Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996)

Director:

Tim Metcalfe

Writers (WGA):

Thomas E. Gaddis (book) and
James Long (book) ...

Release Date:

6 September 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Liar. Thief. Murderer. He hated all of humanity, himself most of all.

Plot:

Carl Panzram is sent to Leavenworth Prison for burglary. While there, he is brutally beaten by a guard...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Serial Killer | Mass Murderer | Based On Book | Based On True Story

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

James Woods	...	Carl Panzram
Robert Sean Leonard	...	Henry Lesser
Ellen Greene	...	Elizabeth Wyatt
Cara Buono	...	Esther Lesser
Robert John Burke	...	R.G. Greiser
Richard Riehle	...	Warden Quince
Harold Gould	...	Old Henry Lesser
John Bedford Lloyd	...	Dr. Karl Menninger
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Sam Lesser
Conrad McLaren	...	Judge John W. Kingman
Steve Forrest	...	Warden Charles Casey
Richard Council	...	Cop
Christopher Petrosino	...	Richard Lesser
Michael Jeffrey Woods	...	Harry Sinclair (as Michael Jeffery Woods)
Rob Locke Jones	...	Junkie

Also Known As:

The Killer

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and strong, brutal violence, including a rape.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | Spain:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Breakheart Films

Trivia:

Based on the true story of serial killer Carl Panzram who was hanged at Leavenworth in 1930.

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of beer in Henry Lesser's glass at the speakeasy.

Quotes:

Carl Panzram: I don't want to be alive. I want out of these clothes. I want out of this body. I want out of this world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tomorrow by Midnight (1999)

Soundtrack:

I LIKE TO PET

Different kind of a prison movie. I liked it.

There's something about a prison movie that's absolutely fascinating, I guess otherwise they wouldn't make the damn flicks. Maybe the safe look behind the bars is more convenient than actually being in a dark cell. "Killer: A Journal of murder" isn't just a prison movie, it's much more. It's an examination of the whole system. I decided to watch this movie accidentally because at the time there wasn't anything more interesting going on in the TV. My choice gave me a chance to see a fine film and an interesting journey to a criminal mind.

This is rather a strange film because it shows what kind of a brutal monster James Woods' character Carl Panzram is (murderer and rapist to start with) and it doesn't leave unclear any of his acts of cruelty. Then it makes the audience feel empathy for him. As far as I've seen, movie rarely makes the audience feel sorry for the bad guy - at least as bad as in this case. James Woods has an excellent role and his performance is one of the most notable of his career. I'm glad I watched the flick, it's always nice to find a whole new side in an already familiar actor. "Killer: A Journal of murder" is certainly a film to watch.