Another Son of Sam

I watched this because it was on my favorite channel (TCM) so there must be something there. Ben Mankiewicz owes me an explanation! I really do wish I could see his introduction!

My favorite scene was when the officers were huddled in the dormitory while the killer went about his business (bodies everywhere) and the lieutenant, deep in thought, scratched his cheek with the barrel of his gun. I laughed and laughed!

Acting is atrocious, the plot is pure exploitation, the special effects are not believable. This movie should be included in those FB worse movies of all time videos.

Another Son of Sam (1977)

* (out of 4)

An insane psychopath escapes from a mental hospital and before long he's stalking the streets and killing anyone he runs into.

That plot description makes this sound like a pretty good movie, right? Well, it starts off extremely entertaining as we hear gunshots and then see about several previous serial killers with a total number of victims. Then starts the title credits and from this point on ANOTHER SON OF SAM turns into a horribly boring and rather awful movie. This here was filmed in North Carolina so it's one of those regional horror movies that has picked up popularity over the years but sadly there's very little entertainment to be had here.

So, what's wrong with this movie? Pretty much everything but we can start with the plot, which is pretty messed up and rarely makes too much sense. It's almost as if they were filming the movie and forgot to film certain scenes as there are moments where things don't see to be connected or things happening out of place. The next awful thing is the editing, which is just downright bizarre at times and again there are a few moments where it seems like the film is broken.

The performances? Forget about it as they are quite awful but we don't really come to these types of movies for the performances do we? With that said, the dialogue is just as awful and there's really not too much going on here. What's worse is the fact that this clocks in at just 71-minutes and even at that time things drag.

When I was a teenager, this movie was in one of my local video stores. Although the title and the artwork of the box intrigued me, all the same I got the whiff that the movie was a real stinker, so I never rented it. But the other day, it was broadcast on Turner Classic Movies (of all places!), and I decided to watch it since it would be free. Well, all I've got to say is that I was a very smart teenager. Actually, the movie is even worse than I imagined it to be. Your twelve year-old son or daughter could write, direct, or even edit their own production more competently than these results. There's hardly any story here, with the screenplay ridiculously padded despite the movie running less than 75 minutes long. The scenes with the psychopath doing his thing are so ineptly staged that you don't get the least bit of feeling of horror or even mild creepiness. You also don't get a sense of what this psychopath is like, given that we don't really see him until the final few minutes of the movie. And what's with all the freeze-frame moments, slow motion moments, or for that matter scenes that abruptly end or start? While the ineptness of the movie does occasionally generate unintended chuckles, for the most part this movie will test the patience of even the most forgiving viewers. The only people I would recommend to watch it are independent filmmakers about to start making their own movie - it would reassure them that while they may end up making a bad movie, it would in no way be as bad as this movie.

Another Son of Sam is definitely not an Oscar winner. Technically, it's horrible. The acting is not too good either. But there is something about it that makes you want to watch more (sort of like a car wreck). The ridiculous close-ups of the killers eyes are more funny than anything. If you are looking for a scare...this ain't the flick for you. It's very obscure and nearly impossible to find. I'm sure there's a reason for that. For a while, it was titled HOSTAGE. It don't matter what you call it, it's still a poor choice for entertainment. It might be good for a MST3000 party or something. Can you believe they would use such a title as ANOTHER SON OF SAM? If that don't have exploitation written all over it, I'll eat my hat. I remember when this was shot in Belmont, NC. A lot of local personalities were used as talent.