Kemper Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
A film based on the true story of Ed Kemper, a serial killer who murdered ten in Santa Cruz, CA during the late sixties and early seventies.
| Christopher Stapleton | Detective Tom Harris |
| Robert Sisko | Ed Kemper |
| Sean Thomas | Detective Bill Ross |
| Louis Graham | Motel Manager |
| David Hill | Police Officer |
| Zoe Canner | Goth Girl |
| Samantha Colburn | Alice Samuels |
| Kate Danson | Annie |
| Robin DeMarco | Carol Harris |
| Nancy Harding | Reporter Josie Morrow |
| Zarah Mahler | Peggy |
| Stephanie Skewes | Young Hitchhiker |
| Rick Bitzelberger |
2.70 out of 10 (67 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Unbelievable and Unbelievably Bland
posted on 19 Jun 2009Many above complained that the anachronisms like cell phones,laptops, modern cars, etc did not fit with the supposed time period. I can actually ignore or overlook this, since many films that are "inspired" by true events move them into a different decade.What bothered me was that from the very first scene, the situations and dialogue were just too hard to believe. Even the awful acting could possibly pass if the movie was a little more well thought-out.Almost every line that came out of each character's mouth was a cliché borrowed from years of TV police procedurals; to the point that it was almost like a parody. I wondered at points if it was from the makers of Scary Movie or Meet The Spartans! Unfortunately, there is not even any suspense throughout, because the "plot-twist" is transparent--you know who the killer is from very early on. I don't know if that is really a *spoiler* but I'll check the box just in case! Highly recommend not to watch, unless for comedic effect.
Kemper
posted on 24 Apr 2009Maybe it was my mood, maybe I was drawn in by the "based on a true story" lure, but I found this film peculiarly entertaining. I don't know how accurate it is as to the facts, but we do know there was this strange killer. The problem with the facts has to do with the description of Ed Kemper being a serial killer of the sixties and seventies, yet we're seeing newer cars and cell phones. Maybe I'm just obtuse, but when TV shows like the new "Life On Mars" are more accurately portraying a time period I have to wonder. Still, I was sucked in by the presentation and the story enough to watch it until the end. It's not that gory and it does rely heavily on character, it might be too mild for those seeking a real creep-out.
Quite dull
posted on 06 Jan 2009Only for the most desperate true-crime buff, this TV movie-quality dramatization is about serial killer Ed Kemper and one certain cop's bond with him and his pursuit of him. Lame acting, lamer dialogue (written by a former soft-core porn screenwriter), plot holes aplenty, and lackadaisical direction and editing. Many scenes are wide angle master-shots with no real framing, as the actors just meander on screen and recite their lines of dialogue. The plot is not very fact based considering it claims to be inspired by true events, it deviates from the facts of the case almost from square one. It seems like the screenwriters were not even familiar with the case when they wrote the screenplay. An interesting movie could have been made out of the story, but they did just about everything wrong here. And I did not know that people had laptop computers and cell phones with text messaging and photos in the 1970's? *1/2 out of ****
Uninspiring
posted on 19 Jul 2009Not only is the use of cell phones and laptops incredible for the early 70s, but the character playing Edmund Kemper is unbelievable--He appears to be in his early 40s. Kemper was only 24 years old when he was caught. In addition, they show scenes of heads in kitchens...one of a girl whose head is in the oven and the other of his mother whose head is attached to his kitchen wall after her death. I don't understand...his mother's head was actually stuffed in a closet and they don't even mention how he killed his mother's friend.As for Harris, he has a very limited vocabulary and rather boring dialog. He puts some emotion into his character, but along with the cheap feeling the camera shots give, there is little to elevate the movie except for the character of Kemper and even that is lacking.It seems as if they wanted to portray Kemper as a sad sort of Norman Bates type person...from what I understand, he was openly friends with several officers due to his gregarious personality. If the writers had made him more multidimensional and younger, more attractive, instead of just pathetic, they could have developed a much more intriguing plot. His mother was actually an attractive person (physically) and his murder of his grandparents is much more complex and interesting than his just having killed them while they were sleeping.In other words, this plot has been so oversimplified as to just be about some sicko who sheds blood. Gone is the intellectual stimulation that the personality of a genius like Kemper's could have given the audience. His mother as well is pathetic and unidimensional. These people are so unlikable that the audience has no way to empathize with them and connect with the characters. Too bad it had to be all in black and white--the real life story has shades of gray and is much more provocative.