What It's About: In this book, investigative criminologist, Christopher Berry-Dee, shares real-life cases that had inspired some of Hollywood's biggest movies, while highlighting some movies that sensationalized and exploited some real-life murders.

My thoughts: This is an interesting look into the inspiration behind well-known movies like The Silence of the Lambs, The Amityville Horror, Monster, The Green Mile, Deliverance, and many many more.

In each chapter, the author shares a brief information about the killer's background and crimes, and how it was adapted into the movies. I appreciate the backstory of The Silence of The Lambs and how Trevino Alfredo, a surgeon and convicted murderer has inspired Thomas Harris in creating the character Hannibal Lecter. Lecter would later became one of the greatest villain in American cinema.

I think the most heartbreaking case is the morbid exploitation of the DeFeo murders which brought us the movie The Amityville Horror and all the sequels. Can you believe that there are about 20 sequels or versions of this movie?!

While I am familiar with almost all the cases (do I need to worry?!), I still enjoy reading this book. The engaging writing held my interest throughout the book. I think this book is great to start with if you're new to the true crime genre since it has the right amount of information about the cases - not too much, not too little.

BUT … this book is not for the faint hearted as warned by the author in the introduction. There are some gore details of these crimes.

Overall, this is a fascinating read about serial killers and how they were depicted in the big screens. If you enjoy movies and true crime, this may be the book for you! It may change the way you think about these movies after reading this book - at least those that stay true to the real-life cases.

Pub. Date: Feb 5, 2021

***Thank you Ad Lib Publishers, author Christopher Berry-Dee and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

A highly entertaining read about the films that have shaped our view of serial killers in popular culture and the real life criminals that influenced their fictional counterparts. Once I got past the disturbingly long intro, which asked the same questions about thirty times, I was immersed in the world of true crime and the thriller film. This book asks the age old questions; why do serial killers commit such heinous crimes and why are we so fascinated by their murderous antics? It's clear that people will never stop making movies about true cases as long as there is a hunger for them. Recommended for fans of true crime and thriller movie trivia.

**Thanks to Ad Lib Publishers and Netgalley for providing my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fascinating and kind of scary at the same time. If you enjoy true crime books, or reading about serial killers, you will enjoy this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Luridly Fascinating.....
Armchair detectives and movie buff detectives may be drawn to this fact packed collection. It’s a grisly work for sure, however, but an educated one as the author painstakingly recounts disturbing and alarming interviews with serial killers, the dreadful acts of whom have inspired or have been translated into film. Watching or rewatching those movies referenced, indeed, may never be the same again. Uncomfortable but luridly fascinating.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Christopher Berry-Dee, and Ad Lib Publishers for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

There’s something about the chills that race down the spine when speaking about serial killers. While their actions may leave some feeling a tad ill, there’s that pull towards knowing more, at least for many of the people I know. Christopher Berry-Dee, an investigative criminologist who has spent a number of years studying and writing about serial killers, takes that knowledge to pen a book exploring how well serial killers are depicted on the big screen. Packed full of information and references, those who love the world of serial killers and true crime may want to give this tome a gander.

Berry-Dee pulls not punches throughout the book, making it clear to the reader that not all serial killer movies get it right. By that, he means that some are complete flops in their delivery, while others seem quite outlandish or poorly depict the killers they are supposed to represent. This is a problem for true fans of the genre, as a great serial killer is one who is not only a master at their crimes, but who can scare the reader/viewer with ease.

In his study, Berry-Dee explores some of the big screen’s best-known killers and tries to hash out some of the real life influences that may have led to their depiction. Few can fault the emergence of Hannibal Lector or Norman Bates, though there is more to them than the creative minds of the authors who put them in a book. They were an amalgam of some great killers over time, though rarely can a literary or cinematic killer be attributed to a single person, sometimes for legal reasons. Berry-Dee draws some wonderful parallels and invites the reader to sit back as he presents what knowledge he has on the subject.

There are some great interpretations of notorious serial killers who make it directly onto the big screen, including the Zodiac Killer and the antagonist from Se7en. These killers emerge as both creepy and downright geniuses, leaving the reader to wonder where the writers came up with such a great idea. The former was, surely, a killer of some regard in the 1960s and 70s, though they have never been formally named or caught. There is a significant psychological aspect required to pull the viewer in, rather than a great deal of gore and death.

Berry-Dee is also first to point out the poorly devised cinematic presentations when it comes to serial killers, those who were either shortchanged when their stories made it to the screen or a delivery of their crimes was somehow lost in translation. Berry-Dee models himself as quite the critic and can see a dud a mile away, choosing to point these out repeatedly for the reader. While Ted Buddy and John Wayne Gacy were chilling killers of the 1970s, when someone chose to depict their kills for a viewing audience, it was either too cheesy or simply a boring rendition, which lessens the impact and keeps the reader from feeling what really happened.

Christopher Berry-Dee surely knows what he’s writing in this piece, taking the time to extract the truths or tie-in some of the research that he was able to complete. There is a strong narrative in the opening few chapters, as he tackles some of the best known serial killer movies (series, actually). He builds up the discussion of both the film and the true events, drawing the needed parallels for the reader to digest, then leaves it for some quiet contemplation before moving along to the next topic of discussion. This is helpful, particularly those of us who are not fanatics, but simply fans of the dark and macabre world of serial killers. The book began with some great chapter lengths and discussions, though this petered off, as I will mention below. With lots of outside references, the curious reader can surely find more to whet their sadistic appetites, which is always helpful.

If I had to offer a critique the book, it would surely be that Berry-Dee seeks to pack too much into the tome, offering as many killers as he can, rather than going into great detail with a handful. By the middle o the book, he offers an ‘intermission’ section, where some editorializing can occur. Thereafter, it seems to be a rush of movies and short commentaries as the book must fill a quota of pages. I would much rather have felt an impactful collection of strong movies with thorough analysis, rather than a few pages here and there of some films who have either made it or fell short.

Kudos, Mr. Berry-Dee, for this interesting look at the world of serial killers on the big screen. You reference some of your other work regularly, which I will have to explore, when time permits.

Serial killers are undoubtably fascinating, in fiction and in real life. Watching them in a movie lets the audience experience the thrill of encountering them in safety, when you know that you can’t possibly become their victim. Meeting them in real life, like Christopher Berry-Dee has done, must be scary and disturbing. How can someone do such things? Where do they get their ideas and fixations? The author explores those motivations, comparing them with their counterparts on the silver screen. Many times, reality is even worse than fiction. As a horror fan, I’ve read and watched many works of fiction about serial killers and I’ve never been squeamish, but this book really got to me. The atrocities here are real, so it takes a certain detachment to read about them. The author knows his movies, and his point of view is more knowledgeable than a casual fan. He has met the real people so his analysis of the characters on film is very complete. Fans of true crime will also find a wealth of material that Berry-Dee references. Movie lovers will want to re-watch some of the films discussed, even if it may be more disturbing.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Ad Lib Publishers!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Serial Killers at the Movies.

I'm a fan of thrillers featuring fictionalized serial killers but this title intrigued me so I was excited when my request was approved. An ideal read for October!

I'm not a fan of true crime though you have to be living on Mars under a rock not to recognize all of the famous serial killers the author mentions in his book.

What I did appreciate in Serial Killers at the Movies is how the author gives you a brief recap of the killer's crime, a brief origin story and how the movies have interpreted it.

Not surprisingly, the author finds movies exploiting the victims and barely based on facts as schlock and not worthy of viewing.

He understands movies are (for the most part) for entertainment purposes but points out there's nothing wrong with devoting part of a movie budget to research and hiring professionals with experience in forensics and law enforcement as consultants.

I do have to point out a mistake in Mr. Berry-Dee's recap of The Shawshank Redemption: he incorrectly names Heywood as the evil prison guard. Heywood was a fellow con (well acted by William Sadler), but the lead prison guard was played by Clancy Brown (well cast here, too).

Serial Killers at the Movies is not a lighthearted read and it isn't for everyone.

But, if you enjoy thrilling movies and/or books featuring serial killers or consider yourself an armchair detective, definitely give Serial Killers at the Movies a read. I guarantee you'll learn something!

In this book Christopher Berry-Dee tells stories of the murderers who inspired some of the scariest and shocking films. I love scary movies and found it really interesting to read about the inspiration behind some films and in some ways the real life murders are scariest of all... because they really happened! A brilliant read if you are interested in horror films or indeed in real life crime and murderers and want to know how the killers depicted movies you have watched are inspired by real and evil people. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

I received an advance copy of, Serial Killers at the Movies by, Christopher Berry-Dee. This is a great book, especially for Halloween. The author interviewed serial killers. It a really interesting book, though gruesome and dark.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book delves into the serial killers that were in movies we liked so much such as psycho and silence of the lives. The book gave insight into the real serial killers who were depicted in the movies.