On DVD: Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck

Written and Directed by Michael Feifer

Starring Corin Nemic, Tony Todd, Andrew Divoff

Yes, you read that name right. Corin Nemic of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose fame portrays serial killer Richard Speck in this film recently released on DVD by Lionsgate. I gave it a spin in the old DVD player.

The Movie

Corin Nemic portrays Richard Speck. Speck entered a nurse’s dorm in Chicago, Illinois on July 14^th, 1966 and proceeded to torture, rape and kill eight young women. Prior to that fateful night, Speck was known to be a wanderer and petty thief. Feifer’s film attempts to show what Speck’s personality and daily life was prior to the night he became one of the most vicious and violent killers in American history.

Fiefer’s film shows Speck’s early days hell raising and basically making himself a nuisance in Texas. One day, he decides that the heat of the law is too intense and hops a train and rides into Chicago.

I am not sure if Speck had the charisma in real life that Corin Nemic infuses into his portrayal of the man but Speck has an oddball charm that helps him to seduce and wiggle his way into various women’s lives.

In Feifer’s film, Speck meets a nurse one day and is able to put her at ease and easily learn where she lives. Now, if this happened in real life, I am not sure. It feels like a plot device that Fiefer utilizes to explain why Speck presents himself in the fateful nurse’s dorm on that hot summer night in July. I would have to do some research about Speck to know if this is true or not.

It seems at first that Speck came to the nurse’s dorm just to rob the place but soon turns this dorm into a place of nightmares. He takes the nurses one by one and rapes, tortures and kills them without any mercy or feeling.

Fiefer’s film shows that night in the nurse’s dormitory in graphic detail. His film also shows two detectives (Tony Todd of Candyman fame and Andrew Divoff of Lost and Wishmaster fame) trying to unravel the mystery of what happened in that blood soaked dormitory and how they came to be on the trail of Richard Speck.

Feifer’s film not only shows Speck’s life before the Chicago killings and his capture, but a bit of his life behind bars. And, if you think Speck’s life was strange before, it gets even stranger. Apparently Speck started taking female hormones behind bars. It is inferred that he did this more to protect himself and become “valuable” to fellow prisoners instead of a deep desire to become a woman. Basically, Speck develops breasts and wears female underwear. If you are interested in seeing the real Speck in this condition, somehow a tape was made and leaked to the press so a search on YouTube will easily find this footage. Trust me, the actual footage and the recreation of this in Fiefer’s film is very disturbing. Speck died behind bars of a heart attack in 1991. Good riddance to bad rubbish, as my mother would say.

The real strength to this film is Nemic’s portrayal of Speck. Todd and Divoff‘s talents are wasted in this film. Other performances are just plain terrible and will cause to you laugh when you really aren’t supposed to find the situation funny.

Also, there are some glaring mistakes when it comes to period correctness. There is a shot in a hotel where a fax machine is visible in the background. So, keep your eyes peeled for more mistakes. I am sure I missed some.

Feifer’s film, despite its low budget, has some cool visuals and an overall interesting film noir appearance. It just suffers from some assembly and editing problems which makes it hard for the viewer to keep up with the correct timing of events in Speck’s life and has some unfortunately terrible performances by supporting cast.

All things considered, Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck is not a total failure, but not a success either. I would only recommend the film if you are a fan of Nemic’s or just enjoy low budget straight to video films about serial killers. If you don’t fit either of these categories, this is one to skip.

5/10

The Video

Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck is presented in anamorphic widescreen. While the colors are vibrant, there are a few scenes where detail is very low and the film has an overall dark appearance. I am not sure if that is due to the source material or the transfer.

6.5/10

The Audio

Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck is presented in Dolby Digital 5. 1 and 2.0. The dialogue is mostly clear throughout however, there are moments where you might have to ride the volume button on your remote a bit.

6.5/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features

Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck is presented in a standard amaray case with a huge picture of Nemic on the cover looking like Speck, complete with pock marks.

There are a few bonus features to explore on this release. First up, there is a commentary with Corin Nemic and Michael Feifer that is worth a listen.

Also offered are a couple of deleted scenes and a photo gallery. Lastly, there is a selection of trailers for your viewing pleasure.

6/10

The Black Cat is easily the best episode of season two and one of the best of the entire season so again it's highly recommended.

Overall (Not an Average) 6/10

The Movie 5/10

The Video 6.5/10

The Audio 6.5/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10

Overall (not an average) 6/10

-Stephen Lackey