True Crime Movies

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Weighty 80:

80-The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976-U.S.-2:30) Snatching and murder of Little Lindy

79-Study in Terror (1965-U.K.-1:34) Sherlock's first go at JtR

78-They Won't Forget (1937-U.S.-1:35) Black and white film inspired by the Mary Phagan murder

77-Badlands (1974-U.S.-1:34) Based on the Starkweather/Fugate murder spree

76-A Place in the Sun (1951-U.S.-2:00) Inspired by the slaying of Grace Brown in black and white

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Ooops, I meant:

73-Murder in the Old Red Barn (1936-U.K.-1:07) Slaying of Maria Marten in black and white

Sorry!

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Swell 75:

75-Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992-U.S.-1:35) The Florida female serial killer

74-Jack the Ripper (1988-U.S.-3:20) Jack may have some royal connections

73-Murder in the Red Barn (1936-U.K.-1:07) Slaying of Maria Marten in black and white

72-The Deliberate Stranger (1986-U.S.-3:08) Serial killer Ted Bundy

71-Frenzy (1972-U.K.-1:56) Loosely based on the Thames Nude Murderer a.k.a. Jack the Stripper

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Scintillating 70:

70-The Hitch-Hiker (1953-U.S.-1:11) Inspired by spree killer William Cook in black and white

69-Birdman of Alcatraz (1962-U.S.-2:23) Killer Robert Stroud in black and white

68-The Lodger (1944-U.S.-1:24) Jack suspect takes a flat in black and white

67-The Onion Field (1979-U.S.-2:06) Murder of policeman Ian Campbell

66-Looking for Mister Goodbar (1977-U.S.-2:16) Murder of Katherine Cleary

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Super 65:

65-The Black Dahlia (2006-U.S.-2:01) Murder of Elizabeth Short

64-Chicago Joe and the Showgirl (1990-U.K.-1:45) Murderers Karl Hulten and Elizabeth Jones

63-Passion in Paradise (1989-U.S.-1:40) The unsolved slaying of Sir Harry Oakes

62-Dirty Harry (1971-U.S.-1:43) Loosely based on the California Zodiac

61-Murder by Decree (1979-U.K.-2:04) Sherlock chases Jack again

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Sensational 60:

60-Helter Skelter (1976-U.S.-3:14) Charles Manson murders

59-Naked Massacre (1976-Cn.-1:32) Based on Richard Speck

58-Gun Crazy (1949-U.S.-1:27) Bonnie and Clyde inspired in black and white

57-The Lodger (1932-U.K.-1:25) The Ripper rampaging in black and white

56-Rope (1948-U.S.-1:21) Supposedly inspired by Leopold and Loeb

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Fine 55:

55-Cronicas (2004-Mx.-1:48) Serial child killer Pedro Lopez inspired

54-Evilenko (2004-It.-1:51) Based on Andrei Chikatilo

53-Sid and Nancy (1986-U.K.-1:51) Sid Vicious kills Nancy Spungen

52-The Honeymoon Killers (1970-U.S.-1:53) Black and white version of serial killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck

51-I Can't Sleep [J'ai Pas Sommeil] (1993-Fr.-1:50) Serial granny killers Thierry Paulin and Jean-Thierry Mathurin

Over the hump on the way to the HOT HUNDRED!!

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Nifty 50:

50-Eaten Alive (1976-U.S.-1:36) Serial killer Joe Ball inspired

49-Fatal Vision (1984-U.S.-3:12) Mass murderer Jeffrey MacDonald

48-The Boston Strangler (1968-U.S.-1:56) Shows Albert DeSalvo as the killer

47-Ravenous (1999-U.S.-1:40) Said to parallel Alfred Packer

46-The Weight of Water (2000-U.S.-1:45) The Smutty Nose murders

[Paddy Goose]

34-The Black Panther (1977-U.K.-1:30)

I thought it was Pink.

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Fabulous 45:

45-The Executioner's Song (1982-U.S.-2:37) Gary Gilmore's murders and aftermath

44-Monster (2003-U.S.-1:51) Killer Aileen Wuornos

43-Kalifornia (1993-U.S.-1:57) Supposedly inspired by Starkweather and Fugate

42-Double Indemnity (1944-U.S.-1:47) Reportedly inspired by killers Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray in black and white

41-The Doctor and the Devils (1985-U.K.-1:33) Killers Burke and Hare

Unless otherwise noted, all films are English language and in color with sound.

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Fantastic 40:

40-The Zodiac (2005-U.S.-1:37) Another version on California's Zodiac Killer

39-Pandora's Box [Die Buchse der Pandora] (1928-Gr.-1:50) Silent, black & white JtR

38-The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976-U.S.-1:30) Texarkana Phantom Killer

37-M (1931-Gr.-1:20) Supposedly inspired by Peter Kurten in black and white

36-Fool's Gold (1992-U.K.-1:37) Murder and the Brink's-Mat robbery

Finally a Ripper flick!

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Thrilling 35:

35-Ed Gein (2001-U.S.-1:28) The same said Wisconsin serial killer

34-The Black Panther (1977-U.K.-1:30) British arch-criminal Donald Neilson

33-Swoon (1991-U.S.-1:35) Black and white rendition of Leopold and Loeb

32-The Deadly Tower (1975-U.S.-1:33) Charles Whitman's murder spree

31-In Broad Daylight (1991-U.S.-1:30) Unsolved murder of town bully Ken Rex McElroy

Second Ed Gein movie already but still no JtR

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Top 30:

30-Bonnie and Clyde (1967-U.S.-1:52) Murders and robberies of the Parker/Barrow gang

29-Zodiac (2007-U.S.-2:38) California's Zodiac Killer

28-Heavenly Creatures (1994-U.K.-1:48) N.Z. murder by Parker and Hume

27-Citizen X (1995-U.S.-1:45) Serial killer Andrei Chikatilo

26-Mobsters (1991-U.S.-1:44) Murders and rise of Luciano, Lansky, Costello and Siegel

[sdreid]

I see there's a film in the works entitled The Monster of Florence. Tom Cruise is supposedly in negotiations for the lead in this movie about the Italian case. It's due out in 2011 so make your plans.

[RJM]

A film I quite enjoyed is Der Totmacher (1995), about 1920s German serial killer Fritz Haarmann. Götz George's performance really got under my skin.

Robert