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)...

I personally found this film quite good. If you are after a brutal killing film this is not for you. It does not contain blood thirsty gore but if your into your psychology its goes some way to try and explain behind the killers motives. where the horror element springs from, to me is the way that the killer has no remorse or no view of morals and ethics normally undertaken by any civilised human beings. It portrays the killer as having no remorse for anything that he has done, somewhat justifying it for the torture he endured from his mother. I find interesting his calm relaxed manner in which he divulges his information to the police. This film based upon Henry Lee Lucas killings or so called killings in America seem some what toned down from his actual accounts and could of been a lot more graphic and brutal. I think though considering the time it was made it would not have been allowed to be sold/ viewed if it closer to Lucas's evidence....... In all a worth while movie if you have time on your hands and bored of Hollywood blockbusters with millions of pounds spent on special effects and nothing spent on content and dialogue.

I've just finished watching this dribble! It must be the WORST film I have ever seen, the quality was non-existant the audio on the region 2 disc had the swear words blanked out. If your think of buying or renting this.....DONT get Ted Bundy its far better.

The film is about a serial killer and I think it's the best thriller ever made. Superstar Robert A.Burns got no Oscar for it but he is playing well. Now go to the videostore and rent it!