Jagt den Killer

Excellent suspense for about 3 hours starting from minute 1. Seldom have I seen a movie that hooked me so much as this one, even after watching it over and over again. Brian Dennehy has shown the best performance in his lifetime. You just sense the evil inside and his performance as an actor should have had a lot more attention, because it's one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.

I mean, I love Tom Hanks and Spencer Tracy and I think they're one of the best actors the world has seen, but sometimes a second ranked actor shows a performance that equals top actors like Spencer and Tom; Brian Dennehy is one of them in this movie.

All the actors play very convincing and the movie has dozens of moments that I will never forget. 3 hours of suspense without a drop of blood and compelling from start to end; I find that a major achievement. Not one single moment the movie is slow or boring. What I also really like about the movie is its pace; it's going faster and faster towards the end and this has partly to with the actual story and it makes you so eager to look forward to how it ends.

The movie doesn't have any famous actors, director, story writers and never got any major attention, but it sure is a classic in my opinion.

There are only 3-5 movies (and I'm an older person who's addicted to movies since the day he was born) that really stand out in the history of film-making and this is one of them and the only one in my top 50 list without the famous cast, director or all the major publicity.

A must see!

Brian Dennehey BECOMES John Wayne Gacy, as you watch this film you can only imagine the horrible fate of the victims.

The beginning starts out with Robert Piest, well portrayed, who is picked up by Gacy for construction work (this was his method of trolling for young boys). Gacy owned his own contracting company in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The actress who is Piest's mother is heart-rending; as she pleads with the police to take her son's disappearance seriously. In the Chicago area a missing person is nothing new, but it was her birthday and Rob never showed up. ..." He would never run away from home... he is not that type of boy"..., she mentions, and Detective Joe Koczenczak (very well portrayed by Michael Riley) takes notice of the situation.

Dennehey is superb, when the police first visit Gacy's house in Des Plaines, we can feel the menacing evil and rage simmering just below the surface. Gacy shows the police his pictures with Rosalynn Carter, his promotion as manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and his "commendations" for contributions to local police and firefighters (a fixation common among sociopaths; they are very high functioning, and socially enjoy manipulating authority figures).

Gacy also apparently used drugs to lure young men to his house, there are several scenes where he uses Qualuudes, and the detectives are following him, realizing the extent of his social connections. What is so horrifying is that, on the surface, Gacy was a well-liked businessman who had many friends. He was not a reclusive psycho who stood out in the crowd.

As Detective Koczenczack becomes more frustrated trying to mount evidence against Gacy he is thwarted many times by D.A. Meg Foster, who cannot make a case if Gacy's rights are violated. The case is interesting and disturbing all the more so because it is true. Margot Kidder also has a cameo as a psychic, who relays to Koczenzack that there are many, many more victims; this will not be an easy case.

The soundtrack at the end, as they are searching for more victims, and pan out over the cemetery, is very haunting. So sad for any of the parents and young men who were affected by this monster, John Wayne Gacy, who was executed in 1994.

"To Catch A Killer" is a truly disturbing film. But like other disturbing true stories, this one was done extremely well. It was meant for TV and not the big screen. Brian Dennehy was simply incredible as "John Wayne Gacey" & I feel this is the best role that he has ever played. I had the chance to buy the Laser Disc of this movie,but did'nt & I have regretted it ever since. I hope they will release the DVD of this unforgetable & shocking masterpiece. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat.

This is a top-flight procedural, based on how one persistent cop finally captured John Wayne Gacy, but what really makes it stand out from the crowd is Brian Dennehy's outstanding portrayal of Gacy. Dennehy has immense charm, but here he shows he can turn on a dime an convert it instantly into stomach-churning menace. There is one scene in which Dennehy shows Gacy's dark side starting to come out at an inappropriate moment, and then catching himself -- it is one of the finest pieces of acting I have ever seen anywhere. The look of repressed, murderous lust appearing on his fact and then being put back in the box is something I'll never forget. Neither Brando nor Olivier could have topped it. Watch it; you'll enjoy it a lot.

Sorry, your time is up.

The answer, their popularity or connection factor with the viewer was off the charts. Producers knew this and often cast one or the other in the most obscure projects, knowing full well that, when push came to shove, the viewers would watch regardless.

With this film, a funny thing happened on the way to what was supposed to be a "casting of convenience." Brian Dennehy gave the performance of his life, at the same time engaging and yet creepy, friendly but dangerous, and the result was that a simple movie became a TV classic almost overnight.

Kid you not. The quality of this film is so good it will, I am guessing, hold its own against any subsequent attempts to biopic Gacey.

Watch it.