To Catch a Killer (1992) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Eric Till

Writer:

Jud Kinberg (writer)

Release Date:

15 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

"To Catch a Killer" tells the true gruesome story of John Wayne Gacy - a good friend and helpful neighbour...

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Serial Teen Killer | Handcuffs | Homosexual | Serial Boy Killer

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Brian Dennehy	...	John Wayne Gacy
Michael Riley	...	Lieutenant Joseph 'Joe / Polock' Kozenczak
Margot Kidder	...	Rachel Grayson
Meg Foster	...	City Attorney Linda Carlson
Martin Julien	...	Theodore 'Ted' Koslo
Scott Hylands	...	Delta Squad Sergeant Mike Paxton
David Eisner	...	Detective Terry Williams
John Boylan	...	Detective Gary Atkins
Tony De Santis	...	Delta Squad Detective Craig DeMarco
Mark Humphrey	...	Delta Squad Detective King
Gary Reineke	...	Delta Squad Detective Leonard 'Lenny' Petrie
Tim Progosh	...	Delta Squad Detective Jack Morris
Danny Pawlick	...	Patrolman Tony Santori
Bruce Ramsay	...	Forensic Officer Edward 'Ed' Bragg
Brenda Bazinet	...	Alice Pearson

Runtime:

360 min | UK:178 min (video) | Sweden:182 min (video) | Argentina:180 min (video)

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Iceland:12 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Creative Entertainment Group

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where the detective is confronting Gacy, the first time while Gacy has his back to the bar, you can see the mike and boom at least on three different cuts.

Movie Connections:

Version of Gacy (2003) (V)

Mediocre

This film was a very mediocre telling of the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The acting wasn't all that hot (except for Dennehy) and it had that distinctive made-for-tv look and feel to it. My one major complaint is that Dennehy was too aggressive in his role of John Gacy. The thing that made Gacy so evil and diabolical was that he was friendly. He was popular. He was successful. He seemed like a nice guy. Dennehy shows Gacy to be a real a**hole, which at times he was, but he doesn't show that friendly side. Besides that the film is alright. It is a fairly honest rendition of the whole event, but of course since it is a made-for-tv movie, lacks the grizzly details. I recommend it to people familiar with the Gacy case or people looking to learn more, but if you I would recommend reading a book (such as "Killer Clown") as well, just so you get the WHOLE story.