The fact that you could allow people to be killed because of some religious notion is just silly to me. 6. What might have benefited is a reflection on what unfolds from a spiritual perspective. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Released August 28th, 1987, 'The Rosary Murders' stars Donald Sutherland, Charles Durning, Belinda Bauer, Josef Sommer The movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 45 min, and received a user score of 53 . Both of those movies are really suspenseful, so it's a shame that "The Rosary Murders" never really gets going. The murderer leaves behind a rosary. Get help and learn more about the design. While the filmmakers of this murder mystery try their best to adapt William Kienzle's novel of the same name, the effort is sadly in vain for the majority. The director doesn't seem to have the temperament that's needed for a successful thriller, the plot moves slowly and monotonously, and the whole thing just plods on to an ending that fails to explain the killer's motivation satisfyingly. He had no actual intention of clearing up his wrong doings. A serial killer targeting clergy confesses his crimes to a priest who may be his next victim. There have even been two books about the rosary that mention this story that include a reference to a mysterious force. The publishers of those books should be embarrassed that they allowed those books to be published and sold before they had verified that story. The making of the Rosary Murders with two original songs by Bobby Laurel. Police believe he stopped his attack because he was spooked when a girl used the bathroom at the far end of the hallway around 3:15A.M. What Everyone is REALLY Thinking in the Cry Room, Laugh Your Way to Holiness with Catholic Card Game. I'm going to Hell now, I know it. This is not Sutherland's best role because he is not given enough material to work with. Murder mysteries generally speaking are criminal fantasies, outside of those based on real-life or so-called true crime. The great surprise about the film is some of the names behind it. Directed by Fred Walton. This one was quite enjoyable. There are two versions of the story, and I will relate the most fantastic version of the two. Although convoluted the plot is an interesting premise. I contacted Bill Zlatos, the Pittsburgh reporter who wrote the profile on Monsignor William Kerr (whom he called one of the holiest persons he had ever met), who said he probably would have used the mysterious force part of the story if he had heard it from Monsignor Kerr. I strongly recommend skipping the last chapter all together. Pat: Belinda Bauer. The 2009 blog did originally mention something to the effect of Bundy said he could not continue the attack. The Rosary Murders is an interesting little mystery-thriller with a solid premise and some spine chilling moments. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Donald Sutherland has made some good movies - "Don't Look Now", for instance - but he's also had his share of shockers, and this one ranks right up there. This book is one of some twenty-four crime novels featuring Father Robert Koesler. This 1987 movie was just awful. . While the non-starter love interest B-plot (sorry, Belinda Bauer) sticks uneasily to the doughy mid-section, at least the murders themselves pack a punch and are surprisingly varied. If the rosary had stopped a serial killers rampage, how had I not heard that story before? It was quite good. A killer of Detroit clergy confesses to a priest, who turns sleuth because he cannot tell the police. Donald Sutherland is a priest faced with a dilemma, as he watches these people die. R Genre. The Hitchcock connection should not be lost Hitchcock would surely have envied some of the scenes that Fred Walton sets up. The Rosary Murders Directed by Fred Walton. She was following through on that promise when Bundy attacked. After a black rosary is found at the scene on the body of those who have been murdered, Father Robert Koesler (Donald Sutherland) hears a confession for the crimes from the other end of a partition. The Rosary Murders (1987) 16 08/28/1987 (US) Crime, Mystery, Thriller 1h 45m User Score. "The Rosary Murders A small glimpse by Douglas A. Lessnau, this contains a song my Father wrote for my . He killed two girls and only one girl in the house was left unscathed. The Rosary Murders (1987) Watch Now Rent $3.99 PROMOTED Watch Now Filters Best Price Free SD HD 4K Stream Ads Subs Rent $3.99 HD $3.99 Buy $9.99 $14.99 HD Something wrong? MlH Of Series Channel. Subplot with a potential romantic interest for Sutherland is the worst. StarringDonald Sutherland Charles Durning Belinda Bauer Josef Sommer Addison Powell John Danelle James Murtaugh Addison Powell Kathleen Tolan Directed byFred Walton No expression so you had no idea where the film was going. | One of his best known novels is his first, The Rosary Murders (1978), which was made into a 1987 movie starring Donald Sutherland as Father Koesler. No name is ever given for this girl, so there is no way to verify her part in the story. I couldn't be Bobby Laurels son and not know that. It's like reading Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot - get in the spirit of the book. Koznicki (Josef Sommer), the detective on the case, is not as concerned with the rules of the Catholic church, aiming to catch himself a killer. Overview. But he's bound by church law to say nothing. The police don't have a clue, but Father Koesler sees a pattern. There's something about this particular type of plot and tone that I'm jonesing for at the minute, so I'll definitely be trying to source a couple more films directed by Fred Walton. At this point, one must ask: If the story is of questionable validity, why discuss it? Detroit is shaken by the activities of a serial killer who is systematically slaying Catholic priests and nuns, always leaving a rosary wrapped around each victims hand. Midsomer Murders - S21E05 - January 06, 2020 || Midsomer Murders (01/06/2020) Part 02. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 and spent twenty years as a Roman Catholic parish priest. Some are splendid; some are average. Tv shows. One of the priests (Donald Sutherland) is joined by a journalist (Belinda Bauer) attempting to cover the story; both aim to stop the killer before he dispatches more nuns, monks, and members of the Holy Order. Donald Sutherland plays Father Robert Koesler, a priest in Detroit who hears the confession of a murderer who is going around offing various priests and nuns. James Stewart was a second son of Lord Ochiltree [S]. I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. So, as you can guess, Koesler is a very troubled man. Interesting, though sometimes muddled and too rarely tense. The editing at several points is very wonky though, especially in the murder scenes. Kienzle left the priesthood in 1974 because of his disagreement with its refusal to remarry divorcees. I should point out the movie has some strengths - for one thing, it does get you curious enough to want to find out how it will be wrapped up - but all the same the movie ends up being a somewhat unsatisfying viewing experience. Source for information on The Rosary Murders: VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever dictionary. Report this film. When the killer explains why he did it I started laughing. Donald Sutherland (Father Robert Koesler), Belinda Bauer (Pat Lennon), Charles Durning (Father Ted Neighbours), Josef Sommer (Lieutenant Koznicki). Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Share. 'The Rosary Murders' (R) By Rita Kempley Washington Post Staff Writer September 26, 1987 Donald Sutherland still seems to be suffering from his brush with the Body Snatchers in his role as the . I am willing to accept that one of the survivors believes she survived because she fell asleep holding her rosary that night. Lenten Brother Francis for Kids on FORMED. What, if anything is true in the above story? Some stretches of dialogue Belinda Bauers confession, the end reading of Katharines letter are extremely moving. I write for epicPew and have a masters degree in criminal justice. However, the more credible sources on this story relate that she had fallen asleep. The steps to praying the Rosary are: Make the Sign of the Cross and say the "Apostles' Creed". Someone is murdering Detroits clergy. There is no evidence to conclude thata mysterious force prevented Ted Bundy from continuing his slaughter that night. There is one jump-scene that made me bolt up suddenly. Donald Sutherland plays Father Koesler, a sort of priest-turned-detective. When producer Robert G. Laurel bought the rights to The Rosary Murders, Kienzle's first novel . All victims are found with a black rosary in their hands. //]]>. If the girl with the rosary was real, did a mysterious force prevent Ted Bundy from killing her? Leaving a rosary on the bodies of his victims the killer seems to be sending a message to what his motives are. Alex R. Hey has had his work featured on TheBatmanUniverse.net and in The Eagle Democrat of Warren, Arkansas and The Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, SD. Kienzle, whose first book, "The Rosary Murders," was made into a 1987 film starring Donald Sutherland as his protagonist priest, died Friday of a heart attack at his home in the. Intriguing premise is let down by a flat, tedious script. He also has two collections of poetry available on Amazon. But he is bound by the churches vow of sanctity of the confessional not to break the seal of confession. Being that I am from Michigan this peaked my interest. It was little seen when it came out and sadly its profile has not substantially changed since then, although it is eminently deservous of much greater recognition. Nabors: Charles Durning. Walton's direction is slickly presented, but feels shapeless and dry. A slow-boil thriller that has some great moments but kinda fizzles overall. He does this in most of his films. Production Company First Take Productions. Belinda Bauer, with her jackhammer delivery, plays the lapsed Catholic reporter who falls in love with Koesler after he mumbles in an interview. Nothing amazing. | I came across this book at my mother-in-laws. The director is Fred Walton whose line of genre films both before and since has only been routine. The clue in the case is a black rosary left in the hand of each of the victims. The plot is excellent there are some amazing twists, albeit a slightly probability defying m.o. Like any series, they vary a LOT in quality. Did she exist? IMDb Show All Mobilesite. Directed by Fred Walton, from source material written by William X. Kienzie and adapted by Walton and Elmore Leonard, the film co-stars Charles Durning and Josef Sommer. Donald Sutherland, Charles Durning, Belinda Bauer, Josef Sommer, James Murtaugh, John Danelle, Addison Powell, Kathleen Tolan, Janet Smith; D: Fred Walton; W: Fred Walton, Elmore Leonard; C: David Golia. I was never bored during any of the times I watched this film. 105m/C VHS . The Associated Press did not write about this story and to insinuate otherwise adds fuel to fire of the negative opinions of those on the Snopes forum. In tonight's 9-1-1 season 5 episode 1 premiere as per the FOX synopsis, "As the citywide blackout continues to cause mayhem in Los Angeles, A Be better.' Funny story: I grew up protestant. There's quite a large alumni group of us out there. If I had to look at Donald Sutherland one more time with his blank expression I thought I'd drop. Some blogs that mention this story include an Associated Press attribution which is blatantly false. Joseph Somer gives a fine performance as the police detective who knows that Father Koesler (Sutherland) knows something but also realizes he cannot compel him to share the knowledge. The Rosary Murders 1987 (R)Based on the William X. Kienzle mystery about a serial killer preying on nuns and priests. I'd love to explain that in detail, but doing so would ruin part of the ending. Two stalwart figure heads; an impressive Donald Sutherland and equally so Charles Durning are engagingly strong. I like all the Fr Koesler mysteries, so enjoyed this one. Don Lessnau Mara Lpez Mark Margolis Robert C. Maxwell Sheldon Miller Joel Nash Ed Oldani Burt Pearson Sam Pollack David Regal Ed Ruffalo Edward Seamon Janet M. Smith Peter Van Norden Josephine Vassalo Jo Mullin White Dennis Wrosch Jeffrey R. Dolan Georgine Hall Michael Mili Jack White, Elmore Leonard Fred Walton William X. Kienzle, 105mins Father Koesler is no Rabbi David Small. Someone is going around murdering priests and nuns, as it later turns out using the coincidence of their names matching the ten commandments (sometimes with a bit of a stretch. Discover Rosary Murders [Original Soundtrack] by Original Soundtrack released in 1993. Walton favours a bloodless approach and the film is often more spookier than a dozen others that do not. This inspired him to pursue writing and now he writes full-time. me on june 25th, 2021 naively watching invasion of the body snatchers and the rosary murders in rapid succession, thereby becoming aware of both malewife and hot priest iterations of sutherland within 24 hours of eachother: huh! Police believe he stopped his attack because he was spooked when a girl used the bathroom at the far end of the hallway around 3:15A.M. The Rosary Murders deals with a lot of complex issues in the Catholic church, someone might argue the plot of this film is absurd, but it's not. Thriller. We ought to be giving more attention to the victims of horrendous crimes and not those who perpetrate those crimes. Letterboxd Limited. I truly enjoyed the whole plot to the story. Starring: Charles Durning, Donald Sutherland. Man works in the deadliest. A Priest as the main character is a compelling idea, but this doesn't do anything with it that's really special. Before leaving for college, she had promised her mother and/or grandmother that she would pray the rosary before bed every night even if she fell asleep doing so. The story involves a series of murders associated with people in the catholic church, some laymen/laywomen while others are clergy. Kept my interest. It was little seen when it came out and sadly its profile has not substantially changed since then, although it is eminently deservous of much greater recognition. Awesome read! Directed by Fred Walton whose most known for his "When a Stranger Calls" films. The Rosary Murders: Directed by Fred Walton. Start Shopping. I thought hard about not mentioning Ted Bundys name in this article and simply referring to him as the killer because Bundy had the personality that would have enjoyed the attention. I contacted Bill Zlatos, the Pittsburgh reporter who wrote the profile on Monsignor William Kerr, who said he probably would have used the mysterious force part of the story if he had heard it from Monsignor Kerr. I mean, really. However, because it did not appear in his story, he assumes he was not told about it. A priest is killed during Lent and the killer leaves a plain black rosary behind. Not because of why he did it but because of the blunt statement made by the killer. 1103 Beadle Hill Road, Valley Falls, NY 12185. But in this particular telling, the results are kind of bland. A neo-noir? If Bundy did Monsignor Kerr about a mysterious force, it should be assumed he did so simply to mess with him. Like the hero of Hitchcock's "I Confess," the priest finds himself in a pickle when he hears the killer's confession but cannot reveal the man's identity. VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever. Oh boy, this should be a good whodunit! He was constantly staring into space. 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