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The Zodiac Killer
USA 1971
produced by Tom Hanson for Adventure Productions
directed by Tom Hanson
starring Hal Reed, Bob Jones, Ray Lynch, Tom Pittman, Mary Darrington, Frank Sanabek, Ed Quigley, Bertha Dahl, Dion Marinkovich, Doodles Weaver, Gloria Gunn, Richard Styles, Manny Cardoza, Norma Takaki, Donna Register, Barbara Schillaci, Edna DeHart, Norma Michaels, Tom Hanson, Dennis Thomann, Werner Maahs, Dick Nedwick, Emanuel Nedwick, Brian Falkner, Elliot Katt, Steve Harper, Stacy Videen, Marleen Parris, Pat West, Robert Hanson, Jo Porrine, Arthur Porrine, Larry Hines, Susie Knolan, Don Law, Wayne Jeppson, Ray Cantrell, Dave Warfel, Dave Carlson, Gabe Balcar, Hans Klein, Aaron Koslow, Bart Dempster, Sharon Ridgeway, Lundyne Johns, Pearl Leidy, George Fryette, Melissa Mosley, William J. Kurdi, Richard Garrison, Louise Keene
written by Ray Cantrell, Manny Cardoza
Zodiac Killer
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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These days, San Francisco is terrorized by the Zodiac Killer, a
serialkiller who strikes without warning and without motive, kills people
rather at random, then gloats about it in the media - and police Sgt
Pittman (Ray Lynch) and Officer Heller (Tom Pittman) are left completely
in the dark, to such an extent that they visit a psychic (Aaron Koslow) -
who gives them nothing but useless advice ... Meet Grover (Bob Jones), a
truck driver who after hours likes to dress up as a rich businessman to
pick up girls - and sometimes it works even. Thing is, he's got some kind
of inferiority complex because of his failed marriage, and now his ex-wife
(Dion Marinkovich) doesn't even let him see their daughter anymore - a
situation that comes to a head when he brings a gun over to her place.
Ultimately, the police is called and they shoot Grover dead - but not
before he claims to be the Zodiac Killer. Thing is, he isn't, and it
doesn't take the police long to figure that out ... Meet Jerry (Hal
Reed), the nice guy next door, who always greets his neighbours, has a
solid job as a mailman that seems to fulfill him, who doesn't sleep around
despite various offers, and who cares about nothing more than his bunny
rabbits - in other words, a model citizen ... unless of course you count
the fact that he is actually the Zodiac Killer ... The
Zodiac Killer is not a "good" film by any stretch of
imagination, its direction is rather functional while its acting is on the
over-the-top side of things, The budget doesn't always meet the demands of
the story, and the film at times looks seedy even if there's no nudity or
sex in it - and that's what makes the movie great from today's point of
view, it's a fun testament of the bygone era of grindhouse cinema that
didn't care too much about ... anything really (don't look at this wearing
today's political correctness glasses), that really throws bizarre ideas
(like Jerry praying to the slaves of Atlantis) or fun kills into the story
rather at random - and that really has a creepy ending due to its refusal
to end things on a happy note. You might want to like yesteryear's
grindhouse cinema to begin with, but then it's well worth a watch!
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