Wonderful character development!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

This is a drama based on the real life activities of Donald Nielson played by Donald Sumpter. He was an ex soldier who had joined civvy street and his business had failed. So he started robbing Post Offices using a sawn off shotgun. He used his army survival training to hide out in woods and generally be a bit of a loon.His home life is depicted as him being a misogynistic martinet and all round nasty bloke – he was never going to win 'father of the year'. Then he accidentally shoots a sub Post Master on one of his 'jobs' and his crimes take on a more serious hue. This leads him to commit one of the most notorious crimes of the seventies. That was the kidnapping of Leslie Whittle a 16 year old heiress.Now this is quite well made, there is violence and some nudity (which seemed pointless) but it tries to stick to the facts for the most part. There are some great pieces of observational cinema from the time and I loved seeing how the World worked back when I was a lad. It is far from a 'feel good' film and those that remember the time will probably recall certain aspects of the case differently. But for me this was a well made and acted time piece of a film about one despicable man and his crimes.

The victim of a hysterical proto-sadist video press campaign which killed its initial theatrical run, The Black Panther is actually anything but the insensitive exploitation piece is was labelled as which damned it so long to distribution limbo.Charting the bizarre killing spree of wannabe criminal mastermind Donald Neilson, this insightful, intelligent thriller feels chillingly authentic in the way it is constructed. No avant- garde pretensions or sensationalist hyper reality to be found here unlike its accused grindhouse brethren. Director Ian Merrick is to the point with his direction and only benefits the film with his "lack of adventure" should i say, but major credit goes to Michael Armstrong who's minute detail script does what the journalists at the time couldn't be bothered with and lays out fully the whole grim affair to the best the evidence available could suggest. Donald Sumpter is fearless as Panther. A little theatrical for some maybe, but you have to consider that this was no ordinary serial killer. A house thief that turned to armed robbery, then kidnap for ransom, this was no clueless man-child or crusading zealot, he really thought himself as a criminal genius and so would be full of himself, yes? Sumpter understood this and his portrayal of Neilson as the tragic fool gives great clarity to the events on top of the well researched script. Overall a horrific, challenging and truthful dramatisation that is a masterclass in true life crime filmmaking, a hidden gem.

We were all sick to our stomachs when this thing came out in 1977.The Leslie Whittle case had rolled across the news for months and months and most kids were afraid to go out at night.Kaye Alexander looked sick to her stomach every time she read the news.For some opportunistic cast, producer and director to capitalise on the crime and Whittle family misery to make a few quid was absolutely disgusting.It was centre stage in our local video shop for months and I don't think anyone hired it about from the local weirdos and paedos.Cheapskate media is always willing to have a laugh at our expense.Video nasty? Made all the porn films look tame. Hang your heads in shame.

Although I have tagged this as 'liked', I don't think that's quite the word. Impressive, believable and very grim this is a virtual reenactment of real events that I remember well and took place only a couple of years before the film was made. A little bit of stylish photography, a bit of humour, just something to relieve the dull horror and it would have been possible to enjoy the film more.What we have, though, is a unique cinematic impression of a real series of violent attacks and kidnap. The original newspaper reporting at the time presented a most unpleasant picture and here it is honestly and accurately represented on film. Everybody does well but the male lead is exceptional and the poor young girl victim almost too believable. You won't like it but as an example of gritty 70s UK cinema it is a great example.