Movie

Stone Cold Dead (1979)

If a movie stars Richard Crenna and it’s not Rambo, the chances are he’s playing a cop. The actor played Frank Janek in a series of TV movies, and the lead role in this 1970s thriller about a sniper who targets prostitutes working the sleazy streets of New York. It’s a well-paced tale with a dark atmosphere and enough mystery and red herrings to puzzle armchair sleuths.

The movie is available on Blu-ray – with a very good picture transfer – but there are differences with the version that previously aired on UK TV. The biggest change is the opening murder of Linnea Quigley’s character in the shower, which now doesn’t occur at all (but still makes it onto the front cover!). That scene wasn’t in the original version and was added later for sensationalism. There’s no missing sniper footage, because the killer was off screen for the axed pre-credits sequence.

To pad out the runtime, there’s a subplot about Sergeant Boyd (Crenna) pursuing a pimp named Kurtz. This bad guy is a 1970s caricature with oversized glasses and a messy blond haircut, and oozes sleaze every time he appears. To bring him down, Boyd enlists help from an undercover policewoman, and since she’s not the main female character (Monica Page played by Linda Sorensen), it’s not too hard to guess she bites the dust. Ironically, it’s a sniper who kills her after a bent cop sells her out, but not the sniper terrorising the red-light district.

The pimp plot is wrapped up a bit too neatly. Rather than a showdown between Boyd and Kurtz, we simply see him arrested after the fact and rotting away in a prison cell. Thankfully, they’re saving the drama and thrills for the climax with the main villain.

Villainess

Olivia Page (Alberta Watson)

For someone who ends up being the murderer, Olivia has little screen time until the last twenty minutes. This keeps the actual killer under the radar while her photographer boyfriend is made out to be guilty, but some extra backstory before the reveal would have better established her character. Instead, we get second-hand accounts from Olivia’s mother, a woman Boyd is on/off dating and a potential suspect.

Olivia still makes my list because the film and its antagonist are relatively unique among the horde of serial killer movies that plagued the era. Instead of the usual knife-wielding slasher, we have the “sin sniper”. This psycho lurks around fire escapes, wearing a trench-coat that conceals a sniper rifle with an attachable camera. The obvious Canon product placement is questionable, as the killer photographs victims and taunts the police with the pictures. And yes, there’s a threatening message made from cut-out newsprint letters.

With plodding police work by Boyd, it’s good that scenes where the shadowy sniper assembles her weapon are so effective and accompanied by creepy music. The killer takes out three prostitutes before the climax, which effectively rules out Kurtz. What pimp would murder his source of income? The desperate Boyd enlists Olivia’s help to trap her boyfriend, unaware she’s the assassin.

The climax begins at a cemetery when Olivia reveals herself as the sin sniper to her shocked mother. Boyd and the police show up to arrest her, and the murderer shows off her sharpshooting skills. Cops should use cover more effectively, considering she’s a sniper.

The final chase sequence is suitably long, with Olivia proving a slippery opponent. The sniper ditches her raincoat for an all-black outfit and her trusty rifle for a sidearm. After a shootout in a tunnel, Boyd corners his quarry on a rooftop. Unwilling to surrender, the villainess takes her own life. By the end, everyone Boyd cared about is dead or badly injured. No happy resolution, which suits the dark tone just fine.

Honourable Mention: Richard Crenna Movies

Terror on Track 9 (1992) – Leslie Renner (Joan Van Ark)

Crenna TV movies are hard to find, as most were never released on DVD or video streaming sites. The only sources are VHS tapes and third-party footage… and hoping the footage is watchable. Fortunately, I found a passable version of this Frank Janek film that features the series’ best villainess.

A murderer dresses up as a prostitute and stalks women in the eerie confines of Grand Central Station, New York. This high-heeled psycho injects their victims with heroin and spreads golden glitter around their bodies. Why do serial killers have to be so weird?

Janek is hindered by an inquisitive TV news reporter who paints the police in a negative light and internal office politics. And a female FBI profiler who starts off hostile, but finishes in romance territory. Procedural describes this movie, with the usual false leads that don’t play out. One suspect is a wig maker who sold his goods to the killer and now knows too much. Cue a visit from the shadowy woman in red, an off-screen lethal injection, and a sinister “Too Late” message in glitter.

Eventually, Janek identifies the killer as an Amish woman abused by her father. She’s Leslie Renner, the same news reporter who’s been hounding him. After a great setup, the weak finale has the murderess mentally break down live on air. But the movie deserves an honourable mention for its creepy stalking scenes, and a female clothed killer that’s not a male cross-dresser.