Letters from a Killer

Letters from a Killer
Letters from a Killer
Directed by	David Carson
Screenplay by	Nicholas Hicks-Beach; Shelley Miller;
Story by	John Foster
Produced by	Bertil Ohlsson; Peter Snell;
Starring	Patrick Swayze; Kim Myers; Tina Lifford; Gia Carides; Olivia Birkelund;
Cinematography	John A. Alonzo
Edited by	Lance Luckey
Music by	Dennis McCarthy
Distributed by	Lions Gate Entertainment
Release date	August 21, 1998;
Running time	104 minutes
Countries	United States; United Kingdom;
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

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

Halting of filming

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

Reception

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

^ 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

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[1] 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.

[2] Leigh, Wendy (2010-03-30). Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-5530-1.

[:0-3] 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)

[4] "Letters From a Killer". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.

[5] Film 1995 09 Nr 09. 1995-09-01.

[6] 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.

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