A Killing Spring (2002 TV Movie) User Reviews

Yellow Journalism!

[lavatch · 4/10 · 31 July 2005]

The setting for "A Killing Spring" was on the campus of a College of Journalism where the ethical and moral conduct of the teachers, administration, and students leaves a lot to be desired. For example, the faculty offices are equipped with liquor cabinets and drinks are served among the colleagues at all hours of the day and night. There also would appear to be sexual politics involved in the awarding of the most distinguished prize for student essays.

While the characters were interesting, the plot of this film was so convoluted that it was nearly impossible to understand the significant details and motivation for the killing of the dean of the journalism school and two of the star students. It was also rather disconcerting that in the course of these untimely deaths, it was pretty much business as usual at the college with no grief counseling or suspension of the regular school activities. The final segment of the film, wherein the mysterious identity of the serial killer is revealed, was especially murky and difficult to follow.

My favorite line in this film was spoken by the main character Joanne Kilbourn, the journalism professor who is on the trail of the serial killer. During a meal that is being prepared for Joanne by her friend Tom Keaton (Michael Ontkean), Joanne tells him: "Fresh garlic on a man's hand! Now that's an aphrodisiac!" While the film had some lively moments like this one, it was much too spicy for my tastes.

"Look! It's a Candian TV movie! Run away!!!"

[MBunge · 4/10 · 3 July 2011]

Thanks to A Killing Spring, I now know that three of the most awful words in the English language are "Canadian TV movie". This is a whodunit so obvious a family of ocelots could figure it out, with a lead character possessing all the personality of a piece of chalk. Other than seeing a grown up Zachery Ty Bryan who's so grown out it looks like he's eaten Patricia Richardson, there is absolutely nothing here deserving of anyone's attention. And what's worse, this is one of a series of TV movies, which means Canadians actually liked this gruel.

Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) is professor of journalism who used to be a cop and there are allusions through the film to a more complicated back story which are never fully explained. Apparently Kilbourn is a famous enough fictional person in Canada that the three writers of this thing just assumed that everyone who watched it would be familiar with everything about her. And by the way…three people to write a TV movie based on a book? Could there BE a bigger red flag warning that it's going to suck?

Like practically every episode of Murder, She Wrote, someone close to Kilbourn gets killed. In this case, it's the dean of her college. Kilbourn considers him a friend, even though he notoriously bangs female students and is even shagging the wife of another of Kilbourn's friends. I knew Canadians could be non-judgmental, but that's going a bit far. Anyway, Not-Angela-Lansbury and a police detective try to figure out if the dean was murdered by the bitchy girl he's currently bedding, the working class kid who he screwed out of a prestigious internship or the angry husband he's cuckolding. Of course, it's the one person in the story without any apparent motive who turns out to be the killer.

I don't consider it a "spoiler" to tell you that because if you can't guess the identity of the murderer at least an hour before this movie reveals it, you probably can't read. Those old Columbo's where they showed you who the killer was at the start of the show were more mysterious than A Killing Spring. I mean, forget about the fact that the whole shebang would have been resolved in about 20 minutes if one of the characters had simply opened her mouth and said two sentences. There's a scene here where Kilbourn looks at a photo of a suspect and the story requires her to not recognize that it's someone she has supposedly know for years, even though the presence of a beard is the only visual difference. For a second there, I thought the movie was going to reveal that Kilbourn had that disorder where she couldn't tell the difference between one face and another, but it was merely crappy writing.

As for Kilbourn herself, this film shows her as having two kids, no husband and being rather horny. That's it. She doesn't have any unusual quirks or traits. She doesn't have a unique manner or a mind that works in some amazing way. If Joanne Kilbourn ever went missing and the cops needed a description of her, "utterly unremarkable" is the best one they could get.

Watching A Killing Spring is like sitting with your feet in a tub of oatmeal and not remembering why you're doing it. Canadians may like that sort of thing. The rest of us don't have to go along with them.

Filming by numbers

[n-h-long · 14 July 2003]

This film marks an attempt to revive the flagging 'Joanna Kilbourn Mysteries' series, but simply adding more action and taking out some of the talking is not really enough. Wendy Crewson is as good as ever, and actually gets to show a more physical side, but the lack of Victor Garber as a foil weakens the Kilbourn-Police up-down relationship. New-boy Shawn Doyle does not have enough presence to convince as a replacement, and looks uncomfortable for much of the film.

Unlike so many 'mystery' movies there is a genuine chance for the viewer to try and participate in the detection process, but the final revelations still seem to have come from nowhere. The biggest problem is pacing. The whole thing feels like filming by numbers - there are few genuine changes of pace, and after 85 minutes you begin to feel that you have not really been entertained or engaged. The only real moment that makes you sit up is well done, but somehow even then lacking in real 'shock'. That said, the direction IS somewhat tighter than previous episodes, and the dialogue has more 'bite', but it is still too two-dimensional to grip the viewer. At least we do not spend half the movie watching Ms Crewson drive up or drive off - a pleasant change after the earlier episodes. ... and by the way, are the Toronto Police really -that- incompetent?

A personal recommendation - watch the six films in the correct sequence and they make more sense!

3 stars out of 5

A Killing Spring ...And the Bodies Begin to Pile Up *

[edwagreen · 3/10 · 22 April 2006]

The dean of a college is found dead. The guy was real swinger with fellow students as well as the wife of the assistant dean. Sounds like there will be a list of people who wanted to do this cad in.

On the faculty of this swinging college, we have a former policewoman who will turn sleuth in investigating this murder.

An undeserving student was supposed to win an award from this dean based upon her written essay. Pretty soon the poor thing turns up dead. Naturally, she had been in bed with the guy. We can't suspect the deserving student because he soon turns up dead as well.

Suddenly, we're going back to a death of a vagrant due to a heroin overdose. Or was it an overdose?

The story had potential but deteriorates rapidly as the bodies begin to pile up.

A real Florida community college life is shown. The school is short on academics and so is this film.

Don't waste your time

[mrballard416 · 3/10 · 7 August 2013]

Typical formulaic TV movie. Premise of murders on college campus where former police woman is now instructor falls flat. An internship is up for grabs and when bodies flood the campus everyone is suspect. Very awkward and unnecessary scene between the Dean, Instructor, womanizing teacher and students in hallway outside Dean's office. The whole show (NOT a movie)was boring. Should have paid closer attention before renting it to see it was a Canadian/TV movie. So dull and predictable fell asleep half way through. Woke up in time to see my radar was still working. Usually I like Wendy Crewson, though she should have stayed in the US and avoided Canadian TV on this one.