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The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer

  • TV Movie
  • 19991999
  • 4h
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
725
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Tom Skerritt, Kevin Anderson, and Naomi Watts in The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)
  • Thriller
  • Drama
An account of early 1970s social activist Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and then fled the country.An account of early 1970s social activist Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and then fled the country.An account of early 1970s social activist Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and then fled the country.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
725
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • William A. Graham
  • Writers
    • Steven Levy(book "The Unicorn's Secret")
    • Bruce Graham(teleplay)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Anderson
    • Tom Skerritt
    • Naomi Watts
Top credits
  • Director
    • William A. Graham
  • Writers
    • Steven Levy(book "The Unicorn's Secret")
    • Bruce Graham(teleplay)
  • Stars
    • Kevin Anderson
    • Tom Skerritt
    • Naomi Watts
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Photos

    The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)
    The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)
    The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kevin Anderson
    Kevin Anderson
    • Ira Einhornas Ira Einhorn
    Tom Skerritt
    Tom Skerritt
    • Fred Madduxas Fred Maddux
    Naomi Watts
    Naomi Watts
    • Holly Madduxas Holly Maddux
    Kellie Overbey
    Kellie Overbey
    • Meg Madduxas Meg Maddux
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    • Det. Newhouseas Det. Newhouse
    • (as Ruben Santiago Hudson)
    Brian Kerwin
    Brian Kerwin
    • Saul Lapidusas Saul Lapidus
    Josef Sommer
    Josef Sommer
    • Corporate Manas Corporate Man
    William G. Schilling
    William G. Schilling
    • Robert Stevensas Robert Stevens
    Albert Schultz
    Albert Schultz
    • Lucas Rothmanas Lucas Rothman
    Mimi Kuzyk
    Mimi Kuzyk
    • Barbra Bronfmanas Barbra Bronfman
    Gregory Itzin
    Gregory Itzin
    • Arlen Specteras Arlen Specter
    Rosemary Murphy
    Rosemary Murphy
    • Bea Einhornas Bea Einhorn
    Bill MacDonald
    • Police Lieutenantas Police Lieutenant
    Martin Donovan
    Martin Donovan
    • Richard DiBenedettoas Richard DiBenedetto
    Wanda Cannon
    Wanda Cannon
    • Liz Madduxas Liz Maddux
    Kristin Booth
    Kristin Booth
    • Buffy Madduxas Buffy Maddux
    Angela Vint
    • Mary Madduxas Mary Maddux
    Kirby Morrow
    Kirby Morrow
    • John Madduxas John Maddux
    • Director
      • William A. Graham
    • Writers
      • Steven Levy(book "The Unicorn's Secret")
      • Bruce Graham(teleplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Fact-based story about Ira Einhorn, a 70's peace-nik who is generally credited as one of the founders of Earth Day. In the late 60's and early 70's, Ira lived with Holly Maddux. But when she tries to leave him in 1977, she suddenly disappears. Later her body is discovered in a trunk in Einhorn's apartment. Let out on bail, Einhorn flees from the country and manages to elude authorities for years. Meanwhile he is convicted in absentia and sentenced to prison. Holly's father is determined to see his daughter's murderer brought to justice and has him tracked and is eventually caught in France in 1997. Martin Donovan appears as the assistant D.A. who put the case together. Today, Einhorn is now appealing his conviction. —John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net>
    • abusive boyfriend
    • evil man
    • body in a chest
    • extradition
    • murder
    • 3 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Thriller
      • Drama
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kim Poirier played a girl who had an affair with Ira Einhorn however her scenes were deleted.
    • Soundtracks
      Magic Carpet Ride
      (uncredited)

      Written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve

      Performed by Steppenwolf

    User reviews10

    Review
    Top review
    1/10
    True fiction!?
    After seeing this film and reading that it is a documentary soap based on a 'real case', I asked myself what understanding we have of truth in visual or textual narratives. My first intuition was that in this film there are clichees put together in a stereotype way to tell a story with a conservative political message. Just the counterpiece of the more commonly told (and likewise simplistic) liberal story of the suppressed girl from the province, old fashioned and educated with narrow-minded moralist principles who moves to a urban environment and develops unimagined qualities, gets famous, discovers sex etc. Even if the story told in the "Hunt for the Unicorn-Killer" is "true" in the sense that the director was inspired by an incident with structurally the same facts - the way it is told, is absolutely incredible. Neither of the characters really wins any depth. The motives of the girl to stay with her friend who humiliates her and the motives for the friend to murder her out of jealoucy - even if the film insinuates that he never loved her stay obscure. The question why an explained pacifist kills her girl friend is answered in a too simplistic way, if the film suggests he was only having his ideas to make himself interesting and to seduce girls. I think it is also problematic to make a piece of fiction and pretend it to be real keeping the real names of persons and places. People might no longer distinguish between what was the case and what was just invented to make the plot more interesting. I think truth in narratives is more about cases being representative (even if they are invented) and told in a way sophisticated enough to come close to the complexities of real life. I rate it 1 out of 10.
    helpful•7
    25
    • dilling
    • May 4, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 9, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Jakten på Unicorn Killer
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Dan Wigutow Productions
      • New Regency Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      4 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    R.I.P. Director William A. Graham
    Sep 29Deadline TV

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