Until I received this screener disc, I had never seen The Boston Strangler , though I had always meant to, probably because of my interest in true crime stories (serial killers in particular). Its just one of those movies that you never really think about until someone else mentions it, mainly because it isn't really regarded as a classic (though it was a box office success). As such, while I figured it would be at least interesting, my expectations were fairly low. After viewing it, the first thing I thought was it's a shame the film seems to be one of the forgotten relics of the 60s, because this is a pretty damned good (and intense) movie, even for those raised on such similar modern fare as Seven . This catalogue release from Fox is a definite keeper, and includes some good extras.

The Boston Strangler is the true account of a series of brutal sexual killings occurring from late '63 through early '64. The victims were all women, often subjected to sexual violation with various objects before being strangled to death. Since the murders were occurring in various police jurisdictions, the police were unable, or unwilling, to coordinate their efforts to find the killer. Enter John Bottomly (Henry Fonda), a lawyer appointed by his boss to coordinate the investigation. Meanwhile, the killings continue, seemingly at random, the only connection being the victims are all women who live alone. It's nearly halfway through the film when we actually see the killer, Albert De Salvo (Tony Curtis), a seemingly normal furnace repairman with a wife and kids, who inexplicably feels the need to venture from his home or job to kill. The hunt for the killer goes nowhere until De Salvo gets careless and is apprehended by police. We soon learn that De Salvo has multiple personalties, and truly has no idea why he's been committed to a state hospital (the real Albert De Salvo was never formally charged with any of the murders), and the stunning final third of the film mostly takes place in a little white room, where Bottomly attempts to force De Salvo to recall his whereabouts at the times of the murders. While the movie may not be as intense or shocking as Seven , the documentary-style in which it is shot (courtesy of Richard Fleischer) serves the story well, as does the multiple image technique in which we see key events. Lurid details of the murders themselves are tastefully handled, yet still pack a punch. The performances are suitably low-key by the entire cast (which is filled with familiar faces). A few elements date the film, such as the liberal use of derogatory terms to describe homosexuals and African-Americans, and the obligatory commentary on the Vietnam War during a TV interview, but for the most part, The Boston Strangler is a riveting, matter-of-fact account of a true event. I must confess I never cared for Tony Curtis. Nothing I've ever seen him in convinced me he was more than a pretty face dropped into romantic comedies or lightweight farces. But his performance as De Salvo totally blew me away. Though we don't ever see him until an hour into the movie, he subtly dominates every scene he's in, and it takes a hell of an actor to generate pure hatred toward a character in one scene, then audience sympathy in another. It's easy to see why he was nominated for a Golden Globe (and should have been nominated for an Oscar).

For a back-catalogue release, the picture quality of The Boston Strangler isn't too bad at all. The overall image looks to be fairly free of artifacts, grains and scratches. The audio transfer isn't quite as good, though it is serviceable, rendered in Dolby Stereo as well as the original mono. Nothing earth-shattering here, but I've seen worse transfers of a film this old.

Being as his performance made me change my assessment of his acting ability, I would have truly loved an audio commentary by Curtis, but none is included. Still, the extras featured on this disc are pretty good, including another great "AMC Backstory" episode on the making of the film (this was made, of course, before AMC devolved into being TNT 2); as usual, there's a lot of great information to be found here. Also included is a Fox Movietone newsreel (which features news footage from the time the murders were taking place, but much of the sound is missing) and the original trailers.

Similar Films: Frenzy, The First Deadly Sin, Seven, The Silence of the Lambs Summary: The Boston Strangler is one of those movies which deserves to be rediscovered on DVD. It's intense, well-directed and features a talented cast who wisely don't overplay their roles; the purchase of the disc is worth it for Curtis' performance alone. All-in-all, a great, underappreciated film.