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      The China Lake Murders

      PG-13 1990 1h 37m Mystery & Thriller List
      Reviews 69% 50+ Ratings Audience Score Sam Brodie (Tom Skerritt) is the sheriff of a small town called China Lake, where a series of violent murders has shocked the local population. During his investigation, Brodie comes across Officer Donnelly (Michael Parks), a highway patrolman on vacation who offers to help. Brodie invites him over to his house, and the two men become good friends. But as more facts come to light, and the murders continue, Brodie starts to doubt the man he thought he knew. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member After recently watching Red State and seeing how creepy Parks was as the villain I decided to watch some of his other work, most is incredibly hard to find these days but I knew of this TV movie and his role sounded promising. Sadly though being a made for TV movie sets certain limitations on the film but having said that it's still very good and if you can find it then you should watch it. Parks is seriously unhinged in this, it was good when Skeritt realises its him yet he's powerless to bring him down, I can see this kind of thing really happening. A cop working for 24 years as claimed by Park's character dealing with all the crap and no thanks, i guess that could easily send you over the rails and skew what is right and wrong for you until you just snap. It gives the impression that Brody could just as easily snap like Donnelly did. As he said "it gets easier and easier". A very good and hard to find movie that sadly if done on the big screen could have much more potential. A terrifying role executed perfectly by Parks. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Early on you know who done it. But the suspense builds as it slowly dawns on the big city turned small town sheriff who the bad guy is who's been murdering young women every summer for the last several years. Then begins a very civil cat and mouse game between the charming stranger and the sheriff that drives this surreal, thrilling movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member It took me ages to find a copy of this particular Parks effort. I'm glad I included it in my Greatest Parks Performances list (http://www.thefilmpilgrim.com/features/the-greatest-michael-parks-performances/1240) as it's one of his best and most sinister roles. I love the fued between Skerritt's character and Parks' character here, and the way they build up a friendship initially, with Skerritt knowing he's the killer but lacking any evidence to put Parks away. Parks' sociopathic, homocidal tendencies also seem to rub off on Skerritt more and more as the film goes on - for example, Skerritt redtrains himself from hitting the wife-beating guy near the beginning, but then later on full on beats him up. As Parks' killer notes: "It gets easier" - which is him trying to persuade Skerritt to go down the same route. I realise it's just a made for TV film, but it needed a bit more of an edge to it I felt - a bit more dramatic involvement. The ending was good but a tad anti-climactic. A really decent TV film, and one of the most memorable films in Parks' career. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member 66/100. Not bad for a made for cable movie. Good cast, Tom Skerritt is well cast, Michael Parks is very effective as well. The story is good, it's a fine mystery and it is suspenseful and it always held my interest. It does always look made for television though, at least the performances rise above that. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Not bad for a made for cable movie. Good cast, Tom Skerritt is well cast, Michael Parks is very effective as well. The story is good, it's a fine mystery and it is suspenseful and it always held my interest. It does always look made for television though, at least the performances rise above that. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The China Lake Murders

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Sam Brodie (Tom Skerritt) is the sheriff of a small town called China Lake, where a series of violent murders has shocked the local population. During his investigation, Brodie comes across Officer Donnelly (Michael Parks), a highway patrolman on vacation who offers to help. Brodie invites him over to his house, and the two men become good friends. But as more facts come to light, and the murders continue, Brodie starts to doubt the man he thought he knew.
      Director
      Alan Metzger
      Production Co
      Papazian-Hirsch Entertainment International
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 37m