"Fake" Serial Killer Movies
 

The slasher thread got me thinking about this... I vastly prefer the "Dark Drama/Suspense/Thriller" type movie over the run-of-the-mill horror slasher.

here are some of the ones i either love, or at least like:
Se7en
Saw
Any Dirty Harry movie
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (think about it, it was pure psychology)
Anything with Hannibal Lecter


Anyway, you get the point. These movies are much more methodical, and usually do a better job of building suspense then "idiot girl running through woods, chased by slow moving man with a big blade"

Do i include TCM in that? Not really, Although there is a running through the woods scene, Leather face is clearly hauling ass and is having a hard time of it because he is wearing a mask and swinging a chainsaw (ironic, too, that there is only one chainsaw related death in the whole movie...)

Hannibal lecter is, again, interesting, but moreso are the people he is "helping" to put away. Buffalo Bill was a great example of a "Sick fuck", he was a great mix of Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and a couple of others i cant think of right now. The Tooth Fairy from Red Dragon was a great example of what abuse can do, and he wasnt a straight foward psycho, he actually cared about at least 1 other person (VERY rare in sociopaths).

In their hearts, all Dirty Harry movies are about serial killers, with the possible exception of The Enforcer, but even that had a psycho hwho simply killed for pleasure. Hell "Scorpio" from the original Dirty Harry was the Zodiac killer.

Saw was just clever. Unrealistic, over the top, but clever and devious, the writer and director obviously cared about the subject matter.

Se7en tops my list so i saved it for last. I love John Doe, not just because of who plays him. He is amazingly clever, smart, dedicated and motivated. Plus, it has one of the most EVIL endings in any movie. I remember walkingout of the theater pissed and confused. I had never experienced a movie with such a dark, hopeless ending before. Seven actually lead directly to the ending of my story Bearwood. If you've read it, you can probably guess what i am referring to.

actually many serial killer movies (like Se7en) hold another problem for me ..

they are so bloody intricate and methodical that there is no way these crimes could have been pulled off ..

its always some genius surgeon with impecable timing .. clues deliberately left at one crime scene lead to another .. a cat and mouse game with the cops ..

everything has to go like clockwork or none of it works ...

i know why they do it .. at first its kind of fun and it seems clever .. but after a while i just start to roll my eyes and get bored.

also, like many non-supernatural slasher films .. the villian is always the guy you would never suspect .. the best friend, the mentor-figure .. etc ..

it's another tired worn formula that drives me insane ..

Funny, i knew EXACTLY what your response was going to be :)


I like the intracacy from the perspective of being a writer, i like trying to figure out their puzzle, but i actually agree wiht you completely. Serial Killer movies generally have 0 to do with actual serial killers.

And the typical "last person you suspect" thing usually bores the hell outta me. But i have to admint, i really liked saw and was suprised by the ending.

One of my favorite things about Seven was that it ended almost too soon. Just when you think the detectives are going to find that final clue, the guy just shows up on their doorstep and turns himself in.

And the acting alone in the last 10 minutes makes everything else worthwhile.

What's really funny is my wife's favorite part is Brad Pitt saying "Ah.. Comn! Whats in the box?!"

So on christmas, i was distributing gifts, and i handed her a big one and she said "What's i the box?!"

It was funny, i guess oyu had to be there :)

there is an (SNL ? ) skit with william shatner that parodies that scene, and its funny as hell ...

It would have been much funnier if you had a severed head in the box.

even though i think "Seven" is one of the best movies of the 90's(regardless genre) that car scene is a little overplayed and boring....

Actually it was from the MTV movie awards from that year. I remember it as well and I remember it was pretty damn funny.

Re: "Fake" Serial Killer Movies
 

Se7en is definately my favorite in this sub-genre. I never considered Brad Pitt an actor until I saw him i n this. The ending (Pitts part during the "box" scene) was some of the best acting I have ever seen.

Another that comes to mind is "The First Power" Although The Serial Killer that is put to death and comes back from the dead has been done before, I think that this is one of the best attempts at it.

There are several good ones but I can't think of them right now.

I really liked the films Se7en and the First Power in this genre too. The movies When the Bough Breaks and Identity are also good films from this genre. Both films have a psychological scariness to them.

Raising Cain is probably my all time favorite in this genre. John Lithgow was always played great villian (Blow Out, Ricochet and Cliffhanger come to mind) till he started doing 3rd Rock From The Sun.

http://theresnoplacelikeplrtzglrb.bl...rized/cain.jpg

..... I might have to watch a bunch of De Palma's movies this week.