Letters from a Killer
Letters from a Killer | |
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Directed by | David Carson |
Screenplay by |
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Story by | John Foster |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | John A. Alonzo |
Edited by | Lance Luckey |
Music by | Dennis McCarthy |
Distributed by | Lions Gate Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Letters from a Killer is a 1998 British-American crime drama mystery film starring Patrick Swayze. The film was directed by David Carson, and also stars Gia Carides, Kim Myers, Olivia Birkelund, and Tina Lifford. It was directed by David Carson and writing by John Foster, Nicholas Hicks-Beach, and Shelley Miller.
Plot
[edit]A man is falsely convicted of the murder of his wife. During his time in jail, he finds comfort from four women with whom he corresponds. After his second court appearance, he is finally freed from prison only to be framed for two more murders which he did not commit.
Production
[edit]Halting of filming
[edit]Letters from a Killer was originally supposed to be finished earlier than its release, but filming was halted for two months due to Patrick Swayze suffering serious injuries when he fell off his horse in May 1997 and hit a tree. He ended up with both legs broken and four tendons in his shoulder immediately became detached. Although it was eventually released, Swayze was reported to have trouble resuming his career.[1][2][3]
Filming locations
[edit]- Echo, Utah
- Fair Oaks, California
- Ione, California
- Jordanelle Reservoir, Utah
- Los Angeles, California
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Reno, Nevada
- Sacramento, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Wendover, Nevada
- Woodland, California
- Glendora, California
Reception
[edit]A review in TV Guide stated, "Convoluted and ultimately a bit silly, this thriller (the feature film debut of TV director David Carson) nevertheless puts an unusual spin on stalker movie conventions."[4] The film is also described as follows: "A slightly melodramatic story about the relationship between a murderer sentenced to long prison terms and a woman in love with him. The feeling blossoms through correspondence. The costs, as for a small film, are high - 30 million dollars."[5] The Filmjaarboek 1999 : alle bioscoopfilms van 1999 found it showed Swayze's "free fall to the B division".[3]
The film is also noted as typical of a trend of Hollywood productions focusing on death penalty during the 1990s.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Fischer, Neal E. (2022-04-26). Being Patrick Swayze: Essential Teachings from the Master of the Mullet. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-7972-1336-1.
- ^ Leigh, Wendy (2010-03-30). Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-5530-1.
- ^ a b Filmjaarboek 1999 : alle bioscoopfilms van 1999. Internet Archive. Amsterdam : International Theatre & Film Books. 2000. pp. 111–112. ISBN 978-90-6403-559-3.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Letters From a Killer". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ Film 1995 09 Nr 09. 1995-09-01.
- ^ Wilson, David; O'Sullivan, Sean (2004). Images of Incarceration: Representations of Prison in Film and Television Drama. Waterside Press. ISBN 978-1-904380-08-5.
External links
[edit]- Letters from a Killer at IMDb
- Letters from a Killer at Rotten Tomatoes
- Letters from a Killer at AllMovie
- 1998 films
- 1998 crime thriller films
- American thriller films
- Films scored by Dennis McCarthy
- Films set in Salt Lake City
- Films shot in California
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films shot in New Orleans
- Films shot in Nevada
- Films shot in Utah
- Films shot in Salt Lake City
- 1990s prison drama films
- Films directed by David Carson
- 1990s English-language films
- 1990s American films
- English-language crime thriller films
- Crime thriller film stubs