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With: Michael Biehn, Alex McArthur, Nicholas Campbell, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, John Harkins, Art LaFleur, Billy Greenbush, Royce D. Applegate, Grace Zabriskie, Carlos Palomino, Roy London, Andy Romano, Patrick Cronin, Whitby Hertford, Joseph Whipp
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Written by: William Friedkin, based on a novel by William P. Wood
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Directed by: William Friedkin
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MPAA Rating: R for scenes of strong violence
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Running Time: 97
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Date: 10/30/1992
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Death Notes
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
This fascinating, underrated item in William Friedkin's filmography has finally been given a decent release by Kino Lorber. It was made in 1987 and shelved due to the folding of the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Miramax picked it up and gave it a paltry theatrical release in 1992, with a different ending. This 4K and Blu-ray package includes both versions. (I only had time to watch the original.) Serial killer Charlie Reece (Alex McArthur) murders several people in brutal ways and drinks their blood before he's caught and arrested. Prosecuting attorney Anthony Fraser (Michael Biehn, from The Terminator) was staunchly anti-death-penalty until encountering the evil that Reece was capable of. So he fights to find the accused sane and face the consequences. Avoiding hysteria, it's a level-headed look at both sides of a complicated issue. Friedkin wrote the screenplay, adapting a novel by William P. Wood. The score is by the legendary Ennio Morricone.
Kino Lorber's 2025 4K and Blu-ray set includes both films on each disc, the original version (1:36:02), and the recut version (1:31:32). There are two audio tracks, 5.1 and 2.0, and English subtitles. Film historians Howard S. Berger & Nathaniel Thompson provide commentary tracks for both versions. Featurettes include "Where's the Blood?: Interview with Actor Alex McArthur" (16:06), "Psychotic Vampire: Interview with True Crime writer Harold Schechter" (19:14), and trailers for this and four other Friedkin features (To Live and Die in L.A., Rules of Engagement, The Hunted, and Bug). Recommended.
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