The Alphabet Killer (2008)

Director:

Rob Schmidt

Writer (WGA):

Tom Malloy (written by)

Release Date:

10 December 2009 (Kuwait)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

Based on the true story of the double initial killings in Rochester, NY.

Plot Keywords:

Obsession | Murder | Diner | Woods | Topless Female Nudity

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Eliza Dushku	...	Megan Paige
Cary Elwes	...	Kenneth Shine
Timothy Hutton	...	Richard Ledge
Tom Malloy	...	Officer Steven Harper
Michael Ironside	...	Captain Nathan Norcross
Bill Moseley	...	Carl Tanner
Carl Lumbly	...	Dr. Ellis Parks
Brian Scannell	...	Jay Castillo
Larry Hankin	...	Perry
Jack McGee	...	Hank
Melissa Leo	...	Kathy Walsh
Andrew Fiscella	...	Len Schafer
Rocco Sisto	...	Father McQuarrie
Tom Noonan	...	Ray Gullikson
Frank Rossi	...	Francis Baker
Meltem Cumbul	...	Elisa Castillo
Kristina Jewell	...	Wendy Walsh
Sarah Anderson	...	Elizabeth Eckers
Shawn Michael	...	Anthony Peters
Bailey Garno	...	Carla Castillo
Peter Mancarella	...	Jared
Martin Donovan	...	Jim Walsh
Russell Terlecki	...	Officer Ted
Cholanda Roberts	...	Anchor
Cynthia Mace	...	Rita Schaefer
Aaron Chaney	...	Will
Manny Siverio	...	Alex
Hedy Williams	...	Detective #1
Pamela Sherman	...	Homemaker
Eric Cubitt	...	Husband
Eva Mancarella	...	Melissa Maestro
Rob Schmidt	...	Officer
Arthur Brown	...	Officer #1
Tamara Farias	...	Olga Maestro (as Tamara Kraus)
Wendy Mancerella	...	Real Estate Agent
Nate Dushku	...	Tim
Renata Batista	...	Waitress
Liz Cameron	...	Wife (as Elizabeth Cameron)
Randy Carter	...	Detective #2
Joseph Giorgione	...	Medic John
John Williams	...	Medic #1
Alan DeCarlo	...	Medic #2
Michael Beinetti	...	Medic #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Glenn Argenti	...	SWAT Team #1 (uncredited)
Michael Ciesla	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Tony Delgrosso	...	Webster Police Officer (uncredited)
Farris Ellington	...	Ghost Girl (uncredited)
John A. Locke	...	Detective (uncredited)
Laura McDavid	...	Police Officer (voice) (uncredited)
Claire Simpson	...	Ghost Girl (uncredited)
Jason Torres	...	Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Schmidt

Writing credits (WGA)
Tom Malloy		(written by)

Produced by
Brandon Baker	....	executive producer
Mark Andrew Clark	....	executive producer (as Mark Clark)
Eliza Dushku	....	associate producer
Izak Filiba	....	executive producer
Lusi Filiba	....	executive producer
Ron Gell	....	executive producer
Nesim Hason	....	executive producer
Sezin Hason	....	executive producer
Ashley Holloway	....	associate producer
Tom Malloy	....	producer
Greg Polisseni	....	executive producer
Isen Robbins	....	producer
Aimee Schoof	....	producer
Daniel Sollinger	....	line producer
Russell Terlecki	....	producer (as Russ Terlecki)
Straw Weisman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Eric Perlmutter

Cinematography by
Joe DeSalvo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Reynolds

Casting by
Nicole Abellera
Natasha Cuba
Nancy Nayor
Kelly Wagner

Production Design by
Alicia Keywan

Art Direction by
Clarissa Shanahan

Set Decoration by
Brian Rzepka

Costume Design by
Lynn Falconer

Makeup Department
Jason Collins	....	special makeup effects designer: Autonomous F/X, Inc.
Kerry Herta	....	hair designer
Kerry Herta	....	makeup department head
Elvis Jones	....	special makeup effects artist: Autonomous FX Inc.
Michelle Kearns	....	key hair stylist
Michelle Kearns	....	key makeup artist
David Presto	....	special makeup effects artist
Virginia Re	....	makeup artist
Darnell Shepherd	....	hair piece designer: Autonomous FX, Inc.

Production Management
Randy Carter	....	additional production manager
Chris Landon	....	production supervisor
Daniel Sollinger	....	production manager
Angelo Sotereanos	....	production supervisor
Straw Weisman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dylan Hopkins	....	first assistant director
Kathleen E. Kearney	....	second assistant director
Brian Niemczyk	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Kenneth H. Finn	....	property master (as Ken Finn)
Steven Glazman	....	storyboard artist
Joel Hager	....	art department production assistant
April Hodick	....	property master
Richard Peete	....	props
Elvis Restaino	....	property master
Emilie Ritzmann	....	art department production assistant
Rob Yapkowitz	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Tammy Douglas	....	sound mixer
Michael Jordan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald Lyles	....	sound re-recording mixer
Guillermo Pena-Tapia	....	boom operator
Matthew Polis	....	sound designer
Matthew Polis	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Polis	....	supervising sound editor
James David Redding III	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Richard Fike	....	special effects coordinator: pyrotechnics
John Kloock	....	special effects assistant: pyrotechnics

Visual Effects by
Megan A. Ballantyne	....	rotoscoping and compositing artist
Jennifer Basnyat	....	visual effects
Erik Boccio	....	visual effects assistant (2008)
Brant Chapman	....	matchmove and compositing (as Dr. Brant Chapman)
Billy Gabor	....	digital intermediate colorist
Andrew Gelman	....	rotoscoping and compositing artist
Joe Saia	....	rotoscoping and compositing artist
Francis Scrubjay Schmidt	....	visual effects supervisor (as Francis Schmidt)
Rajiv J. Shah	....	rotoscoping and compositing artist
Adam Toht	....	visual effects consultant

Stunts
Jennifer Badger	....	stunt double: Eliza Dushku
Gene Harrison	....	stunt coordinator
Don Hewitt	....	stunt supervisor
Tina Mckissick	....	stunt double
David Shakes	....	stunts
David Shumbris	....	stunt double: Tim Hutton
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark L. Anderson	....	first assistant camera
Alfredo Barraza	....	camera loader
Matt Bleistein	....	loader
Joseph Bruce	....	grip
Jeff Cottrone	....	camera production assistant
Adam Ferington	....	video assist operator
Glenn Galbraith	....	best boy grip
Peter Gurin	....	still photographer
Geoff Knight	....	best boy electric
Kate Larose	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Jeremy Lips	....	still photographer
Jason B. McCann	....	second assistant camera
Saade Mustafa	....	Steadicam operator
Joseph Quirk	....	camera operator (as Joe Quirk)
Rafael Ramirez	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Benjamin Shutts	....	grip
Kyle Simmons	....	additional electric
Nick Szpara	....	grip
Jon Unjang	....	gaffer
Vanessa Ward	....	grip
Zenfeek	....	gaffer
Nu Zhang	....	key grip

Casting Department
Joanne Bloom	....	casting associate
Eric Cubitt	....	additional casting
Morgan Donaho	....	casting associate
Bill Kalatsky	....	additional casting
David Jason Kyle	....	extras casting
Celeste Leger	....	casting associate
Jeff Mitchell	....	casting: New York
Dominika Posserén	....	casting associate
Jennifer Rudolph	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linde Aseltine	....	additional wardrobe
Kimberly DePrez	....	wardrobe assistant
Erika Lilienthal	....	costume assistant
Shelby Saboy	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
J.D. Funari	....	marketing editor
Andrew Geary	....	digital intermediate conformist
Alyssa Lakota	....	post-production coordinator (as Alyssa Polacsek)

Music Department
Sophie Edwards	....	vocalist: additional vocals
Eric Perlmutter	....	arranger

Other crew
Mike Agostinelli	....	location assistant
Tommy Bechtold	....	assistant production coordinator
Joseph Benedetto	....	intern
Matthew Bernabei	....	production assistant
Katri Billard	....	script supervisor
James Briggs	....	medical
Jenny Cadenillas	....	production coordinator
Timothy Farmer	....	production assistant
Ron Ferrara	....	intern
Dave Ginsberg	....	location manager
Daniel Hoerner	....	location assistant
Ian Knoblock	....	production assistant
Joseph Michael Lagana	....	assistant: producer
Alyssa Lakota	....	assistant: Rob Schmidt (as Alyssa Polacsek)
Robert Lopez	....	key production assistant
Daniel Perry	....	intern
Stephanie L. Ryan	....	set intern
Robert L. Seigel	....	legal
Joice Stewart	....	production accountant
Stephen Van Keuren	....	location assistant
Paul Vonasek	....	intern
Joshua Wink	....	assistant location manager
Kate Yerves	....	assistant: Rob Schmidt

Thanks
Jonathan Demme	....	special thanks
Cassian Elwes	....	special thanks
Joseph Giorgione	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Intrinsic Value Films
• New Films International (presents)
• WideyeCreative Films (as Wideye Films)

Distributors

• New Films International (2008) (non-USA) (all media)
• Blue Sky Media (2007) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Visual Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (theatrical) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Be Best in DVD (BBI-DVD) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Be Best in DVD (BBI-DVD) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• CInema Hotel Corporation (CHC) (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• CatchPlay (2009) (Taiwan) (DVD)
• Falcon Films (2009) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• One Movie (2007) (Italy) (all media)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Autonomous FX (special effects)
• Metropolis Film Labs (visual effects)
• Moltenlava (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Digital Cinema  sound re-recording
• NPI Entertainment Payroll  payroll service (as NPI Production Services)
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  nextel cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Wow & Flutter  ADR recording

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | Australia:M | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Ridgewood, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Intrinsic Value Films

Trivia:

While filming portions of the movie in Spencerport, New York, a box truck from the production company pulled down two electrical poles with transformers attached to them. Subsequently, a car was set on fire but was not able to be put out with water until the electricity was turned off. 11 residents were displaced from their homes and offered hotel accommodation by the production company.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Towards the end of the movie, Richard tells Maegan that she is going to take a trip down "The Geneseo", The river running through Rochester is " The Genesee " River. Geneseo, is a town about 45 minutes south of Rochester.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Megan Paige:Mostly the job is to ask questions. The frustrating part, the part that drives you crazy, is that the people you really want to talk to are dead.

Movie Connections:

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Soundtrack:

Skeleton (She's So Cool)

Predictable fare; but, well acted

I watched THE ALPHABET KILLER on Showtime last night. It is based on a true-life serial killer case in Rochester, New York. However, I'm not sure if the true events that inspired this thriller included a dogged homicide investigator who pursues a child murderer, despite suffering from schizophrenia. It's an interesting take, though.

Eliza Dushku, does an incredible job playing Megan Paige, the detective, whose condition makes her believe she can see the spirits of the victims. I found her character very sympathetic; and, quite believable.

Unfortunately, the movie was a bit predictable (even the "twist" seemed obvious to me).