By Geno McGahee
Breaking Glass Pictures will release a DVD this July 1st called KILLER LEGENDS, which is a must have for any horror fan. It brings forth many of the urban legends that inspired horror films like CANDYMAN, BLACK CHRISTMAS and STEPHEN KING’S IT. The film brings a somewhat sensationalistic approach, mixing real crime footage and photos with scenes from some of horror’s most popular titles. The movie moves along at an incredibly brisk pace and it leaves you wanting more.
The film revolves around two investigators, Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills, looking into the local legends and what inspired them. They go from door to door, city to city, and interview the locals and authorities. It’s very compelling and with the inclusion of old photos of the victims and crime scenes, you really get a good feel of what went on.
One of the most interesting tales was the story of the true Candy Man. A father laces his son’s Halloween candy with cyanide and starts up the stir that it was one of the people handing out candy that did it. It created the craze where people were looking for razor blades in apples and poison in candy. This documentary also features a rare interview with the real Candy Man that Phil Donahue conducted and that really gave you a window into what this man was made of.
The fear of clowns is examined and instances where children witnessed men dressed as clowns trying to entice them into vans. A huge train derailment involving circus performers was also discussed, and it all led to the most evil clown of them all, John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer that worked as a clown at birthday parties for kids.
KILLER LEGENDS is an incredibly interesting documentary, done in a way to keep the viewer entertained. It’s sensationalistic and fun and informative. There were a few things that could have been done better. Certain interview subjects should have probably been left on the cutting room floor and the term “expert” seemed to be thrown around a little too freely, but despite that, this film is a winner. I really enjoyed it and I would watch it again.
Rating: 7.5/10