The Sadist - 1963 *

If it wasn't for the plot, 'The Sadist' would've fallen by the wayside a long time ago. It was notably the first film to be based on Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate, the loved up couple who went on a killing spree in the late 1950s in Nebraska.
Here we have 'The Sadist' and his moronically monosyllabic girlfriend, holding up three teachers who come into car trouble at an old junkyard. The whole film is basically 'The Sadist' grinning and laughing and pointing a gun at the hostages, while his girlfriend 'Jodeee' sits on a wall merrily swinging her legs and swigging coca cola. The Sadist appears to be cross-eyed, as well as sporting a crop of remarkable 'Beach Boyesque' floppy hair so his whole appearance is all the more terrifying. If he's trying to portray James Dean, he's failing miserably.

The Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story - 1993 **

Blanche Taylor Moore is a well known name in America. And this story chronicles the murders committed by her of two of her husbands as well as her father, all by arsenic.
I found Elizabeth Montgomery to be infuriating as Blanche, which probably proves what a good job she was doing. I definitely didn't ever feel sorry for Blanche as a character or a human being. She got what was coming to her, and had no remorse for any of her actions.
I have seen better 'straight - to - television movies about murders and their perpetrators and so wouldn't rank this particularly high on my list, despite the subject matter.

The Bling Ring - 2013 ***

I'm pretty obsessed with the Bling Ring at the moment. I've been reading up on the true story avidly for some time, watched the film and got the book. I'm not sure what it is about the events that have captured my attention so much, but there appears to be a fine line between the fact that what the group did was illegal, but also that they did something so brazen and gutsy that they have amassed a great deal of admirers. They are in effect, now celebrities in their own right, which is ironic considering the reasons they committed the crimes was down to an obsession with fame and fortune.
They are idolized but hated at the same time. That's what makes the story all the more jaw dropping.
Although the character's names have been changed in the film it's quite obvious who is meant to be who. Emma Watson is the standout character, playing the role of Nikki (based on Alexis Neiers, who I have to say is my 'favourite' member of The Bling Ring). She and her friends live in the affluent area of Calabasas in California. By all accounts they have everything they could want. Except for one thing. They are all celebrity obsessed and fame hungry. One evening, the lead of the group Rebecca (based on Rachel Lee) takes a new friend from school to Paris Hilton's house after finding out that she will be away at an awards ceremony that night. Her friend comments that only Paris Hilton would be stupid enough to leave her house key under the mat. He is correct. They enter the house and in Rebecca's own words "go shopping", making off with money, bags, clothes and alcohol from Paris's house. This triggers off a chain of robberies that lead to the notorious group of 7 being known as the 'Bling Ring'. I am fascinated by what drives these people. I am also fascinated by how easy it is to rob a celebrity's house. The film alone is maybe not outstanding (although it does have a beautiful Sofia Coppola theme and cinematography) but if you put it with the real facts as well as the novel you have one explosive, controversial subject that will go down in the annuals of celebrity for years to come.

Savage Grace - 2007 **

'Sensual and Decadent' this film has been quoted as. So I must have missed something. Sad really because I was looking forward to seeing this as I had done some research on the case earlier.
There was nothing sensual about this story, and even Julianne Moore could not save the day in her portrayal of the mentally unhinged Barbara Daly Baekland who went down in the annuals of true crime as the murder victim of her schizophrenic son Tony.
The true story is interesting, but the film doesn't appear to cover much about the growing incestuous relationship between Barbara and Tony 9apart from a horrible scene towards the end which we really didn't need to see.) I didn't see much regarding Tony's ever changing mental state which would ultimately be his undoing, more that he was simply sexually provocative.
For information it's best to go online and read up in detail about the story instead of watching this. 

Why My Daughter? - 1993 **

Based on the true story of a mother working tirelessly to avenge the death of her daughter Diana who was dragged into the seedy world of prostitution by her boyfriend - turned pimp. Very gritty and painful to watch. The actress playing the mother is pretty irritating however.

Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick - The Last Chapter - 1992 **

The follow up to the story of scorned housewife who murders her husband and his new wife. This film chronicles Betty's court cases and her life in jail. Not as good as the first one but you still get snapshots of the previous sequences that led up to the murders.

A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story - 1992 ***

A true story that spawned a sequel, the decline of housewife Betty Broderick who, after years of marriage to her childhood sweetheart, is traded in for a younger model when he husband leaves her for his twenty-something assistant. Scorned and unwilling to be left behind, Betty engineers a series of episodes designed to infuriate and embarrass her husband. When these don't work, she decides to go one step further, with horrific consequences.

Lies of the Heart - 1994 ***

Follows the true story of Laurie Kellogg, a young and naive teen who falls in love with an abusive and controlling man. As the years go by, the abuse continues and increases until Laurie cannot take it anymore.
An interesting and heartbreaking case about a severely traumatised woman, who has become so reliant on a man that she cannot leave him, even when he physically abuses her.

Willing to Kill - The Texas Cheerleader Story 1992 ** 1/2

Based on the true story of obsessive mother Wanda Holloway who, after becoming desperate for her daughter to qualify in the cheerleading trials, hires a hit man to murder the rival girl's mother. Relentless and hard hitting, this shows what lengths some people will go to come out on top and 'live through their children'. The sad part of this film is that the person who suffered the most was always going to be the daughter.

Broken Silence - 1998 ***

Dreadfully raw story that had me gripped, but unfortunately for the acting (especially from Ariana Richards) it left rather a sour taste in my mouth. Ariana's portrayal of Mickey, the running fanatic who becomes the rape victim of her terrifying coach has as much excitement in it as a lump of wood. She shows barely any expression, one way or another on her face, and to be honest, whether something bad or good happens to her you probably wouldn't be able to tell. Story was good, but should've been played by someone who can actually act.

Indecent Seduction (For My Daughter's Honor) - 1996 ****

Another hard-hitting true story, this time about a young and innocent 14 year old student who falls for the popular sports coach leading to a disturbing affair.
Gary Cole plays a horrible part, and plays it well. You can never tell if he is on the brink of obsession or whether he's just a pervert intent of luring a young girl into a torrid relationship behind his wife's back.
Nicholle Tom (whom I remember from 'Beethoven') is excellent in her part. You feel frustration, anger and sympathy for her throughout.
A taboo if not familiar story by now.

The People Next Door - 1996 ***

I think this film must be every parent's nightmare. You trust your children to someone and they betray you.
Nicollette Sheridan plays struggling single mother Anna, who leaves her abusive husband and moves into a rented property with her three young children. Soon after arriving she befriends the next door neighbours Donna and Garrett to the extent that they sometimes babysit her children when she is doing late shifts at the bars she works in.
After a while however, the couple start to become rather personal, and rather pushy, demanding to look after the children even when Anna wants to have them at home with her. On an outing to the park one day Anna turns her back to purchase tickets to one of the rides for the six of them, and when she looks back finds that Garrett, Donna and two of her children have disappeared.

No One Would Tell - 1996 ***

This was a surprisingly hard hitting movie. I really resonated with the lead star, who falls in love with an abusive guy who treats her hideously but will not let her go.
Stacy is a shy and innocent 16 year old student, who finds herself in a relationship with the school's most popular 'jock' Bobby who appears to take a shine to her.
Thing start off well, and at first Stacy is flattered by Bobby's constant attention. But soon it becomes uncomfortable and his possessiveness leaves a trail of mental and physical abuse behind it. When Stacy's closest friend notices the tell-tail signs of violence on Stacy, she convinces her to break things off. Stacy can't resist going to meet Bobby one more time however...
Tragic waste of life. Based on a true story. Very sad.

Stalking Laura - 1993 ****

I only found out after I had finished watching this that it was based on a true event from the 80s. That's always going to freak me out a lot more than normal, especially with my current circumstances.
Laura Black lands a lucrative job in a company that she adores. On her first day she meets a friendly but strange man named Richard. Laura sees them as just work colleagues, but Richard is convinced they are not only going out, but are meant to be together forever.
Brooke Shields does a good job here with a decent script, and Richard Thomas is terrifying as the unhinged stalker.
After the true case occurred, there was a new anti-stalking law passed. That at least, is something.

Fatal Vows - 1994 ** 1/2

'Fatal Vows' is a really awful film. Not in it's acting but because of the sheer audacity of a man who thinks he can abuse and betray his devoted wife and that she will stand by his side throughout everything (even when he turns out to be a serial killer). It's based on a true story as well, so that makes it all the more heart-breaking to watch, especially when the wife's son is hurt.
There are some hideous people in the world, and it's even more of a shock when you think that you know everything about a person and find that they have a deranged double life.

A Friend to Die For (Death of a Cheerleader) 1994 ****

I remember watching this movie a few years ago and it really got to me. Since then I've read in detail the background of the real life case and felt I wanted to watch it again to see if it was still as powerful. It was.
Tori Spelling plays the unpleasant but utterly popular high school cheerleader who becomes the object of newcomer Kellie Martin's affection, leading to tragic consequences.
It's quite a relatable film in some way, especially the overwhelming desire to 'fit in' at school that makes us do crazy things. Obviously the events in this film are rare, but the pressure nowadays to not be perfect or look a certain way can have a very negative effect on some people.

(NOIR) Yield to the Night - 1956 ****

'Yield to the Night' in my opinion is highly superior to 'I Want to Live' with Susan Hayward. Both are based on the same sort of thing, although the similarity between this story and Ruth Ellis's case of a couple of years later is pretty disturbing. The only difference seems to be that Dors' character kills a woman instead of a lover but the emotions, and Dors' pent-up jealousy explode in the same way. Excellent performance from her actually, much more gripping and exciting compared to her performance in 'Tread Softly, Stranger' which was somewhat wooden in comparison.

Maria Marten: Murder in the Red Barn - 1935 ***

Not a bad movie, but the quality was awful. I'm very interested in the real life case that this movie is based on, so had been looking forward to seeing it for a long time.

For those of you who don't know, Maria Marten is the town beauty in early 19th century Suffolk, and is chased by many men.

She begins a relationship with one man and soon discovers that he has a temper on him which may lead to her demise.

Tod Slaughter is great as usual, suitably cheesy but also very unhinged looking. For more information on the real case (obviously parts of it have been changed in the film) go to wikipedia.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - 2011 ***

I wouldn't agree that this production was a classic, although I suspect that the book itself was probably much more detailed and interesting. Paddy Considine as Mr Whicher was very good as a sort of 1860's Sherlock Holmes who finds all the clues that people miss despite being ridiculed and very unpopular with the crowds of the time. The story is based around the true events that happened in Road Hill House in 1860, where a 3 year old boy named Saville was brutally murdered by an unknown person, his body dumped in a privy outside the family home. The results are somewhat bizarre, and at times it seems that the film hasn't really progressed from the beginning to the end. I understand that the dramatisation is being very precise in the facts, and none of the names or events have been changed, but it was a bit of a shame that *SPOILERS* you never know the true identity of the murderer. As a big fan of Victorian murders I was surprised that this book and film have become so immensely popular over the last year. I would very much now like to read the book to see if my opinion about the story is justified.