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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.

IT is a fantastic movie. and based in fact...and incredibly Creepy to think it is on a true story.

Seriously...Brian denehey as John Gacy is brilliant. Seriously worthy of a Oscar....considering Charlize Theron played Aileen in monster and won an Oscar for her portrayal of that serial killer.

(i know it seems Apples and oranges...but i think you know what i mean.)

I've watched both..and Brian deftly deserved some accreditation for it...shame it wasn't released now days wit bigger budget etc..

Excellent.

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!

This contains spoilers if you know nothing about John Wayne Gacy.

From what I know the story is pretty well accurate, and the movie in general is a good piece of work, however it would be great if it were not for the portrayal of Gacy.

I am not an expert on serial killers however I do know that John Wayne Gacy was a lovable and charming man until it came down to his actual act of murder. I can get passed the idea of the lone heroic cop who knows the truth because it is more entertaining, yet I feel Brian Dennehy's choice to react in such an angry way to this cop's investigations as completely out of character to Gacy. Gacy was a groomer, policeman who were watching him during his time under house arrest said that they "had to keep reminding themselves that he is a murder suspect". Anyone who knew him said he was the last person they could ever think to be a murderer.

Gacy should have been portrayed as the most normal and lovely human being when it comes down to him in scenes with others who aren't his victims. That way seeing him switch off into his serial killer state of mind would have been more shocking to watch and in my opinion more entertaining. That was the real John Wayne Gacy.

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.

In "F/X" Brian Dennehy played a cop with a knack for staying on top of criminals as if he were psychic. His body--stocky, barrel-chested, rock-like--looked like it was made to right injustices. He had the profile of an eagle and the broad face of a bulldog, and he squints with vehement incredulity at anything outside the law. He was impressive.

In a turnabout as serial killer John Wayne Gacy in what could have been the performance of a lifetime, Dennehy uses his probing intelligence and menacing presence at the service of death and perversity. He's the deceiver, seeking sexual pleasure in unlawful ways, while somewhat successfully maintaining a front of decency and respectability. In "To Catch A Killer," he carries himself with the authority that is the mark of the moralist, and we are allowed fleetingly to see how far the reality misses the mark.

If Dennehy falls short here, the fault is with the intent of the movie's makers. They see their work as a kind of primer for law enforcement officials on solving serial homicide. Problem is the movie's reason for being undercuts the reason the movie exists at all, namely, its subject's dark side. Dennehy compromises himself as an actor by using his steely stare to suggest murderous intent and then expecting us to accept externals to convey that he is playing a psychopath. Good psychodrama this does not make, and "To Catch A Killer" remains an only occasionally effective re-creation of already-known facts.

Casting Dennehy is a mistake anyway. What it misses is how innocuous Gacy could look, how harmless he seemed. Could anyone be fooled into believing going home with a leering Dennehy could be safe? Even clown make-up cannot cover this man's ferociousness. And the lure of easy money would give the most money-starved of us pause, I suspect, if it meant getting into a car with Dennehy at the wheel.

Besides, even if someone blind to this risked it, isn't the movie's primary interest in answering the question why men run scared from the idea of death at the hands of a bisexual pederast but embrace the possibility of death under other degrading circumstances? Don't we need to see what we are being asked to hate? The one opportunity we have to do just that is curtailed by police surveillance. It may be in good taste or out of respect for the dead that the filmmakers shy away from what should be the central theme of the movie, but the result is not more understanding but less. Not even incidental questions that come to mind (like why did Gacy keep articles of clothing and other possessions of his victims which any thinking person would recognize as incriminating or why he made his victims suffer when sadists on the whole seem drawn less to inflicting pain than in dominating their subjects) do they bother to address.

Michael Riley plays police chief Joe Kozenczak with honorable restraint, and Martin Julien as Gacy's work supervisor Theo sweats convincingly. Beads of sweat aside, the movie adds up to the mere sum of its parts. Nabbing someone who doesn't have enough sense not to turn his crawlspace into a private gravesite and keep mementos of his conquests for convenient pick-up as forensic evidence, while a psychic (Margot Kidder is not a good choice for this.) is called upon to "psyche out" his weak-willed cohort hardly seems a challenge. It would seem police training is not so much what is needed. More likely, something on the order of providence or dumb luck or both.

In a fine made-for-TV effort, "To Catch A Killer" profiles notorious murderer John Wayne Gacy (played chillingly by Brian Dennehy), his mask of a respected public citizen, the awful secret he kept, and the relentless attempt to expose him. Dennehy's work with the supporting characters is darkly magical and the story reminds you that it's real with every chance. Highly recommended for fans of Dennehy and of good psychological thrillers.

As the IMDb says, this is a true story, but gruesome does not begin to describe it. John Wayne Gacy - the killer clown - was responsible for the deaths of over thirty young men and boys, most of whom were buried under his house at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue, which like not a few other houses of horror, was later demolished. "To Catch A Killer" was released while Gacy was still under sentence of death; he was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994. The film does not cover his trial but focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of his last victim, Rob Piest, who herein is called Chris Gant, presumably to protect the family.

The name of the detective who brought Gacy to book is not so disguised, but there is one criticism that can be made of the film in that it panders to the usual film-flam of psychics. Herein, Detective Kozenczak consults a psychic, who gives him in retrospect startlingly accurate information about both the crimes of Gacy and his own personal health. In reality, he did consult a psychic, and as might be expected she provided no meaningful information at all. Kozenczak's unwarranted faith in psychics is a little surprising because in reality he was the one who exhibited not psychic powers but the classic policeman's hunch, in this case that there was something not quite right about Gacy, who had been seen talking to the teenager shortly before he disappeared, never to be seen alive again.

The role of Gacy was alloted to Brian Dennehy, who is no stranger to sinister roles, and here he plays the Jekyll & Hyde Gacy to a tee. We see Kozenczak and his team applying psychological pressure to Gacy that in the end leads to him cracking up partly under the strain and perhaps because what little conscience the man had, finally caught up with him.

This is not a film for thrill seekers but a semi-documentary that apart from the psychic non-incident adheres closely to the facts of the case. This and its length meant it was never likely to win any awards, but this was a film that was clearly made as an historical document rather than for either plaudits or profit.

"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.

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.

The film depicts the hunt for and final capture of John Wayne Gacy and Dennehy, in my opinion one of Americas great actors, is truly, truly FRIGHTENING in the main part. Your blood almost freezes and you grab someone´s arm, when he succeeds in luring yet another bait. Also Kidder does a memorable performance as the clairvoyant and never goes over the top.

Definitely worth watching - but don´t watch it alone......

I like Brian Dennehy very much, he is such a great actor, he is a natural talent and i love the movie ''to catch a killer'', its a very shocking and creepy true story, and like the way Brian act is just fantastic! Anyway..almost every movie he play fantastic. I just love this man, and i would like to meet him for real, because i have heard he must be a real gentleman, i would like to figure that out, ha ha..really, he is one of the greatest actors i know. I'm looking for this movie so many times in the Netherlands with Dutch subtitling, but i could not found it, its a shame! But i did see the movie for almost 4 times, and every time is forget to put a tape in the recorder. I just want this movie so badly!Love and greetings, Monique, Rotterdam, Netherlands

When I watched this movie I couldn't believe how much Brian Dennehy's portrayal of Gacy scared me. I've seen Dennehy play villains before but he nailed this. To me Dennehy playing Gacy was much scarier than the actual Gacy is. I've only seen Gacy in interviews but he just didn't seem at all sinister if you don't know what he actually did. The movie shows two sides, the police investigation and Gacy's mental disintegration has he starts to realize the gig is up. I totally recommend this move. Dennehy fans will love his acting and hate his character. My heart goes out to the families and friends of Gac'y victims.

I think this movie should have been made for the big screen and not TV.

Brian Dennehy gives one of the most electrifying and chilling performances I've ever seen, as serial killer John Wayne Gacy. His facial expressions, threatening demeanor and aura of pure evil are much more shocking, creepy and frightening than buckets of blood and graphic violence would have been.

This movie is driven on suspense, which is saying a lot, considering most viewers already knew the outcome of the story beforehand.

This is a thriller in every sense,way scarier than many recent so-called "horror" movies released, and does it all without CGI, gore, cheap shock elements,or foul language.

... as serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a guy who goes from over confident that he will not be caught even though suspected, to someone who feels the walls closing in as the investigation into him advances.

The film concentrates on the investigation into the disappearance of Chris Gant, who disappears seemingly into thin air one night when he is done working at a local pharmacy and doesn't come home. His parents file a missing person's report that night, and this one report gets the attention of chief of detectives Joe Kozenczak of the Des Plaines, Illinois police department. It gets his attention because the boy is well liked and well adjusted, a hard worker at his part time job, and his family can find no reason he would just take off, including his older sister when she is asked - away from her parents - if there was anything off that he would not have wanted his parents to know. Kozenczak has to fight his superiors and the county attorney who think he is dedicating too many resources to this search that may actually be just another runaway.

The movie changes the names of everybody but Kozenczak - after all he did write a book about it - and even changes the name of Gacy's construction business. And of course, some facts of the case are changed for the sake of brevity. There were actually two psychics in this case, not one as shown in the film. One worked on the murder case, the other on finding Chris Gant's (Robert Piest's) body. And another important point - Nobody at the pharmacy where Chris/Robert disappeared actually knew Gacy's name. It took awhile for detectives to figure out even that.

Gacy was done in by a combination of things - his need to kill at more frequent intervals causing him to be reckless, running out of room in his basement to bury bodies - and maybe choosing to live on top of his victims' graves in the first place, and finally victimizing one kid who was so unlikely to run away that it caused police to take his disappearance seriously.

The dynamic between Dennehy's Gacy and Riley's Kozenczak creates a tension-filled atmosphere that drives the narrative forward. What sets "To Catch a Killer" apart is its focus on the procedural aspects of the investigation. The film meticulously guides viewers through the painstaking process of building a case against a cunning and manipulative criminal. This attention to detail lends authenticity to the story and keeps the audience engaged, as they become emotionally invested in the pursuit of justice.

The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for both intense moments of suspense and introspective scenes that shed light on the toll such investigations take on law enforcement officers. The dark and moody cinematography further enhances the sense of unease, placing the audience in the midst of the investigation and the psychological turmoil it entails.

This film was a very mediocre telling of the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The acting wasn't all that hot (except for Dennehy) and it had that distinctive made-for-tv look and feel to it. My one major complaint is that Dennehy was too aggressive in his role of John Gacy. The thing that made Gacy so evil and diabolical was that he was friendly. He was popular. He was successful. He seemed like a nice guy. Dennehy shows Gacy to be a real a**hole, which at times he was, but he doesn't show that friendly side. Besides that the film is alright. It is a fairly honest rendition of the whole event, but of course since it is a made-for-tv movie, lacks the grizzly details. I recommend it to people familiar with the Gacy case or people looking to learn more, but if you I would recommend reading a book (such as "Killer Clown") as well, just so you get the WHOLE story.

This television film, which focuses on the police pursuit of John Wayne Gacy, is utterly engrossing. Sparing us the more grotesque details of Gacy's crimes, we are treated to the investigation and the frustrations of the police, who are trying to "catch" him. Brian Dennehey is always good, and, his performance in this film, is no exception. The cast is fine, throughout, and the direction is solid; but, it is Michael Riley, as Detective Joe Kozenczak, who owns the film. His role gives him most of the screen time, and his performance is completely compelling. A wonderful performance! Highly recommended.

A serial killer is a compulsive person. He may take a break from killing, but will sooner or later return to his old ways and eventually be stopped either by law, accident or natural death.

I have seen a lot of serial killers in my life. This film starring Brian Dennehy is one of the more memorable films. Brian Dennehy should have won an award of some sort for the chilling portrayal of Gacy. Indeed the actor and the character are so interwoven, that Dennehy really becomes Gacy. This is something for person reading this review to see for himself.

In the beginning of the film we see a young teenager Christopher Gant who is working in a department store, when he suddenly goes out for a moment and is never seen again. His parents go to the Police who forward them to Detective Joe Koczenczak (superbly portrayed by Michael Riley). Joe takes over the investigation. He later finds out that Chris was noticed talking to a John Gacy outside the department store. Joe concluded that the two might have left together and so he visits Gacy at his home. Gacy denies anything to do with Chris Gant, and so Joe is at a dead-end with Gacy.

He decides to probe into Gacy's background...

The film has a superb cast, the background score and effects enhance the chilling atmosphere of the film. The script is well polished and to my belief without any flaws. The viewer can expect no violence, gore, killing in the film - the reason why the film is so good is because it is left to the viewer's imagination as to what happened to Gacy's defenseless victims.

Other Serial Killer Films: Citizen X 1995/Evilenko 2004, The Deliberate Stranger 1986/Ted Bundy 2002, The Boston Strangler 1968, The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer 1993/Dahmer 2002, Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation 2007/ The Gray Man 2007, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1/2(1986-1996), Deranged: Confessions of a Necrophile 1974. All of these films are based on the lives of real-life serial killers.

With no malice against our neighbors to the north, I must say that one reason this telefilm fails is the overwhelming "Made in Canada" quality. That is to say, it's well-made and mostly well-acted, but it's obvious throughout (even without Margot Kidder popping up) that there has been little attempt to have the Canadian locations and actors (who say things like "Juhn's nut here - he's still oot at work") simulate any kind of a Chicago feeling.

Dennehy is too handsome and slick for the uber-nerd murderer John Wayne Gacy, though his acting of what he's been given to do is impeccable. Gacy wore the mask of the jolly "can-do" guy, whereas Dennehy in his leather jacket is someone you'd think twice about accepting a lift from.

This is one of my favorite serial killers. John Wayne Gaycy is one of the most evil serial killers who ever existed in my opinion and Brian Dennehy makes him Gacy look good. The story and acting is outstanding. To bad these kind of movies aren't made today, but this you don't want to miss so if you haven't seen "To catch a killer" already, please see it! It is hard to believe that Eric Till who directed this movie has also directed "Fraggle Rock" and "A Muppet Family Christmas". It's 2 different categories, but Eric did a great job directing "To catch a killer". I have always loved true stories about serial killers and this is absolutely one of the best movies, based on a true killer that I have ever seen. I would gladly give this 10/10, but probably because Brian does such a convincing job. I really wish there were new of these good old movies made. But today most of the movies are not all to good I am afraid. It was like watching "Dahmer" from 2002 after seeing "The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer" from 1993. It's really quite a difference. Anyway, do see "To catch a killer". It is really one of the best movies ever made.