RARA-AVIS: serial killers

From: Mark Blumenthal ( blumenidiot@21stcentury.net)
Date: 29 Feb 2000


: Etienne Borgers agreeing with Neil Smih:

> > No to serial murders. One of those "American
> > fascinations" that bore me to
> > death...
>
> I couldn't agree more with this.
> I already advocate this point of view on the list in
> other occasions.
>
> Serial killer is now to American HB/Noir lit what
> special effects explosions are to contemporary Ameican
> cinema:
> a pure nuisance, a bore and an excuse to try to
> capture a non informed audience...
>

It's the American way: all flash and no thinking allowed.

Why go through the labor of having a logical plot with motivations that make sense when all you have to do is have a psycho serial killer who kills randomly for no good reason?

I think movies have had more influence than on popular culture than books. Although Peter Lorre in M caused a stir way back in in 1931, I think the current cycle was inspired by Hitchcock's Pycho. in the '60's. Dirty Harry in the seventies presented the viewpoint of the cop/pi and, of course the genre gained legitimacy with The Silence of the Lambs' awards as well as box office returns in the nineties. These are not even at's not even counting the influence and popularity of obscure B slasher films inspired by the seemingly endless stream of Halloweens and Nightmares on Elm Street.. Mark

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