Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

daggersineyes I could barely make it through the whole thing. THe problem is there's no suspense or mystery. It's just one killing after another and to me that's not remotely interesting. I guess if you just like watching true crime - without the investigative element or police procedures or anything else - maybe you'll like it. Not very interesting camera work, lousy production values, mostly badly acted (the lead dude is OK tho) and terrible script. I really can't find anything much to like about it. I was so bored by the end of it I finished scrubbing down my walls ready for painting while it was on. Still - like I said - maybe if you just like watching serial killers killing people you'll like it so I gave it a 3 coz it does what you expect, tho nothing more than that.

zincorbie First, this subject isn't really my cup of tea but I have to say a great performance is a great performance. Scott Anthony Leet had me mesmerized. He's off the radar as an actor and that's a shame. In this character he ran the gamut of emotions, from joy to fear to hatred so intense you move back from the screen a little. He draws you in with an earnestness and subtle vulnerability then strikes like a cobra before you can blink. His lust is convincing and his restless insanity is fascinating to observe. You can see the raging volcano is going to explode at any moment.That's not to take anything away from Dusty Sorg's "Vernon Butts" character. He also played a seamless supporting role in the film, as Butts supported Bonin in real life. His languid pseudo-mystical presence made for a great contrast in these two creatures. And Cole Williams as "Kyle Peterson" plays a kid many of us possibly knew. He was bored, simple, alone and willing to follow the intensely dangerous Bill into dark places without the least concern for people or consequences.The fact that this is a character study and not a gore-fest fits fine in its modest budget. The lack of back-story or set detail didn't detract from the film for me. I lived in SoCal during his reign during the hellish '70s on the freeways and remember watching my own back. I already knew as much detail as I wished to: that he kidnapped, tortured, raped, and killed people about my age. But getting near someone in that state without paying dearly for it is what this film's about.

Lechuguilla William Bonin was a real-life serial killer who murdered a number of young men in the Los Angeles area around 1980. The plot of "Freeway Killer" gives us a character study of this man as an adult already in the process of carrying out his evil schemes.We see him as he entices young boys into his blue van; gets to know them with general chitchat; then, without warning, strikes, like some wild animal attacking its prey. As Bonin, Scott Anthony Leet gives a really fine, naturalistic performance, with emotions that run the gamut from cheerful normality to blatant hatred. Bonin had at least one accomplice, a young man named Vernon, well played by Dusty Sorg.The film conveys some gore, though not a lot, mercifully. On the one hand, we do not want a sanitized version of Bonin or his crimes. But we also don't want gratuitous gore and violence that seem to sensationalize people and events. I think "Freeway Killer" strikes a reasonably good balance.The guys being picked up by Bonin were so similar in age and appearance, they were almost interchangeable. I never did pay much attention to them; they were like stick figures. Any given victim could almost substitute for some other victim, so impersonal and fleeting were their roles in the script.This is no police procedural; very little time is spent on police investigation. Also, there is no mystery here and very little suspense.In this low-budget film cinematography is competent. There are lots of close-up shots, with emphasis on peoples' faces, showing their anger, desperation, fear, and deception. Rear-screen projections are noticeable in a few scenes.Intended mostly for viewers with an interest in true crime, "Freeway Killer" zeroes in on the Bonin character, a madman with the demeanor of a normal guy who liked to mess with the minds of his prospective victims. I rate the film above average for its genre.

BloedEnMelk Reading the reviews, one of them stated that this was an other 'Henry' (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer). I do have to disagree on that comment. An other 'Henry' it is definitely not. What made 'Henry' so interesting, especially in that time, is the dark, grim and depressing feeling of realism. 'Freeway Killer' is a lot more cleaned up. Bonin was a real MF, who murdered out of lust. He raped his victims before he killed them, and also tortured quite a few of them. The fact that he was a lust murderer is only vaguely hinted at in this movie, but not more than that. The part of the torture is left out completely. Now this is not necessarily a bad thing for the viewer, but it would make the movie a lot more realistic, both in feeling but also in showing what his motives were. And that's an other point I would like to make. Bonin was abused as a child, probably by his grandfather, and definitely when he was in a juvenile detention center for the theft of license plates. This background of child abuse shaped him into an abuser first and later into a merciless killer. But, in 'Freeway Killer', there are only some subtle hints of this troubled childhood. Instead of focusing on Bonin's motives and background, this movie focuses more on the time before his arrest and his relationships with some of his accomplices.Now, that having said, I do want to point out that 'Freeway Killer' is not a bad movie. The casting was good, thankfully definitely in appearance. Both Scott Leet and Dusty Sorg look like the real killers, which is something I find pretty important. I was impressed by the acting of Dusty Sorg, his acting looked very natural, but the acting of Scott Leet was not bad either. He managed very well in giving Bonin a good streak of madness. And that was most effective when he went from charming to predator in a split second. Freeway Killer doesn't stand out the way 'Henry' does. Though the subject is dark, it is not a movie that will make you turn away your head. Which makes it watchable for a broader audience. There is hardly any blood and the few murder scenes are chilling but leave most to the imagination. If you find this a good or a bad thing is totally up to your idea of what a good serial killer movie defines. About background information, 'Freeway Killer' does nothing more than giving hints. This goes for his childhood, his development into a serial killer (which is left out), and also the way he was finally caught. Still, the hints are there, and it does stay reasonably true to the facts. Overall, I have seen better. But I also have seen a lot, lot worse. I am somewhere in between giving this movie 6+ or 7- points, and for now I lean towards a 7-.