Review of Blood River

BLOOD RIVER is a western that also happens to be a CBS TV movie released in 1991. Given that it has the safe, low budget, TV movie look, it isn't too bad at all and it's certainly well-shot and made for the most part. The story is about a young guy who goes on the run from a vengeful preacher after accidentally killing the man's son. He ends up hiding out with an old-timer who takes him under his wing and shows him how to live life, but problems aren't far behind. I watched this because the script was by no less than John Carpenter, and he makes a decent stab at the genre; it turns out that this was originally conceived as a John Wayne vehicle in the 1970s before the old-timer passed away. It benefits from a typically colourful turn from Wilford Brimley, playing seemingly the same character as the one he did in HARD TARGET, and John P. Ryan as the villain once more. Carpenter's ex wife, Adrienne Barbeau, also shows up.