Un homme à tuer

Chris thought the plot was weak, I'm a Law Enforcement Officer in Northwest Missouri, the story is all too real! Here is a short review from the book of the same title. This movie/book was based on a REAL crime that occurred in Skidmore, MO in 1981.

From Publishers Weekly - Ken Rex McElroy terrorized the residents of several counties in northwestern Missouri for a score of years. He raped young girls and brutalized them after they went to live with him or even married him; he shot at least two men; he stole cattle and hogs, and burned down the houses of some who interfered with his criminal activities. Thanks to the expert efforts of his lawyer and the pro-defendant bias of state laws, he served no more than a few days in jail, the author shows. In 1981, sentenced for the shooting of a popular grocer and free on bail, he was killed by the men of Skidmore, the center of his felonies; they closed ranks against all attempts to identify those who had pulled the triggers. Written by a first-time author, this is an engrossing, credible examination of the way vigilante action can take over when the law appears to be powerless.

BOMC and QPBC alternates. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This (TV) movie is sort of like a western - except the story told actually happened and it happened in the 1980s, not the 1880s.

One man terrorizes a small town. The townspeople are too intimidated to do much about it, except an old WWII veteran who finally manages to inspire some resolve into the townspeople.

Good performances all around by the cast, but the shining star of this movie is Brian Dennehy. His menacing portrayal of evil is one of his best performances ever.

The town bully, a dangerous thug, runs roughshod over the entire town including the ineffective town marshal. Fear of this oaf and his cruel family allowed him to intimidate and injure several folks. Ultimately, these animals are dealt with by the only means they will ever understand...brute force. When dealing with trash like this man and his family, the decision to quell his activities should not be long in making.

I have to watch this movie once in a while just to send chills down my spine. Naturally, the names were changed to protect the innocent. This movie is based on a true story and the movie closely represents the actual events. I knew the man who wrote the original story. We watched original TV showing together and I was able to get his take on the whole thing. This story was presented almost exactly the way it happened. We both thought that Mr. Dennehy's portrayal of Len was excellent. The killing at the end of the movie was extremely accurate and was witnessed by the fellow sitting next to me. I read the original manuscript. This movie may not have all the typical Hollywood bells and whistles, but it correctly represents what really happened. (Great work Chris and congratulations again!) We rarely get to see movies that tell the original story so well...

I live 10 miles away from where this event happened, and as soon as I moved here, I was told I had to read this book and see the movie. This is a pretty good adaptation of the non-fiction book it is based on of the same title. I encourage people to not only see this movie but to also read the book, as you get MUCH backstory on not only the main character (who's real name is Ken McElroy), but also on the community and the area.

Most aspects of the book are the same as the film, although there are some differences. The main one involves the town. Skidmore (Darby in the film) is a much poorer community than what is portrayed here. I do wonder how it was in the early 80's when this happened, but I doubt it was much different. I drove through after reading the book and seeing the movie to see the place where this happened, and if you blink you miss it.

The only thing I don't like is the newscaster at the end speaking out against vigilante justice. When you read this book and see what these people really went through, you can't help but feel sorry for them. And, just as an update, nobody still has been charged or prosecuted for this crime, and the small town of Skidmore still holds the secret to this day, although most authorities (and the entire town) know what actually happened.