Letters from a Killer (1998)

Director:

David Carson

Writers:

John Foster (story)
Nicholas Hicks-Beach (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

21 August 1998 (Greece)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Open The Mail.

Plot:

A man is falsely convicted of the murder of his wife. During his time in jail, he finds comfort from four women with whom he corresponds...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Prison | Meat Cleaver | FBI | Stalking

Cast

Patrick Swayze	...	Race Darnell
Gia Carides	...	Lita
Kim Myers	...	Gloria Stevens
Olivia Birkelund	...	Stephanie
Tina Lifford	...	Elizabeth
Elizabeth Ruscio	...	Judith Sutton
Roger E. Mosley	...	Horton
Bruce McGill	...	Brinker
Mark Rolston	...	O'Dell
Don Stark	...	Geary
Katy Selverstone	...	Singleton
Michael Bowen	...	Parker
Kevin Chamberlin	...	Cutler
Sam Atkinson	...	Morgan
Rock Reiser	...	Singing inmate
James Staszkiel	...	Lunging inmate (as Jim Staszkiel)
Scott Lincoln	...	Crying inmate
Robert 'Duckie' Carpenter	...	Teen inmate (as Robert 'Ducky' Carpenter)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	...	Headbanging inmate
Gary Roberts	...	Prison guard
Charles Hutchins	...	Judge
Carey Webber	...	TV reporter
Raye Hollitt	...	Reporter #1
Lane Lenhart	...	Supporter #1
Natalia Ongaro	...	Supporter #2
Fulvio Cecere	...	Angry man
Thom Vernon	...	Ed
Alan Echeverria	...	Marshall Prentise
Steve Ireland	...	Deejay
Jay Morran	...	Det. Hudson (as Jay Moran)
Joe Hulser	...	Kansas City cop
Patrick N. O'Brien	...	Country Bar cop #1
Frank T. Diresta	...	Country Bar cop #2
Lucas Dudley	...	Helicopter pilot
Greg Travis	...	State Trooper
Randal Keith	...	Man on bus
Brad Blaisdell	...	Taxi driver
Katie Hagan	...	Young Lita
Jon Gale	...	Lita's ex-husband
Chris Byrne	...	Lita's dad
Michael Adler	...	Building manager
Roger Hewlett	...	Officer
James Willett	...	Officer
Ron Roggé	...	Sniper
Steven R. Barnett	...	Lead prosecutor
Thomas J. Hamilton	...	The witness
Michael G. Wilkinson	...	DNA expert
M. Sharon Madison	...	Jury foreman
Zane Graham	...	Kid #1
Brigitte Graham	...	Kid #2
Linda J. Dyer	...	Country Bar band
Sonja L. Dyer	...	Country Bar Band
Elsa J. Dyer	...	Country Bar band
James H. Hall	...	Country Bar band
Kurt Fries	...	Country Bar band
Dan A. Hughart	...	Country Bar band
Howard Yearwood	...	Country Bar band
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Haddad	...	Cab Driver
Chad Borden	...	(uncredited)
Darrell Bryan	...	Utah State Trooper #1 (uncredited)
Eva Ford	...	Bar patron (uncredited)
Marcy Goldman	...	Flower Shop Owner (uncredited)
Lyle Kanouse	...	Bus driver (uncredited)
John Lizzi	...	Detective at crime scene (uncredited)
Lisa Niemi	...	Woman in crowd (uncredited)
Mary Ann Schmidt	...	Casino Cocktail Waitress (uncredited)
Brian Smallwood	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)
Sterling Wolfe	...	Marksman (uncredited)

Directed by
David Carson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Foster		story
Nicholas Hicks-Beach		writer
Shelley Miller		writer

Produced by
Michael Jackman	....	associate producer
Bertil Ohlsson	....	producer
Peter Snell	....	producer

Original Music by
Dennis McCarthy

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Lance Luckey

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
Stephen J. Lineweaver

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Lyn Paolo

Makeup Department
Matt Danon	....	key hair stylist
Scott H. Eddo	....	makeup artist: Patrick Swayze
Derik Wingo	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Marty Hornstein	....	production manager
Cindy Ichikawa	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bud Davis	....	second unit director

Art Department
Dawn Ascher-Trevino	....	coordinator/construction estimator (as Dawn Ascher)
John R. Elliott	....	construction coordinator
Erik Grasteit	....	property master
Alex Hill	....	storyboard artist
Janet Pett Davies	....	art production assistant
Wendy Riva	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Jimmy 'Coach' Armstrong	....	cable person
George Berndt	....	adr supervisor
Andrew Bock	....	assistant sound editor
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rodger Pardee	....	sound effects editor
Jeffrey Perkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Hamilton Sterling	....	supervising sound editor
Hugo Weng	....	dialogue editor
Chris Main	....	cable person (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mike Phillips	....	special effects makeup

Visual Effects by
Adam Howard	....	visual effects supervisor: POP Film

Stunts
Jennifer Badger	....	stunts
Steve Blalock	....	stunts
Diane Branagan	....	stunts
Ritchie Copenhaver	....	stunts
Bud Davis	....	stunt coordinator
Dennis Dion	....	stunts
Scott Doyle	....	stunts
Jared S. Eddo	....	stunts
Kristi Frankenheimer	....	stunts (as Kristi Frankenheimer-Davis)
Randy Gagne	....	stunts
Al Goto	....	stunts
Kevin Grevioux	....	stunts
Randy Hall	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Michael Haynes	....	stunts
Kim Robert Koscki	....	stunts
Hannah Kozak	....	stunts
Cheryl Lawson	....	stunts
Fred Lerner	....	stunts
Diana R. Lupo	....	stunts
Cliff McLaughlin	....	stunts
Jim Palmer	....	stunt actor
Dan Plum	....	stunts
Gary Price	....	stunts
Danny Rogers	....	stunts
Lynn Salvatori	....	stunt double
Felipe Savahge	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts
Dennis Scott	....	stunts
Lincoln Simonds	....	stunts
Erik Stabenau	....	stunts (as Erik F. Stabenau)
James Stewart Palmer	....	stunts
Jill Stokesberry	....	stunts
Don Swayze	....	stunts
Keith Woulard	....	stunts
Austin B. Church	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Grelier Church	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Booth	....	electrician
Sean Patrick Crowell	....	rigging key grip
Pat Dames	....	best boy grip
Glenn Fishel	....	grip
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	additional still photographer
Megan Forste	....	second assistant camera
Christopher J. Lama	....	rigging best boy
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Stan McClain	....	director of photography: aerial unit
Bob Myers	....	grip
Andrew Osborne	....	assistant camera
Jorge Sánchez	....	assistant camera
Gregory W. Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Gregory W. Smith	....	camera operator: "a" camera

Casting Department
Susan Maas	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Eisler	....	costumer
Radford Polinsky	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Todd Harris	....	apprentice editor
Sean Hubbert	....	additional editor
Angie Luckey	....	assistant editor
Travis G. Rendich	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mark Kilian	....	music editor
Dennis McCarthy	....	conductor
Rick Winquest	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Phil Balani	....	production driver
Scott Doyle	....	transportation
Thomas Garris	....	driver
Kenneth Newland	....	transportation coordinator
Maryalyce Sager	....	transportation
Dean Winton	....	driver

Other crew
Michael Alvarado	....	production assistant (as Miguel Alvarado)
Anne M. Bianco	....	body double: Olivia Birkelund
Terri L. Burns	....	office production assistant: Sacramento and Woodland
Kevin A. Canamar	....	on-set medic
Christopher Cilluffo	....	production assistant
Louis Farah	....	location medic
Nora L. Ferris	....	insurance broker
Charlie French	....	medic: New Orleans
Gabriela Gutentag	....	unit publicist
Mark R. Leins	....	technician: Tyler Mount
Mark A. Mancinelli	....	plaster leading hand
Robert Mazaraki	....	assistant production coordinator
Jim McCarthy	....	production accountant
Douglas W. McHenry	....	post-production accountant
Todd Spears	....	assistant accountant
Rick S. Sulier	....	first assistant accountant
Michael C. Lund	....	production assistant: preparation (uncredited)
Scott Remick	....	production assistant: preparation (uncredited)
Dan Rudert	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• J&M Entertainment
• LFAK Inc.

Distributors

• Filmes Lusomundo (1999) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Opening Distribution (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Victor Company of Japan (JVC) (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Emerald (2007) (Argentina) (DVD) (re-release) (platinum edition)
• H.O.M. Vision (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• LW Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Magna Pacific (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• SBP (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• SBS6 (2002) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Sterling Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Sterling Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Special Effects

• POP Film

Other Companies

• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Australia:MA (2008) | Australia:MA (2003) | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Echo, Utah, USA

Company:

J&M Entertainment

Trivia:

During filming on 9 May 1997, Patrick Swayze broke both legs and tore four tendons in his shoulder when his horse threw him into a tree. He said he grabbed the horse's mane and flipped himself around so that he wouldn't hit the tree with his head.

Patchy but worth trying

I didn't expect too much from this movie which had no cinema release in the UK, but for its first hour or so it's a competent and original drama, and it just about holds you until its end. Race Darnell, played by Patrick Swayze, on Death Row for killing his wife, exchanges letters in the form of casette recordings with four women, each of them thinking she is his sole support. But one of them discovers the truth, and turns nasty. Soon after, his conviction is reversed; he gets out, and meets up with the women one by one, trying to find out who's threatening him. But before he identifies her, she starts killing the others, using the same method he was supposed to have used with his wife.

From then on, the film becomes more implausible, and more gory. Also, though tension is first built up with Swayze going on the run, it's then reduced by cutting away from the action to show the Feds having discussions about who the killer is, instead of them simply pursuing Race implacably. A nice touch - or a digression, depending on your point of view - is a buddy-buddy friendship between Race and one of his former wardens, Horton (Roger E Mosley) who's a fan of cowboy stories. You're kept guessing until the last few minutes, though mainly because one of the characters acts irrationally, and the Feds climb some stairs very slowly! All in all, it's worth a look on TV, or as a bargain rental.