The fascination with serial killers is a strange one - but all of us find some reason to turn on the evening news and read every new article about the latest stalker of the night. Dear, Mr. Gacy explores this morbid fascination on a more intense level than most of us would ever dream of.
Jason Is an ambitious college student who decides to write his criminal law term paper on the infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy. His professor isn't impressed since many students before him have presented cases on serial killers with no interesting angles. That is when Jason decides to write his point of view from the victim's perspective rather than a standard research report.
This sparks a series of unnerving events that makes his life go into a downward spiral. He writes Mr. Gacy hoping he can find out a tidbit of info that no one has ever uncovered before. Knowing this probably won't happen he proceeds anyway. Much to his surprise he gets a response from Gacy and in the weeks that proceed a friendship is forged. One of perverse curiosity. Jason is to the understanding that you can only figure out what Gacy is all about if he himself plays the part of the victim - and climbs into his head.
Each letter he writes they become more and more personal. Letters aren't giving Gacy the fix he needs from his new best friend so he starts to call Jason. He would gain his trust with friendly conversation taking his side on each topic they discussed. Then when Jason felt comfortable, Gacy would flip his sadistic switch and become perverse or aggressive in nature.
Jason goes as far to take topless photos of himself and provocative poses to lure Gacy in even more. But ultimately it was Jason who would be lured into Gacy's world. These kind of actions eventually build up to a face to face meeting with Gacy in his prison cell. Jason had given up what life he had for this very moment. What follows is the culmination of how Gacy treated all of his victims - as if they were best friends, a confidant if you will. I don't want to spoil this scene or the end for you so I will leave it up to you to if your perverse curiosity provokes you to check this film out for yourself.
The most disturbing part about the entire film? It's true. The whole thing is based on a true story. Like most horror or thriller films that claim the backbone to be based on actual events - this one backs it up. The fact it was based on a true story raised my rating by about a full point. The acting isn't great to say the least - but William Forsythe stole the show with a believable portrayal of John Wayne Gacy. I recommend checking it out, especially if you have an interest in studying serial killers.
Freaky Facts:
Jason Moss appeared on many talk shows including 20/20, Extra and Hard Copy discussing his strange interactions with serial killers. Aside from John Wayne Gacy he also contacted Manson, Dahmer and Richard Ramirez. But it was Gacy that he found most facinating. During his interaction he recieved over 100 letters from prison and a clown portrait Gacy himself painted.
In 2006 Jason Moss commited suicide - speculated to be from a mental breakdown due to the events he experienced during his research. He wrote a book titled, "The Last Victim" that can be purchased on Amazon.
John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 - May 10, 1994) was convicted of the rape and murder of 33 men (most in American history) between 1972 and his arrest in 1978. He became known as the "Killer Clown" because of the all the parties he attended where he entertained the children in his clown suit and full-face makeup.
Convicted serial rapist and killer John Wayne Gacy's final words before being executed by lethal injection, on May 10, 1994, were -- "Kiss my ass."
Michelle Bachman said she shared the same hometown as John Wayne. She is from Waterloo, Iowa the same birthplace of John Wayne alright. But not that famous western actor, John Wayne Gacy, notorious serial killer.
