does anyone have any recommendation for serial killer movies? I can think of Summer of Sam which really wasn't about the killer. And Talented Mr. Ripley, which was pretty good. And Silence of the Lamb, but nothing else off of this head.
American Psycho...Great film!
Obvious choice maybe.
Psycho
M
Peeping Tom
Se7en
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
The Cell
In Cold Blood andDahmer (highly underrated IMHO) are definitely worth checking out.
I can recommend you DON'T see Gacy (aka The Crawl Space). Although it was kind of funny seeing Francis from Pee Wee's Big Adventure kill people.
Quote from: SlorgI can recommend you DON'T see Gacy (aka The Crawl Space). Although it was kind of funny seeing Francis from Pee Wee's Big Adventure kill people.
. always thought that francis chewed bubble gum exellent in pee wee....
Quote from: MacGuffin
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
totally fucking agree
a weird movie about a serial killer with a smiliar title is something like "diary of a serial killer"....gary busey is in it and he's in drag for about the first fifteen minutes, its kinda funny......its such a weird movie tho, i only remember little bits but god i thought it was just...odd
Quote from: MacGuffinPsycho
M
Peeping Tom
Se7en
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
The Cell
The Cell is beyond wretched, save for the music video visuals, J.Lo's big fat arse, and Vince Vaughn bumbling and stumbling through some of the worst dialogue in film history in every scene with J.LO and her big fat arse.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBADLANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coup de Torchon
they've already been mentioned, but my picks would be psycho, henry: portrait of a serial killer, dahmer [i agree, underrated], and i guess the obligatory the silence of the lambs.
as for in cold blood, that was about two guys that murdered a family; they weren't serial killers. and the book is a millions times better. well, i guess most books are. and, jesus christ, has anyone here seen "nightstalker"? it's another newish serial killer movie about richard ramirez. it is probably the worst movie i have ever seen in my life. well, it's in the top five of shitty movies, that's for sure. well, actually, i only saw the first twenty minutes. it was so annoying i had to turn it off. and i never ever turn off a movie because it sucks. i may become uninterested, but never have i been annoyed by a movie that much. it's worse than gacy. http://imdb.com/title/tt0342835/
Quote from: snaporazand, jesus christ, has anyone here seen "nightstalker"? it's another newish serial killer movie about richard ramirez.
I live about 2 blocks away from one of the houses where he killed an elderly couple. Scary times, it was like Summer Of Sam in that we had to make sure all the windows were closed and doors locked because we didn't know where he would strike next.
Quote from: MacGuffinI live about 2 blocks away from one of the houses where he killed an elderly couple. Scary times, it was like Summer Of Sam in that we had to make sure all the windows were closed and doors locked because we didn't know where he would strike next.
you know what's kind of cool. i doubt anyone would believe this [i don't think i believe it either] but my ex-girlfriend told me her mother once dated ramirez's roommate back in the early eighties. and it sounds sort of believable because she's from el paso, and ramirez is from el paso. so, if that's true, hurrah!
I like serial killer movies that make you think twice when you consider the fact that their subjects are serial killers. Badlands is a good example. Having just seen Monster, I'd say the same about that.
Peeping Tom and M are probably about as good as serial killer movies get. Also, Natural Born Killers must be mentioned, even though it's not really about serial killers.
Quote from: Ghostboy
Peeping Tom and M are probably about as good as serial killer movies get. Also, Natural Born Killers must be mentioned, even though it's not really about serial killers.
Totally agree with this. Natural Born Killers is like the flip side of the serial killer movie, sort of how we perceive them.
man bites dog.
I'll agree with everyone so far, especially on American Psycho, SotL. I also kinda liked From Hell (despite the name). I think Serial Mom is the obvious choice, however.
in my opinion, american psycho was a poor adaptation. an o.k. movie, but a poor adaptation.
Quote from: snaporazin my opinion, american psycho was a poor adaptation. an o.k. movie, but a poor adaptation.
Why?
Quote from: snaporazin my opinion, american psycho was a poor adaptation. an o.k. movie, but a poor adaptation.
Based on that same logic wouldn't something like Lord of the Rings suck? I've never read American Psycho, so I don't rightly know if there any misinterpretation errors or anything like that...but I just know a lot of people have beefs with a lot of movies simply because the movie had to lop off a third (or more) of the book, and I think that's bullshit. It seems to me we need to analyze a movie as a movie and not as an adaptation.
EDIT: DISREDARD THIS POST, PLEASE
why are you so angry man? you haven't even read the book yet so you don't even know what he's talking about, then you go on attacking fanboys of other books who dis the other movies. chill dude, let him finish first at least. Or read the book.
I apologize, I did not mean for it to sound angry. Hidden under all that semi-angry-but-not-directed-at-him ranting is a wuestion as to why he feels it a poor adaptation. Again I apologize, I only took that moment to digress in my feelings of people doing that, because I loathe it so much. So Snaporaz, sorry if my last post offended you in any way, and I also apologize to anyone else again for any offense. I'll try to further separate rantings from responses next time.
There is a very good portuguese film, "rasganço", not exactly about a serial killer. It's the true story about a serial kidnapper and rapist. He hated the university comunity in Coimbra and cut messages on his victim's breasts.
trailer:
http://www.madragoafilmes.com/sites/rasganco/alta.mov
This is a good thread but once i read the title and i thought it said "Best Things About Serial Killers" and i felt frightened.
Thanks
Quote from: Chest RockwellI apologize, I did not mean for it to sound angry. Hidden under all that semi-angry-but-not-directed-at-him ranting is a wuestion as to why he feels it a poor adaptation. Again I apologize, I only took that moment to digress in my feelings of people doing that, because I loathe it so much. So Snaporaz, sorry if my last post offended you in any way, and I also apologize to anyone else again for any offense. I'll try to further separate rantings from responses next time.
well, no, i wasn't offended.
i had the luck of reading the book some time before the film came out, so maybe i'm biased, but basically i felt that the filmmakers handled the film too light-heartedly. and i know it's supposed to be satiric and darkly comic, but it just came off too much like a light comedy.
also, there were many scenes about the stuff partrick bateman would do alone, in his spare time. much of it hilarious, and much more really disturbing, and i felt that those scenes were pretty great and would have made the film a bit more interesting to watch instead of the usual "80's socialite-scene" played throughout the film. and just alot of other funny stuff in general was left out. my favourite being where bateman and evelyn [or courtney?] are at a restaurant, and he goes to the bathroom and gets a urinal cake and takes it to the chef and tells him to dress it up and present it on a platter to the girl, as if it were desert. she eats it, and says it's "minty".
but anyways, unlike lots of other people, i do not think the film itself is bad just because the adaptation from novel to film isn't what i hoped for. the film itself is fine, and a good watch. but my opinion that the film is just that and not fucking awesome has nothing to do with it's differences from the book.
i've gotten into arguments with other people about that very same logic. why some people can think a movie is bad just because it's different from it's original source, no matter how well-crafted the film itself can be... it's pretty ridiculous.
what about
Ed Gein or Dahmer?
haha, Ed Gein was bad.
Lets not forget Seven & Dirty Harry.
what about really bad serial killer movies, like copycat and the bone collector.
I recommend THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, starring Robert Mitchum. :yabbse-thumbup:
Monster.
Period.
Quote from: CinephileMonster.
Period.
is it really that good? i keep going back and forth between being interested in seeing it or not. i am curious to see Charlize performance, but dont think i'll like the movie.
"The Minus Man", kiddos. "The Minus Man".
Quote from: polkablues"The Minus Man", kiddos. "The Minus Man".
Good call.....definitely a great serial killer movie. Owen Wilson is just amazing. I believe he gives his finest performance here.
Quote from: themodernage02Quote from: CinephileMonster.
Period.
is it really that good? i keep going back and forth between being interested in seeing it or not. i am curious to see Charlize performance, but dont think i'll like the movie.
Well I can't convince you one way or another. But let's put it this way: You're Mini-Mac and Mac loved it too. So get in line. :P
Just thought I'd add:
Kalifornia
Ted Bundy
Quote from: filmboy70I recommend THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, starring Robert Mitchum. :yabbse-thumbup:
i just watched this tonite also and it was pretty good. robert mitchum as a phony preacher was very very creepy. there was also some fantastic black and white cinematography, really cool shots like mitchums entrance to the kids house where his shadow looms on the wall before you see him and pretty much everytime he was standing outside somewhere being creepy. good movie, pretty daring for 1955 too as far as a guy trying to kill little kids you would think?
i agree with Cine, Monster, hands down.
i cant beleive that only one person has listed Copycat. I think that it is very underrated and almost on par with the Godfather of the genre SOTL.
Most serial killers have nothing to do with what serial killers really are. That's why most of them suck. I mean, technically, wouldn't Halloween be considered a serial killer movie?
I'd just go with Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer...
Peeping Tom and Felicia's Journey make a great double feature for this thread...
how timely for me...
On the eve of the release of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 2, the second installment to his epic revenge saga, the director talks to L.A. Weekly's John Powers about the film, his future and even his admiration for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ: "This is like the most visual movie by an actor since Charles Laughton made Night of the Hunter. No, this is 15 times more visual than that." On his own work, Tarantino is no less complimentary. "There definitely was a gigantic kicking up of my cinematic style," he says. "There was an aspect of Kill Bill where I thought, 'I want to see how good I really am. I think I'm good." What does film critic Powers say? "Tarantino pulls off a triumphant piece of cinematic jujitsu."
can't think of any specific movie about serial killers, but i love those police/court shows such as Law & Order. Have you watched Homicide-Life on the Street? Not sure if this is the exact name...
FRENZY
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Good choice. Though I'm sure most people won't have a clue who that picture is of...
chapsticks
Does Texas Chainsaw Massacre count, seeing as it was based (very very very very very loosely) on Ed Gein?
Quote from: ThrindleDoes Texas Chainsaw Massacre count, seeing as it was based (very very very very very loosely) on Ed Gein?
Oh, I didn't think the film had to be about a
true-life serial killer; I thought it could be about any serial killer, fictional or non-fictional. Was I mistaken?
I like
American Psycho quite a lot more than the average bear, though I don't think the film is really "about" a serial killer; it uses the story of a serial killer, but it's definitely "about" something else. Something more interesting, in fact.
Quote from: godardianQuote from: ThrindleDoes Texas Chainsaw Massacre count, seeing as it was based (very very very very very loosely) on Ed Gein?
Oh, I didn't think the film had to be about a true-life serial killer; I thought it could be about any serial killer, fictional or non-fictional. Was I mistaken?
No. In pete's first post, he lists Talented Mr. Ripley and Silence Of The Lambs (Buffalo Bill was also based on Gein).
And I'm assuming Thrindle meant the original Chainsaw movie. If not, please lie to me.
Or I could have been half eyeing xixax while writing about the Social Contract, and just fucked up royally...
Your call. :-D
Sling Blade
Blow Out
Funny Games
Zodiac
Frailty
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ( I prefer the American version )
I've tried to watch Peeping Tom twice. Something about that movie creeps me out to the core and I always have to turn it off. The voyeuristic aspect, the identification with the killer's gaze makes me feel thoroughly icky. Watching half of a movie that's 50 years old and not particularly bloody, yet having that reaction has led me to the conclusion: it has to be the best Serial killer movie ever. Has to be..
I looked back through the thread and nobody mentioned The Vanishing, so I'm rectifying that.
Also, people are confused about the difference between a serial killer and a spree killer.
Quote from: polkablues on July 06, 2012, 11:40:54 PM
people are confused about the difference between a serial killer and a spree killer.
Did I get those mixed up?
I just realized that Drive is totally and utterly a serial killer movie
You had it pretty much straight (though Funny Games probably counts as spree killers), but then you lost me with Drive. I'm going to need to hear some justification for that one.
pretty straightforward ( spoilerful )
Definition of a Serial Killer: Someone who murders three or more victims one at a time in a relatively short interval.
natural born killers. such a shame that the anti oliver stone sentiment permeates xixax in such a big way, only GT gave a fuck about this guy. he's one of the good guys.
Quote from: Reelist on July 07, 2012, 01:03:44 AM
pretty straightforward ( spoilerful )
Definition of a Serial Killer: Someone who murders three or more victims one at a time in a relatively short interval.
That's the definition of a spree killer. A serial killer kills multiple people in a planned manner over a long period of time, for the sake of killing.
I found a lengthier definition of Serial Killing:
A person who murders three or more people over a period of more than thirty days, with a 'cooling off' period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification
so Drive wouldn't fit the criteria. Thanks for playing!
Quote from: Reelist on July 06, 2012, 10:13:54 PM
I've tried to watch Peeping Tom twice. Something about that movie creeps me out to the core and I always have to turn it off. The voyeuristic aspect, the identification with the killer's gaze makes me feel thoroughly icky. Watching half of a movie that's 50 years old and not particularly bloody, yet having that reaction has led me to the conclusion: it has to be the best Serial killer movie ever. Has to be..
It is one of the best movies ever. Of any genre.
Quote from: Reelist on July 07, 2012, 03:17:57 AM
so Drive wouldn't fit the criteria. Thanks for playing!
Neither would Taxi Driver.
Quote from: polkablues on July 07, 2012, 12:54:50 AMFunny Games probably counts as spree killers
I'm not sure. The movie suggests that they've done it before and will do it again, perhaps even on a larger time scale. The deliberateness and competence with which they go about their deeds also pushes it toward the serial killer category for me, combined with all the obvious psychological stuff.
I guess serial killer movies can be defined kind of like Potter Stewart's defintion of pornography, " You know it when you see it. "
Quote from: Reelist on July 07, 2012, 01:11:31 PM
I guess serial killer movies can be defined kind of like Potter Stewart's defintion of pornography, " You know it when you see it. "
Then how does one identify serial killer pornography?
I can't say, that would just put an awful image in mine and everyone's heads this afternoon. Speaking of which, the book I'm reading 'People Who Eat Darkness" Spoiler
involves just that, so it's a little too close for comfort for me to joke about right now..
I forgot to say that 'May' is also one of my favorite Serial Killer movies. That'll take Taxi Driver's spot, not no. 1, though.
Two recommendations from this thread I recently came across:
Quote from: godardian on April 14, 2004, 11:51:30 PM
Felicia's Journey
blew me away.
Quote from: polkablues on February 02, 2004, 05:04:13 PM
"The Minus Man", kiddos. "The Minus Man".
not so much. You're really good at getting me to watch shitty movies. And no, I'm not saying that G.P.S will be shitty.
Granted, I haven't seen it in a decade, but what didn't you like about it? I remember it being very good and very nuanced.
Quote from: Reelist on July 28, 2012, 01:50:19 AM
You're really good at getting me to watch shitty movies.
haha he's the new samsong (RIP).
Quote from: polkablues on July 28, 2012, 02:29:52 AM
Granted, I haven't seen it in a decade, but what didn't you like about it? I remember it being very good and very nuanced.
I'd have to watch it again to give my concise opinion ( see, he's good isn't he? ) All I can offer up right now is: slow and tedious as hell. I had no interest whatsoever in Wilson's character. Serial killers are despicable, don't get me wrong, but if I'm going to be following them around for an hour and a half I want to at least feel involved with their lives, no matter how dark or wierd they may get. This was a really milquetoast movie and I think the main problem with it was that the Director, Hampton Fancher ( who wrote Blade Runner ) was 60 years old and a first timer when he made it.
Minus Man was a decent movie, but it had a great trailer:
May sucked.
I'm not suggesting this has any place on any kind of "best" films list, but Kalifornia is definitely a fun film about serial killers.
Hey, did you guys ever hear about this? I found out about it in a serial killer documentary last night
Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillside_Strangler) entry on The Hillside Stranglers
The Hillside Strangler is the media epithet for two men, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, who were convicted of kidnapping, raping, torturing, and killing 10 girls and women ranging in age from 12 to 28 years old during a four-month period from late 1977 to early 1978. They committed their crimes in the hills above Los Angeles, California.
anyways, the Hillside Stranglers were these two guys who would drive around L.A. picking up transient women, flashing badges to lure them in and wearing cop uniforms as a disguise. I heard on this documentary that one of their potential victims was Catherine Lorre. In 1977 they saw her hitchhiking and gave her a ride. When she showed them her I.D. though, inside of her wallet was this picture of her and her father Peter Lorre, who played a serial killing pedophile in Fritz Lang's 'M'. They decided she was too high profile of a victim and let her go.
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