The film has one major flaw, and that is that Ray is easily the most interesting character in the movie, thanks to an enthusiatic performance by Shellen.
The whole point of these survival-of-the-fittest movies is that we're supposed to see which qualities enable a man to overcome his adversary. The trouble with these characters is that they are so tiresome, we don't necessarily want them to live.
For instance, Jerry (Bradford Bancroft), a fat guy whose lame jokes are supposed to be endearing, starts off the weeklong rafting trip by saying, ''What, seven days with no MTV?"
Yep, we definitely want him to die.
Later, an Izod-clad lawyer named Carl (John Terlesky) tries to calm the agitated Ray, who's just shot and beheaded a man.
"We'll tell them it was self-defense," Carl says.
"Ha, and who'll believe me?" Ray replies.
"They'll believe me, I'm an attorney," says Carl, as hands go up in the audience to sign his death warrant.
In a perverse way, we enjoy seeing the diabolical Ray humiliate the annoyingly bland yuppoids who've hired him. Even that cheap thrill subsides, however, when the offending characters get theirs.
What you're left with is a sadistic adventure yarn with nice scenery, bad dialogue, mostly bad acting and just enough action to make the picture moderately suspenseful.
Look for this one in video stores by December.
Hey, just in time for Christmas!
DAMNED RIVER *
Produced by Lance Hool, directed by Michael Schroeder, music by James Wesley Stemple, written by John Crowther and Bayard Johnson, distributed by MGM/UA Pictures, Inc.
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Ray - Stephen Shellen
Anne - Lisa Aliff
Carl - John Terlesky
Luke - Marc Poppel
Jerry - Bradford Bancroft
Parents Guide: (R)
Showing at: Area Theaters
