Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
View Morea film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
View MoreThis movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
View MoreThere are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
View MoreWhile some viewers who sit down to watch this movie may think that they are going to see a recreation of the real Zodiac Killer rampage that happened not long before the movie was made, that is not the case. There is very little material in the movie that also happened in the true case. But that's not the real problem with the movie. The main problem is that there is very little to interest viewers. The movie is so low budget and was obviously hastily filmed that the feel of the movie is the same as if a bunch of high school students decided to make a movie over a few weekends. The narrative is also inept - there are a lot of scenes that seem to have no point except maybe to pad out the running time, and the movie seems to end where it does with a feeling that the filmmakers either ran out of money or felt they had enough footage to make a feature-length movie. If you are looking for unintended laughs, well, there are a few moments of dopey dialogue and ridiculous actions by the characters. However, the movie is really missing enough spark and hilarity to be unintentionally amusing. The only real interest the movie has at the end is to make viewers wonder what the real Zodiac Killer might have thought of this movie had he seen it.
View MoreThough an obvious exploitation flick, this cheap indie does have its moments. The first part is rather amusing, before the slash and bleed takes over. The obnoxious Grover (Jones) is a middle-age pretender of the type not often given central focus. His efforts at being a wig-wearing stud, however, appear to pad the runtime. Still, his romantic misadventures remain oddly entertaining. Then too, many of the camera angles show imagination, along with some jarring editing. And I agree that the group sing before a murder is genuinely creepy and the movie's high or low point. Nonetheless, the script appears erratic and pointless at times. And, to put it charitably, the acting sort of comes and goes, at best. Also, I could have done without Zodiac's lecture at the end. All in all, some elements show promise, but overall results fail to rise above erratic exploitation.(In passing—as a fan of true crime, I recall reading a couple accounts of the murders. But it's been awhile. Nonetheless, I recall certain features in the film that coincide with actual episodes. Namely, the lakeside murder of the two youngsters by a hooded stranger; the murdered couple in lovers' lane; and detectives consulting a psychic once the Bay Area became alarmed. The remainder of the killings I don't recall as actual, and suspect that some are the result of cinematic imagination.)
View MoreThis low, low budget thriller attempts to seriously cast a light on the reality of serial killers in our society, purporting to be "based on the facts". It soon came in the wake of the real life Zodiac murders that plagued San Francisco in the late 1960s. While obviously it's not nearly as polished or as well known as "Dirty Harry", it is a genuinely interesting curio. This viewer actually thought that the acting wasn't that bad; in fact, it's better than one might ordinarily find in such B level fare.At first, we follow the day to day activities of two guys: harried mailman Jerry (Hal Reed, "The Doberman Gang") and volatile truck driver Grover (Bob Jones). Jerry comes across as a nice enough, polite enough man to others, while Bob likes to impress women by creating a false identity of a successful businessman. While the characters are somewhat entertaining to watch, they're just not as intriguing as the murder spree that will soon begin in earnest. While the killer will be taunting the authorities and the media with calls and letters, two frustrated detectives, Sgt. Pittman (Ray Lynch) and Officer Heller (Tom Pittman) will try to work the case.The raw, gritty approach is a plus, although "The Zodiac Killer" might not be trashy or exploitative enough for some viewer tastes. Location shooting is decent; there's sufficient violence and a little bit of gore. At times screenwriters Ray Cantrell and Manny Cardoza and director Tom Hanson create some humour with the material. We see our ego-driven, confident maniac (who's identified sooner in the movie than one might expect) actually kill one woman with her own trunk hood, and another with her own spare tire.While there's nothing really special here, this makes for some mildly amusing entertainment for seekers of obscure curiosities.Six out of 10.
View MoreWow. This is a keeper. Loosely based on the Zodiac's reign of terror, this laugh-out-loud horror-thriller fully satisfies the right type of viewer. While the acting is the source for most of the hilarity, there are scenes that actually provide some surreal, creepy moments. That's sometimes hard for filmmakers on $1.05 budget. This holds up to repeated viewings and never fails to entertain. What we need is a new film about the Zodiac killings, probably some of the most interesting, yet sadly, unsolved crimes of the last century. This release from Academy is misspelled as THE ZODIAK KILLER, so take that in consideration when looking for around for it.
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