Paul Andrews Confessions of a Serial Killer tells the tale of Daniel Ray Hawkins (Robert A. Burns), he has just been arrested in Texas & is being held prisoner. Sheriff Will Gaines (Berkley Garrett) questions him, the cold blooded Hawkins has no problems in recounting & describing his horrific crimes in which he claims to have murdered over 200 people...Written & directed by Mark Blair I thought Confessions of a Serial Killer was an excellent piece of film-making, the script is great, the character's are superb & the dialogue is assured. It's chilling, it's unsettling & it's pretty damn frightening that a person such as Hawkins could exist. I think the character of Hawkins is based on Henry Lee Lucas who confessed to over 500 murders across America but was only convicted of 10. Anyway this is a basic film at heart with Hawkins simply recalling various incidents from his past from the very first murder he committed to when he was a child he would see his Mother (Jane K. Smith) bring men home & have sex with them in front of him, a practice which made his Father (Bill Boyd) commit suicide. Confessions of a Serial Killer is pretty shocking stuff throughout as Hawkins callously murders his victims without remorse or feeling, almost as if it's a normal thing to do. This is a million miles from my own mentality & I simply can't relate to this guy which makes what he did even more frightening. A deeply unsettling film that had a genuine power & nastiness. Why aren't more challenging films such as this made? The only negative thing I have to say about Confessions of a Serial Killer is that the final 20 or so minutes felt like a condensed slasher film such as Friday the 13th (1980) although I loved the sombre down beat & abrupt ending, I though it worked perfectly as it doesn't really give closure & there's no happy Hollywood ending to make the audience feel good about themselves. It's a pretty rough ride all the way but one well worth taking.Director Blair gives the whole film a bleak, minimalist look & feel which adds to the uneasy feeling that the guy standing next to you in a que could be a Daniel Ray Hawkins. There are some nasty scenes that mix sex & violence, a prostitute's head is bashed in & her bra ripped off, a woman is raped at the same time as having her throat slowly slit, there are more cut throats, broken necks & murders.Technically Confessions of a Serial Killer is as good as it needs to be, this is raw uncompromising stuff that doesn't need the latest CGI computer effects or high paid actors to get it's message across. The acting is strong by all involved especially Burns as Hawkins who gives a cold performance, the guy remains cool & calm throughout, he doesn't even flinch as he recalls the details of many of his brutal crimes & he has a chilling detachment from what he has done. Burns was actually the art director on classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) also production designer, The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1980) & Re-Animator (1985) among other's, sadly he committed suicide after being diagnosed with cancer in 2004.Confession of a Serial Killer is a great film for those with the stomach, it's as simple & straight forward as that. A fantastic performance from Burns & an absorbing script detailing brutal crimes that on occasion sent shivers down my spine. What are you waiting for? Find a copy now, sit back & enjoy (if enjoy is the right word)...

pope_innocentyears i watched this movie just some time ago and i believe its nothing but an attempt to cash into serial killer movies. i admit i was attracted of the title and i have not heard of this movie before, but now i am very sorry i had a chance to see it. i moaned and yawned my way painfully into the first thirty minutes of the film until i realized that my life could not get any worse than this. i really tried to understand and swallow the message (if there ever was one) that it tried to convey, but i really could not get myself to do so. this film should have a curse in it, like in 'the ring': anyone who will see it will die. and believe me, everyone would want to kill themselves after they have seen this garbage.

letrias Someone, apparently strung out on crack, said this film was realistic - it's anything but. Then again, who'd expect realism in a horror film?Despite this, it's a fine film for what it is. Decent acting, competent direction, and an interesting atmosphere devoid of the overdone tension of Hollywood-style filmmaking, combine to create a low-budget horror masterpiece. People rave and rant about that cheeseball of a film EvilDead, yet truly interesting topics about the dark side of humanity are ignored. What a smart world we live in...With all that said, it was no match for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. And that's why, kids, Confessions of a Serial Killer will be the only film Mr. Blair gets to make. Should he try again? Lets hope so. Good luck.

inframan This is a perfect little movie in its way, succeeding as a voyeuristic experience from start to finish with just the right balance of banality, surprise, horror, disgust and curiosity-arousal & satisfaction. Like watching the seamier part of life through a perpetual keyhole. The art is in the actors & director never giving the appearance of "artfulness". Bravo!!!