Killer: A Journal of Murder (film)

Last updated
A Journal of Murder
Killer A Journal of Murder DVD Cover 1995.jpg
Dutch DVD cover
Directed byTim Metcalfe
Screenplay byTim Metcalfe
Based on Killer: A Journal of Murder
by Thomas E. Gaddis
and James O. Long
Produced byJanet Yang
Mark Levinson
Lisa Howard (line producer)
George Linardos (associate producer)
Lisa Moiselle (associate producer)
Oliver Stone (executive producer)
Melinda Jason (executive producer)
Starring
Cinematography Ken Kelsch
Edited byRichard Gentner
Music by Graeme Revell
Production
companies
Breakheart Films
Ixtlan Productions
Spelling Films
Distributed byLegacy Releasing
Release dates
  • September 1995 (1995-09)(Japan)
  • September 6, 1996 (1996-09-06)(United States)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$65,682

Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995) is an American drama film written and directed by Tim Metcalfe. It is loosely adapted from a book of the same title, on the life of American serial killer Carl Panzram, who was active in the early 20th century and executed in 1930. It uses some passages drawn from his own writings near the end of his life.

Contents

The film explores the relationship between Panzram (James Woods) and Henry Lesser (Robert Sean Leonard), a prison guard who believes in redemption. It premiered internationally in September 1995 at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film was theatrically shown in the United States in 1996 through Legacy Releasing Corporation, although with limited distribution. In 1997 it was distributed by First Independent Films in the UK; in Spain, it was shown through Ufilms. In the United States, the film grossed $31,993 on its opening weekend across 9 screens. Total gross in America totaled $65,682.

Plot

After repeated convictions and prison sentences for robberies and violent crimes in the early 20th century, Carl Panzram (James Woods) is serving time again at Leavenworth penitentiary for burglary. Prison guard Henry Lesser (Robert Sean Leonard), at the beginning of his career, extends kindness to him arising from his belief in reform. They develop some kind of relationship and Panzram asks Lesser for writing materials. He writes his life story, confessing to numerous murders and violent physical attacks against men and boys, accusing the circumstances of his life for his own cruelties to others.

He is encouraged by a warden who believes in rehabilitation and whom Panzram appears to like. However, his actions destroy the rehabilitation program. While granted a furlough, Panzram rapes a woman and is incarcerated again.

After recounting his life of homicide and crime, and refusing to apologize for any of it, Panzram beats a prison guard to death in an altercation. He is convicted and sentenced to death. Lesser tries to convince the condemned man to appeal by claiming insanity, but Panzram stubbornly refuses. In one scene he says, "I want out of this body, I want out of this life!"

Panzram is hanged at Leavenworth in 1930. In his last hours he refuses to appeal for clemency, and rejects a priest who comes to hear his confession. He urges the executioner to speed his preparations for the execution, saying "Hurry up, you Hoosier bastard. I could kill ten men while you're fooling around here."

Although horrified and disgusted by Panzram's crimes, Lesser is troubled by Panzram's death. Throughout the movie, Lesser's relationship with his wife Esther (Cara Buono) is briefly touched upon. He confides to her his experiences with dealing with Panzram's violent and nihilistic outlook on life. She has difficulty understanding the people her husband must deal with in his line of work.

Cast

Production

Screenwriter Tim Metcalfe found a copy of the book Killer: A Journal of Murder (1970) by Thomas Gaddis and Joe Long, in a used-book store. It dealt most directly with Panzram's unpublished memoir about his life and his insistence on having no regret for his numerous crimes. After reading it, Metcalfe spent five years attempting to get the story onto the screen, writing his own screenplay. [1] Metcalfe dedicated his debut film to Sam Peckinpah because his film The Wild Bunch inspired his desire to become a director. [2] In 1999, the film was referred to in Tomorrow by Midnight, starring Alexis Arquette.

Filming locations in America included Connecticut and Rhode Island. Places within Connecticut included Groton, New London, and Norwich and Sonalysts Studios in Waterford.

Thematic elements

The film employs many flashbacks to flesh out Panzram's adult life. Significantly, it only briefly mentions his murders and instead concentrates on his experiences in prison and last relationship with Lesser. In some flashbacks, Woods reads Panzram's words from his unpublished manuscript. During such flashbacks, Seth Romatelli portrays the teenaged Carl Panzram.

Critical reception

Los Angeles Times writer Kevin Thomas described the film as "powerful". He felt the film "goes beyond sending a message to illuminate a remarkable friendship". He concluded that "Woods is better than the picture, but he's so much the picture it scarcely matters." [3]

Time Out Film Guide praised Woods's performance, noting "he's terrifyingly alive in the part". Describing the film as "tough" and "gritty", the reviewer noted that the film "never flinches from the disturbing truths Panzram represents." [4] Richard von Busack of Metroactive praised Woods's "outstanding" performance and Metcalfe's handling of "period slang". He described Woods as being the "soul" of the film, and praised the film for maintaining "moral equilibrium without being a hand wringer". However, he disapproved of the film's flashback montages, "overly dramatic" music, and "ineffective women characters." [5]

Bob Strauss of Los Angeles Daily News described the film as being "modest and absorbing", which "soon establishes its own hard, fascinating particulars". Although he pointed out the film's initial impression as being a "lower-budgeted" Dead Man Walking , he concluded: "We end up with an intimate knowledge of the minds of sympathetic guard Henry Lesser and the appalling - but never less than achingly human - Carl Panzram." [6]

For Nitrate Online.com, Carrie Gorringe praised Woods' "violent and spectacular performance". Describing the film as "shocking", Gorringe commented that the film

"provided a most unpleasant set of insights into not only the psychopathology of familial abuse, but the scarifying conditions that existed in the American penal system. In an interview, Metcalfe expressed a belief that the film's emphasis is centered more upon the naivete of Lesser's liberal do-goodism and its inadequate response to the unadulterated and irremediable evil of Panzram who, in his writings, inadvertently revealed his own suspicions that he was born evil. In my opinion, this film accomplishes both tasks effortlessly." [7]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times praised the casting of Woods as "a good choice", praising his "powerful, searing performance". Ebert criticized the film as "less than forthcoming" about Panzram's violent past, and thought that it needed to better "humanize" his character. He summarized: "If you want to understand what's going on in Killer, see 'Butterfly Kiss'. It will deconstruct the earlier film for you, while itself remaining opaque and disturbing - as it should." [8]

Emanuel Levy of Variety noted the film's "obligatory sequences with stubborn inmates and cruel guards". He praised the "tightly constructed, fast-moving scenario" as being "intelligent and knowing", but added that Panzram's case was perhaps "too complex" for adaptation in this short form. Levy felt the film failed to

"dig deep enough into the formation and workings of a troubled psyche, which should have been the dramatic core. Instead, Metcalfe conveniently settles for a less ambitious task, a relationship film between two opposites." [9] [10]

The Spokesman-Review described the film as a "serious attempt" to portray the story of Panzram. The reviewer praised Woods' "patented, jangle-nerved performance", but was critical of Metcalfe's "inability to make a cogent statement about the death penalty, pro or con." [11] Walter Addiego of the San Francisco Examiner described the film as an "earnest and often striking drama". Although he felt the film was "a bit simplistic", he praised the film's "affecting turns on the theme of human redemption", as well as Woods's and Leonard's performances. [12]

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle criticized the film's focus on the relationship between Panzram and Lesser, which he felt made for a "series of rather static encounters". He believed that the script did not delve deeply enough into the real story of the serial killer, resulting in a "lightweight effort". However, he praised Woods as being "always fun to watch", with "a couple of inspired moments." [13] Michael Janusonis of Providence Journal praised the "good performances" of the two leading actors; however, he criticized the film's lack of "depth and flashiness and snappy pacing needed for it to score high with audiences and most critics." [14]

PrisonMovies.net said that, without Lesser's "sympathetic treatment" of Panzram, there was "little to keep you interested in either man". The reviewer noted the film's "quaintly nostalgic feel of a Depression-era prison". He questioned the basic story of the film:

"If Panzram has no redeeming features both men could be readily dismissed; the inmate as a monster and his keeper as a fool. And that's where the problem lies, if you look at the real-life story, Panzram killed for no reason. If we knew this, when James Woods goes willingly to the gallows, claiming a victory for justice, none of us would ask - as Lesser seemingly does and notwithstanding all that we have seen - whether there is the slightest bit in him worth saving." [15]

Movie-Vault.com compared the film to The Shawshank Redemption , commenting that the former film had more spirit and stronger morals than Killer. The reviewer felt the film relied on Woods's performance for support, which "entirely fails". The reviewer says that Woods "lends no likeability or believability or characteristic traits to this man he is portraying, and in the end he comes across as a pointless incarnation of a man whose life, perhaps, never even merited the Hollywood treatment in the first place." [16]

Other versions

In the United States, the film was first released on VHS; in the Netherlands this was via Arcade Movie Company. It was released on DVD in 1998 in Japan via Beam Entertainment and Culture Publishers. On VHS it was released in Canada via Malofilm Distribution, in Greece via Nea Kinisi Video, in Germany via VCL Communications, and in Brazil via Top Tape. In 1997 it was given a VHS release in America via Republic Pictures, who also released a DVD version in 2001 and a widescreen DVD edition in 2006. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Natural Born Killers</i> 1994 crime film by Oliver Stone

Natural Born Killers is a 1994 American romantic crime action film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims of traumatic childhoods who become lovers and mass murderers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.

Harold Schechter is an American true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He is a Professor Emeritus at Queens College, City University of New York where he taught classes in American literature and myth criticism for forty-two years. Schechter's essays have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and the International Herald Tribune. He is the editor of the Library of America volume, True Crime: An American Anthology. His newest book, published in September 2023, is Murderabilia: A History of Crime in 100 Objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Quentin Rehabilitation Center</span> Mens prison in California, US

San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County.

<i>Kalifornia</i> 1993 film by Dominic Sena

Kalifornia is a 1993 American road thriller film directed by Dominic Sena, in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, and Michelle Forbes. The film tells the story of a journalist (Duchovny) and his photographer girlfriend (Forbes) traveling cross-country to research serial killings, who unwittingly carpool with a psychopath (Pitt) and his childlike girlfriend (Lewis).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Panzram</span> American serial killer (1891–1930)

Charles "Carl" Panzram was an American serial killer, spree killer, mass murderer, rapist, child molester, arsonist, robber, thief and burglar. In prison confessions and in his autobiography, Panzram confessed to having murdered twenty-one boys and men, only five of which could be corroborated; he is suspected of having killed more than a hundred boys and men in the United States alone, and several more in Portuguese Angola.

Thomas Eugene Gaddis was an American writer most noted for his biography, Birdman of Alcatraz (1955), about convicted murderer Robert Stroud. It was adapted as a 1962 film of the same name, starring Burt Lancaster.

<i>Dahmer</i> (film) 2002 film by David Jacobson

Dahmer is a 2002 American horror drama film written and directed by David Jacobson, and co-written by David Birke. A limited theatrical release, it is based on the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, who killed seventeen young men and boys in Bath, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991. It stars Jeremy Renner as Dahmer, and co-stars Artel Great, Matt Newton, Dion Basco and Bruce Davison.

<i>Cop</i> (film) 1988 film by James B. Harris

Cop is a 1988 American neo-noir crime suspense film written and directed by James B. Harris, starring James Woods, Lesley Ann Warren and Charles Durning. It is based on the 1984 book Blood on the Moon, by James Ellroy. Harris and Woods co-produced the film, a first for their careers.

<i>Birdman of Alcatraz</i> (film) 1962 film by John Frankenheimer

Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 American biographical drama film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster. It is a largely fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, who was sentenced to solitary confinement after having killed a prison guard. A federal prison inmate, he became known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his studies of birds, which had taken place when he was incarcerated at Leavenworth Prison where he was allowed to keep birds in jail. Although known as "The Birdman of Alcatraz", Stroud was never allowed to keep any birds after his transfer to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1942.

<i>Angst</i> (1983 film) 1983 Austrian film

Angst is a 1983 Austrian horror film directed by Gerald Kargl, who co-wrote the screenplay with cinematographer and editor Zbigniew Rybczyński. It follows a psychopath recently released from prison and is loosely based on real-life mass murderer Werner Kniesek. Though relatively obscure, the film was acclaimed for its camera work, score, and Erwin Leder's performance. It was banned in many European countries on its release for its depictions of extreme violence.

<i>Killer: A Journal of Murder</i> 1970 book about Carl Panzram

Killer: A Journal of Murder (1970) is a biography of American serial killer Carl Panzram (1892–1930), co-written by Thomas E. Gaddis and James O. Long.

<i>Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance</i> 2011 American film

Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance is a 2011 documentary film by John Borowski about the life and death of serial killer Carl Panzram. It is Borowski's third film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Borowski</span> American independent filmmaker

John Borowski is an American independent filmmaker and author. The focus of his work has been on late nineteenth and early twentieth century serial killers, initially in a trilogy of documentaries on American criminals, more recently on particular international criminals, on the commerce that has grown up around such crimes, and on other niche artists.

<i>The Tortured</i> 2010 Canadian film by Robert Lieberman

The Tortured is a 2010 Canadian-American horror-thriller film directed by Robert Lieberman, written by Marek Posival, and starring Erika Christensen, Jesse Metcalfe, Fulvio Cecere, and Bill Moseley.

<i>Bernie</i> (2011 film) 2011 American film

Bernie is a 2011 American docudrama black comedy true crime film directed by Richard Linklater, and written by Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on Hollandsworth's January 1998 article, "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas", published in Texas Monthly magazine and covering the 1996 murder of 81-year-old millionaire Marjorie Nugent (MacLaine) in Carthage, Texas, by her 39-year-old companion, Bernhardt "Bernie" Tiede (Black).

<i>The Raven</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by James McTeigue

The Raven is a 2012 American crime thriller film directed by James McTeigue, produced by Marc D. Evans, Trevor Macy and Aaron Ryder and written by Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare. Set in 1849, it is a fictionalized account detailing the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, in which the poet and author helps the police pursue a serial killer, whose murders mirror those in his stories. While the plot of the film is fictional, the writers based it on some accounts of real situations surrounding Edgar Allan Poe's mysterious death. Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death, though it is unclear to whom he was referring. The film stars John Cusack, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson and Luke Evans. Its title derives from Poe's 1845 poem "The Raven", in a similar manner to the earlier unrelated 1935 and 1963 films.

<i>The Iceman</i> (film) 2013 American film directed by Ariel Vromen

The Iceman is a 2012 American biographical crime film loosely based on hitman Richard Kuklinski. The film was directed by Ariel Vromen and stars Michael Shannon as Kuklinski, with Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, James Franco, and Ray Liotta in supporting roles.

<i>Maniac</i> (2012 film) 2012 French psychological slasher film directed by Franck Khalfoun

Maniac is a 2012 psychological slasher film directed by Franck Khalfoun, written by Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur, and starring Elijah Wood and Nora Arnezeder. It is a remake of the 1980 film of the same name, and follows the violent exploits of a brutal serial killer.

<i>Gosnell: The Trial of Americas Biggest Serial Killer</i> 2018 film by Nick Searcy

Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer is a 2018 American drama film based on real life events about Kermit Gosnell, a physician and highly atypical abortion provider who was convicted of first degree murder in the deaths of three infants born alive, involuntary manslaughter in the death of a patient undergoing an abortion procedure, 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortion, and 211 counts of violating a 24-hour informed consent law. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

<i>Murder One</i> (film) 1988 Canadian film

Murder One is a 1988 independent biographical crime drama film starring Henry Thomas and James Wilder, based on the 1973 Alday Murders.

References

  1. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. 1996-09-06. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  2. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  3. ↑ Kevin Thomas (1997-08-17). "'Killer: A Journal of Murder' - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  4. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London". Timeout.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  5. ↑ "Metroactive Movies | Killer: Journal of a Murder". Metroactive.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Murderer Takes A Long Look Into His Raging Black Heart. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  7. ↑ "SIFF '96 - Failing Independents, Bad 'Toons, and More - Nitrate Online Feature". Nitrateonline.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  8. ↑ {{cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|authorlink=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960906/REVIEWS/609060303/1023 |title=Killer: A Journal of Murder|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group[]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|date= September 6, 1996|access-date=January 3, 2013|via=rogerebert.com}}
  9. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (1996-01-10). "Variety Reviews - Killer: A Journal of Murder - Film Reviews - - Review by Emanuel Levy". Variety.com. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  10. ↑ "Killer - A Journal of Murder - Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  11. ↑ Dan Webster (Jan 24, 1997). "Killer: A Journal of Murder". The Spokesman-Review. Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg
  12. ↑ Addiego, Walter (1996-09-06). "Killer's memoir done justice in film". SFGate. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  13. ↑ Lasalle, Mick (1996-09-06). "FILM REVIEW - Revenge of the 'Killer' Nerd / Real-life story about murderer and prison guard friend". SFGate. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  14. ↑ "Archives | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1997-02-06. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  15. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996, USA)". Prisonmovies.net. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  16. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder - Movie Reviews". Movie-Vault.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  17. ↑ "Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995) - Releases". AllMovie. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.