Dear Mr. Gacy

It's surprising that the substantial bulk of serial killer movies has yet to render anything really compelling about one of its most complex and twisted subjects --- John Wayne Gacy. The sheer number of accredited murders combined with the episodic series of cat and mouse plays throughout the convicted child killer/rapist's life would seem to be quite juicy fodder.

And yet, all we really have to show for it are two sub-par outings (a passable TV procedural starring Brian Dennehy and a really awful feature with hammy unknown Mark Holton). And then comes "Dear Mr. Gacy" which --- if you're not aware of its extremely factual basis --- almost sounds like a bad joke.

Crime student Jason Moss (Jesse Moss) embarks on an almost masochistic journey into fear and loathing by establishing a communication with the killer during his last months on earth at Illinois' Menard prison. His idea (and it IS a clever one) is to establish himself as a textbook victim that Gacy will have no choice but to lure into his web, granting Moss a first-hand look into the delusional self-aggrandizing psychopath's mind for his college Criminology term paper.

It's a scenario almost tailor made for a movie script because, as we all know by now in films, if you want something that badly, the worst thing that can happen is that you get it, and Moss does. He also finds himself playing a little too perfectly into Gacy's hypnotic spell, which is complemented by all the right situational elements of his own life --- boredom with his girlfriend, resentment of his controlling mother, subtle contempt for his passive brother's victim-hood at the hands of the school bully.

The weakest link here is Jesse Moss, and that's only very rarely. Mostly his performance is very good, though there are a few times it's hard to believe his reactions wouldn't be a bit more emotional after some of Gacy's truly threatening phone tirades. William Forsythe is a great actor and never more disturbing than in this role...he's the creepiest Gacy by far, expertly channeling his voyeurism with subtle bullying and manipulation, then morphing it into the "caring" love of a protective father figure, shifting on a dime. It's hard to know if his self-proclaimed stance as "king of the roost" at Menard is reality or in his head. His paintings were fetching a handsome sum near the end of his life, he had a cell with a view, TV, plants, and he could paint and smoke Cuban cigars smuggled in by guards who addressed him half-jokingly as "boss." Forsythe is a virtual cypher in the role, disappearing effortlessly into it, and leaving you very queasy in the process.

All in all, DMG is an intense, fun ride you won't forget. If it had a broader scope, it might just be the definitive Gacy biopic, but it probably wouldn't be as outright compelling, either. What's probably most disturbing about this particular story is what happened to the real Jason Moss, in the end. Be careful what you wish for, indeed.

Well paced thriller with a good amount of creepy.

I like it when there's a character who transforms in a movie. Moss becomes involved with Gacy who gets inside his head and stirs up some trouble. We see his character sink lower and lower as a result of his obsession. The fact that this is based on a true story where the student becomes successful but still succumbs to something dark and commits suicide brings layers to this movie; and a yearning to know many more details of what really happened between these two men.

Forsythe and Moss have good chemistry and depth.

I recommend. I will be very surprised if you do not google this story after viewing - I did.

I was afraid for this flick for two reasons, is is said to be based on a true event, the John Wayne Gacy story and it was made by the producers of "Monster (2003)" another flick based on a true event (serial killer Aileen Wuornos). Monster did follow how it all happened so there it couldn't go wrong but on the part op Gacy there are so many flicks about him that aren't correct. Some did exploit his part as Pogo The Clown and let him do killings dressed as a clown, it never happened that way. But still the best flick about Gacy is To Catch A Killer (1992) and let the performance of Brian Dennehy in that particular flick being the best Gacy so far.

So with some prejudice I watched it. And I must say that I really enjoyed this flick. The title says Dear Mr Gacy but isn't really about Gacy. This flick is more about Jason Moss, a student who gets in contact with Gacy and gets obsessed with him. What happens with Jason is shown in this flick. To be honest, only two actors are in this flick and made this flick. First is Jesse Moss who plays Jason Moss and he did it in a perfect way. But he surely knew his stuff been in Final Destination 3, Ginger Snaps and the gem Tucker And Dale vs Evil. What he did here is really well done. Gacy is played by another famous horror actor William Forsythe. I have met the guy and yes he has that look in his eyes as seen in Halloween the remake and The Devils Reject. Both carry this flick.

It is filed under horror but I shouldn't say that it fits there. It's more a drama especially due what happened to Jason's life. But Svetozar Ristovski as director did well to keep you attracted to the screen. Naturally the whole true event is pure horror but I recommend this to everyone. It do has some news reel in the beginning and at the end some news reel about Jason. It really got into me, a sad story but one to watch. No special effects pure talking and still it gets you...as Gacy did. And William gets really close to Brian's Gacy performance.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 0/5 Story 5/5 Comedy 0/5

The life story of Jason Moss is at least as intriguing – and slightly disturbing - as that of the people he dedicated his life researching… Imagining the depressing and harsh subject matter he dealt with continuously, I can more or less comprehend why he committed suicide at the age of 31, even though there isn't any actual indication that his work directly or indirectly led him to end his own life. Well before reaching the age of 20, Moss corresponded with several notorious serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas and John Wayne Gacy. It was the latter with whom he corresponded the most intimately and published a book about his experiences, entitled "The Last Victim". "Dear Mr. Gacy" is the – reputedly very faithful – adaptation of this book and atmospherically unfolds how the ambitious 18-year-old Moss seeks contact with Gacy, only a couple of months prior to his execution, in order to deliver an accurate school thesis on the subject of "inside a serial killer's mind". Gacy was a homosexual and pedophile, convicted for the murder of 33 adolescent males, and thus Jason Moss' profile immediately raised his interest. They began to communicate through letters, later telephone calls and the two even met face to face shortly before John Wayne Gacy got executed through lethal injection. The film contains a handful of strong moments and a truly powerful performance by William Forsythe as Gacy, but overall seen, this isn't a hidden gem or even highly memorable thriller. Perhaps this is because you unintentionally compare it to the vastly superior "Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven", due to the element of interaction with a serial killer, but mainly it's because the screenplay is so ordinary and doesn't contain anything surprising or even remotely unusual. The bond between Moss and Gacy develops so damn predictable! Of course you know that the young criminology student gets way more than he bargained for when trying to provoke one of the most diabolical individuals of the planet. Of course you can predict that someone like Gacy, in spite of being behind bars and knowing his execution nears, can still easily manipulate and terrorize his newly found pen pal. And of course you can guess that Gacy's influence over Jason Moss becomes so strong and dangerous that his own private life narrowly gets ruined. Some of the sub plots are rather irrelevant, like Moss seeking contact with a victim that survived his encounter with Gacy several years ago, supposedly to ask for "advise" on how to confront him?!? Is it me or is this just totally inappropriate? Svetozar Ristovski's direction skills can only be referred to as neutral and the only true standout of this film is – naturally – Forsythe's stellar performance as John Wayne Gacy. William Forsythe is one of those rare character actors who has the ability to petrify you simply through his charisma and voice. Also given his resemblance to the real Gacy, especially at later age, I couldn't have imagined anyone else suitable for the role.

Jason Moss (played by Jesse Moss, no relation), a college student attending UNLV, corresponds with serial killer John Wayne Gacy (William Forsythe),convicted of murdering 33 young men and boys, while on death row. They get closer and closer to each other... and each getting inside the other's head.

This film was very highly anticipated by me. I had actually corresponded with many (31) serial killers from 2001-2003, and was familiar with Moss' book. I had found it to be full of ego-stroking and gross exaggerations. Other reviews I read seemed to agree with me, and I was frankly disappointed that Moss went on to intern with the Secret Service, as I felt he was a hack. I hoped the film would correct some of this.

The film was developed with screenwriter Kellie Madison (her first script) and producer Clark Peterson ("Monster") along with interaction from Moss, at least up until his suicide on 6/6/06. They got permission from his widow, Charlotte, to go ahead, and made the film as we can see it today. Personally, I think they did a brilliant job. Some of the scenes (with the male hooker and the final confrontation, for example) are probably dubious, but they relate to the book. So, as far as adaptations go, it is pretty strong.

I had the pleasure to speak with Barry Boschelli, a lifelong friend of John Wayne Gacy, before seeing this film. You can see some clips of Barry in the special features. He not only told me some great stories about Gacy (which you can read in his book), but praised William Forsythe for his accuracy in the portrayal of Gacy. If Barry says Forsythe was great, who am I to argue? I thought so, too, and it seems to be supported.

I hope this movie brings more light to the life of Jason Moss. I would like to see a biography of him. What did his brother, parents and wife think of his adventures? His girlfriend in the film... was she a real person? Did his professor find this accurate? Menard prison? What more can be learned about his suicide and the date he chose to kill himself?

I would recommend this film, without a doubt, for anyone who read the book, whether you enjoyed it or not. I would also recommend it for any fan or student of John Wayne Gacy. The accuracy is debatable, but I think the film is a valuable piece that deserves to be in your library. And any fan of William Forsythe... he does not get the credit he deserves often enough. This may be his stand-out role.