One of the most despicable serial killers in America finds its way from TV to Home Video in the true story “Dating Game Killer”. Nicely filmed in old style the movie takes you back to the 1970’s when this man took the lives of many young women. It’s not really “his” story, but the daring and persistent detectives that never gave up until he was behind bars. If you like crime series shows that have run on Investigation Discovery (ID), check this one out now on DVD.
The newspapers and TV were still filled with stories of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination and the “Son of Sam” so it left America open season on crime. Appearing on “The Dating Game” Rodney Alcala (Guillermo Diaz) felt like he was on top of the world, especially since he was picked winner by the woman contestant for a special date. What the world didn’t know was that Alcala had already killed young girls to feed his hunger for power and sexual cravings.
Nicely produced the film begins in 1968 with Alcala picking up Rosie Hoffman, an 8-year-old girl on her way home from school in his convertible. He then seduces her by offering to take her photos, then raping her until he thought she was dead. But that was his major mistake, although he did not realize it until years later.
The nicely directed and filmed movie for TV holds its own with some very good acting from Guillermo Diaz. He portrays the sicko killer as a freewheeling hot shot photographer with a story that he attended classes with famous directors and could get the women introduced to them. The line worked sometimes, but his most attractive tool was the camera equipment that looked like the real thing. When he kidnaps and kills Tammy Jensen however, her mother Carol Jensen (Carrie Preston) presses Detectives Jim Harnell (Robert Knepper) and Greg Ryan (Matt Barr) to make an arrest.
Directed by Peter Medak, he goes on to tell the whole sordid story of the killer who grabbed the attention of the two detectives Harnell (Robert Knepper) and Ryan after the rape of Rosie Hoffman and never let go. The only weakness I could find involves the support characters who did not give their best performances and sort of weakens the ferocity of the heinous acts that Alcala committed. Even though, it doesn’t take too much away from the whole story. Medak uses the forward and back method to present the story so unless you pay attention, you may not know what era and what case has taken center stage. His court room scenes with a ranting by Diaz as Alcala were a bit over the top and I even laughed at times. That said, it’s an eye opener for me as I had never heard of the killer who was responsible for 130 murders.
“Dating Game Killer” was not rated by the TV rating bureau, but contains scenes of violence, brutality, language and suggested sex. Please be careful when you watch the film as immature youngsters may be traumatized the its content. It is now available on DVD.
FINAL ANALYSIS: An interesting, but only average presentation of a brutal killer. (2.5 out of 5 stars).
Specifications and additional video information:
Starring: Guillermo Diaz, Carrie Preston, Alma Martinez, Robert Knepper, Matt Barr
Directed by: Peter Medak
Genre: Crime, History, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr. 28 min.
TV Rating: TV-14
Original TV Release Date: December 3, 2017
Video Release Date: November 13, 2018DD
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: 16×9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released Formats: DVD
