Un tueur dans New York

Out of the Darkness (1985)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Made for TV movie about Detective Eddie Zigo (Martin Sheen) who is trying to keep his personal life on track while hunting down the Son of Sam killer. This movie left me pretty disappointed because it promised to "tell you new things" but it hardly deals with the actual Son of Sam case. Most of the film deals with Sheen's sick wife, which is fine but it's all very routine. The Son of Sam case is barely talked about and we really don't get too much behind the scenes info on what the police were thinking or doing at the time. Towards the end when they finally capture the guy things really pick up but by then it's too late. Sheen is good in his role as is Hector Elizondo, Robert Trebor and Joe Spinell.

I didn't have any expectations when viewing this movie so I couldn't say I was disappointed. In fact the performances of the actors came across as quite impressive, especially Martin Sheen's performance. So well did he do that it seemed to bring out the best in many of the other actors also. Another aspect of this film that I thought was exceptional was the writing. The dialog was captivating. Being a made for TV picture gave it serious limitations I'm sure but the end product turned out excellent. My compliments to the film markers. I will yield to the other reviewers as to the historical accuracy of the story but in no way should the qualities of this movie take a hit because it was deeply moving and interesting. 7.4 out of 10.

The above average ratings of this made-for-TV movie seem way too high. I expected an in-depth look at the search for the "Son of Sam," and instead found a mushy look at the familial life of the lead investigator, played by Sheen. In fact, the Son of Sam character was not developed at all. The only reason I stuck through the film was my prior interest to find out how the police captured Sam. It is very difficult to believe that this is the same Sheen who made Apocalypse Now just six years before this.

more than make up for the story line in this film, supposedly dealing with Son of Sam/David Berkowitz, but also depicting Detective Ed Zigo's private life, and work on the case.

Martin Sheen seems to consistently transcend poorly written material; even in the film "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" also starring Jodi Foster, he is the standout.

This film may not accurately address all the "Son of Sam" crimes, but we are probably due for a remake (now that they are producing a film about Mark David Chapman/John Lennon's assassin).

Robert Trebor is very good as Berkowitz, certainly resembles him physically. Elizondo, as the local priest, has a few lines which are indelible. When they are in the NY aquarium, observing oddities of nature, he reminds Sheen: ..."" that there are people still alive, walking around, who are more dead inside""... A brilliant insight which may have been more developed.

All in all, if you like Sheen or Elizondo, you will appreciate their performances. 8/10.

"Out of the Darkness" isn't worth the trouble. Martin Sheen is a lot better than the material. The supporting cast is fine but they can't save the movie. The script is weak and unfocused. The dialogue is pretty bad too. That said, Sheen makes the movie almost watchable.