True Crime Movies

[Mike Covell]

And of course it was released this week that John Landis was back, and looking at directing Burke and Hare!

http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&source=hp&q=john+landis+burke+and+hare&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=OSlbS_mEJJi60gSfx-SaAg&sa=X&oi=news_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQsQQwAA

[Mike Covell]

Dear Mr Gacy

The New John Wayne Gacy movie is released this year.

Trailer,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Tjl2n57Ks

Internet Movie Database entry,

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371117/

Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Mr._Gacy

[sdreid]

Decent

I watched Murder in the Red Barn (1935) the other night about the Maria Marten murder and the perpetrator William Corder. It's entertaining if you're up for a melodrama.

[sdreid]

Thanks Jeff, I don't remember hearing that but there was a goofy claim by someone a few years ago that Welles was actually the killer.

I do have an old film noir movie on DVD that makes reference to the Dahlia murder but I don't recall right now which one it is.

[Mayerling]

Black Dahlia movies

Hi Stan,

While I agree that TRUE CONFESSIONS was the best serious commercial film based on the case (or suggested by the case), and that WHO IS THE BLACK DAHLIA? with Lucie Arnaz (with all it's 1975 bowdlerization) is the best straight account of the story that television has produced, I was surprised to find this out (which you may be aware of).

I checked it on Wikipedia. When Orson Welles did his 1947 film THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI, in the actual shooting and script were numerous references to the Dahhia Murder. Actual about an hour of film was scrapped by order of Harry Cohen (head of Columbia Pictures, which produced that film) including most of the references to the murder of Elizabeth Short. Welles apparently was making a comment on the defects in police protection to the public, and in finding criminals, in order to give some background to the rotten (but successful) lawyers Bannister and Grisby (Everett Sloan and Glenn Anders) who represent the legal world, and who (with Mrs. Bannister - Rita Hayworth) represent the corruption that leads to murders in the storyline. Cohen, who hated the finished film (he couldn't understand it), ripped out that hour of footage probably on the very sound basis that the local police would not like to know their incompetence was being commented on. You can add THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI to the list (with an asterisk, as the scenes are no longer in existnace) of hilms based on the Dahlia Mystery.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

How about this:

- So bad it's campy good!

Jeff

[sdreid]

Decent

I just watched The Sadist (1963) which was said to be inspired by Starkweather. Good low-budget fare.

[sdreid]

Appalling

That's it!

[sdreid]

Poor

Bad

[sdreid]

Decent

Mediocre

[sdreid]

Superior

Good

[sdreid]

My rating systen top to bottom:

Exceptional

[sdreid]

Last month, I watched Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas. I didn't expect much but it actually gets a passing grade from me.

[sdreid]

I watched Night Stalker (2009) last night. It was only 85 minutes long and that's about the only good thing I can say about it.

[sdreid]

I thought the Manson production was pretty good. It wasn't just a remake of Helter Skelter. The program will re-air at 12 Midnight Central/1 AM Eastern.