly due to the cast. The story itself fizzles out towards the end but still very watchable. Ron Silver is very good with a fine performance and supported by some fine actors (James Coburn great as ever) The director David DeCoteau has made more than his fair share of low budget drivel but this does rate out of the movies I've had the misfortune to watch, as his best and certainly the only one with anyone you have ever heard of starring in it. So much so when you look at the other movies on IMDb that he has directed before and after this one you really do wonder how he got the job directing such a good cast? So I'm presuming that the cast has more to do with how watchable the movie is rather than the ultra low budget director, who must hold some sort of record for the Director with the lowest voted movies on the IMDb. Above Average Movie 5/10
    shiningmonk

    Big city folk meet small town attitudes

    Ron Silver, James Coburn and Christopher Plummer are interesting to watch in this unoriginal plot about something rotten in an apparently perfect New England small town. The film suffers from a crisis of identity, starting off like a legal drama, developing shades of high school angst, a horror element and, well, I'll stop there rather than give away the ending. As someone else has said in this forum, the story fizzles out at the end. Bad plot, only just saved by some decent acting. 5 out of 10.
    3RatedVforVinny

    "You can't run from an AK-47, blessed by the Lord!"

    The title was an excellent line, delivered by one crazy priest but there is little else to recommend this sub-standard, awful thriller. Can't believe such competent actors such as Ron Silver, C.Plummer and James Coburn, are actually in this. It's really a poor effort and relegated to the trade pile.
    Xapora

    Starts off good, dwindles at the end ...

    From the moment Peter, Heather and their son Zack move to the Stepford Wives-esque town of Saugatuck in New England you just know something isn't right. All the women have perfect hair and make-up and bake like there's no tomorrow. All the men are rednecks and there's no-one even vaguely ethnic in sight, as observed by Peter's wife Heather. There's just something downright creepy about this place. Unfortunately for Peter and his family, the audience figures that out well before he does.

    What begins as an intriguing investigation by journalist Peter into a mysterious local murder eventually ends with a most disappointing, scattered ending. I don't know how else they could have ended it but I was let down because I thought, "Wow, this is a really good movie. I'm into it and I want to know what happens!" Well, when the truth eventually comes out it's all too late etc. etc. and you're left thinking, "Well, that was a bit crap!"

    Ron Silver is in top form as usual though with his little one-liners and quips. Kyle Howard as Zack Crane is good too for a youngster. One to watch!

    I'd recommend seeing "Skeletons" because it is a mystery, but unfortunately the mystery doesn't last long enough and when the "twist" comes, we've already figured it out.

    I couldn't work out why people of a New England town would have Southern accents either ...
    2tunafish-2

    Awful....Truly Awful

    When you see quality actors' names such as James Coburn or Christopher Plummer attached to a movie , you would assume that those quality actors would appear in films that have a quality script. I mean , surely they READ the script before they agreed to appear in this rubbish?

    Movies like this do nothing but damage a good actors' reputation so I guess it's a good thing that very few people have actually seen it.

    I just wish I hadn't.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was originally started by director 'Ken Russell', but after he locked horns with one of the film's nine producers, he was fired and David DeCoteau was hired to replace him.
    • Quotes

      Reverend Carlyle: You cannot hide from an AK-47 that's been blessed by the lord.

    • Connections
      References Bambi (1942)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 25, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El poble de l'odi
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA(Town square and other exteriors.)
    • Production companies
      • HIT Entertainment I
      • Home Box Office (HBO)
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 27m(87 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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