Killer Legends (2014) Online

I came across this quite by accident mistaking it for something else, I am however very happy I did.

This feature length documentary looks at four urban legends and their origins, where did they come from and did they start with an element of truth?

Those that are looked at are the babysitter killer, the hook man, tainted Halloween candy and the killer clown phenomenon and all are very engrossing.

Sadly with some they do digress somewhat and only look into a story that vaguely resembles it, but the stories are so well told and presented I really couldn't care less.

I've never seen anything by Joshua Zeman, his methods appeal to me and I'll be actively seeking out more of his work now.

The subject matter is certainly grim, crime scene photos and grisly descriptions don't help matters but if you can stomach it this is an interesting and enjoyable piece.

The Good:

Very well made

Extremely engaging

Likeable hosts

The Bad:

Some of the stories do digress from the source material

Could have been a tad longer

Things I Learnt From This Documentary:

Be not afraid of the story, be afraid of the storyteller

I find a weird appeal in all things clown

I always thought the tainted Halloween candy might have been a Christian ploy to keep people away from the Pagan holiday that is Hallows Eve

Man, I wanted this to be good. The study of urban legends is so fascinating, and the right approach would dig into all their social underpinnings and (the point of this movie, apparently) how they might have evolved from true-life events.

But this ego-driven mess (I won't call it a "documentary", which would dishonor the craft) isn't really about urban legends. It's about two wanna-be sociologists throwing every horror movie trope they can think of onto the screen.

Eerie lighting: check.

Contrived, faux-spontaneous conversations: check.

Heavy-handed, non-professional narration: check.

"Oh oh the monster is creeping up!" music under EVERY scene: check.

Meanwhile they do their best to look like serious researchers, but the avalanche of illogical leaps and unsubstantiated conclusions keeps giving them away.

It's only mockable up to a point, then it turns truly ugly. When you're going to linger on explicit photographs of actual torture and murder victims, respect is essential. But because this is merely the cartoon of an "investigation", these shots come off as lascivious exploitation. I feel for any family members who come upon this movie.

Unwatchable. I turned it off.

I decided that I needed to watch the Killer Legends documentary tonight. This was a serendipitous choice, it seems, since I just recently watched the meta sequel to The Town That Dreaded Sundown (sharing the same title), considering that this documentary begins with an exploration into that particular series of murders in Texarkana. It goes on from there to a chilling story of a real life incident of a child dying on Halloween night from poisoned candy as well as the basis for the urban legends that provide the substrate for numerous movies including When a Stranger Calls. This was a terrific documentary about a truly fascinating subject...and I wish that I had thought to do it myself. It would be an absolutely captivating thing to do with my time, traveling around and investigating the horrifying real life crimes that have birthed the numerous urban legends we grow up hearing and sharing with others.

Poorly marketed! Mostly because (Netflix at least) did the marketing as a horror documentary. NOT SO! In fact, The most horrific thing about this was the real life crime photos (some massively disturbing of recently raped teens complete with legs spread) that they insisted on showing regularly. Unlike the Jack the Ripper photos, these were not blurry and while they weren't blood and guts material, I could have lived the rest of my life without seeing a photo or a raped and strangled 15-year-old in the pose her attacker left her in.

The movie bills itself as "getting to the bottom" of the real crimes that inspired urban legends. As a lover of urban legends, this seemed right up my alley. What it really turned out to be was about 5 minutes of facts stretched into 20 minutes segments that involve the following contrived, poorly done techniques: * knocking on doors in the neighborhoods of the crimes and telling people the true story of their street only to cause fear in 80 year old women who are retired and happened to be at home *Lots of shots of people driving around pretending they are talking about something that hasn't been scripted but clearly has been based on the 0 reaction of the other party these people clearly aren't actors but were forced to give an attempt) *Countless lines of empty dialogue that ends in exclamation points (a la Amittyville Horror - novel form) but actually says literally nothing *More shots of people walking and having contrived dialogue that adds nothing to the plot (think, "this could be the tree where she was killed" uttered in a FOREST full of trees) * A "researcher" on cast who is supposed to validate what's being said but is clearly a grad student who is being paid to waltz about in inappropriate clothing (for the task - who wears heels and/or wedges to traipse about the woods?) *Starbucks marketing to the MAX. Now, they may love Starbucks, and that's okay. I drink Starbucks myself. But I have to wonder why it's in EVERY shot while they are in the car. The saving grace is that they don't drag the logoed cups out into the woods. (The stunning part of woods walking was reserved for the heels.) *Ridiculous timing. Am I supposed to be scared because they chose to "investigate" the forest where murders happened at night? Do they think I'm really dumb enough to wonder why they didn't go in the daytime when they could see instead of going to Starbucks? Anyone mounting a genuine investigation would do so in the freaking daylight. * LOTS of conjecture. In fact, only one of the four segments shown actually had a clear cut end. Now, I know urban legends are legends for a reason. But a film that professes it will get to the bottom of the true crimes behind the legends better damn well deliver SOME facts at least. Nope. Not here. The only firm facts delivered were in those of the case where the killer was executed for his crimes. But even then it's obviously not clear since he died professing his innocence (but at least they had the forethought to pause the footage of interviews with him on shots that made him look crazy because he was mid-word or mid-smile. Who looks sane in that pose?).

The best thing is actually the montage of horror movie clips that show how the urban legends developed in pop culture. Which really means that the best parts of the film are ones that the film makers didn't actually make.

The only positive I can think of is that one of the four segments was on a crime (the babysitter one) that took place in Columbia Missouri - a town not far from me. So that was the only thing that kept me watching past segment 2. In fact, I had already reached for the remote to stop it when I heard the phrase "Columbia, MO" and so continued watching. At that point, though, I had already dug out the trusty laptop to mess around on. I didn't watch hardly any of segment four, but at that point I figured I was already invested and so might as well continue (and that investment might have been really to the website I had started shopping on by that point).

Just like the directors other documentary, Cropsey, I found myself interested in the concept, but it really just let me down. It has a few little interesting moments, such as the clown segment, but overall it doesn't give a whole lot of information that you couldn't find online yourself with a little bit of research.

The film explores the concept of how certain urban legends come from real crimes that actually happened. In theory this sounds good, but it ends up kind of covering what we could already assume. It also covers some stories that have already been covered before, such as the case of the poison pixie stick a kid ate on Halloween. It would have been more interesting to hear about urban legends that came from surprising real events. I think Cropsey did the same thing. It was a documentary that had a good concept but just kinda goes into territory that is less relevant and becomes boring. It also seems ridiculous how the filmmakers try to "solve" these crimes themselves, as if they are going to find something that the tons of people who investigated it before them, including police and other interested people. I just knew that they wouldn't discover anything new or shocking.

I do wish this had more to offer, but it ends up being a forgettable documentary. I mean, if you really are interested in it, check it out, but if you know a little bit about urban legends, you might not get anything new from this.

Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and the true stories that may have inspired them.

A few years ago, Joshua Zeman made "Cropsey", a punch in the gut documentary that started as an examination of an urban legend and turned into a full-scale exposure of something far worse. What many would rather have us forget, Zeman brought to life: a mental facility that was not doing its patients any good, to say the least.

This time he is back, examining not one but four urban legends and finding what may just be the truth behind them (or, if nothing else, real events that pushed the legends further into public consciousness). The hook man, the candy poisoner, the babysitter and the killer clown. Each is looked at in some detail (although limited by the film's running time).

With the hook, we travel to Texarkana, find a little-known serial killer who was never caught, and explain how fact and fiction were blurred through the film "The Town That Dreaded Sundown". The fact the city annually shows a film about the killer, who could have been alive and attended a performance, is a bit disturbing. And how these "Texarkana Moonlight Murders" are relatively obscure, even for serial killer buffs, is a mystery in itself.

In the candy poisoner segment, we learn of the legend of candy tampering, which is just that: a legend. Although circulating for one hundred years, instances are so rare as to be virtually non-existent. And then we have Ronald Clark O'Bryan, the man who took these legends and used them to cover up his real crime... and legend becomes reality.

The babysitter story, with a killer being inside the house, is best remembered as the plot for "When a Stranger Calls". Interestingly, we find that babysitters are not likely targets -- perhaps even less likely than the average person. But then the story takes a juicy turn, when we learn of a serial rapist and murderer who preyed on babysitters, and how a town's racial prejudice probably sent the wrong man to prison. This story deserves its own documentary.

Lastly, the killer clown. Apparently there is an urban legend (not as well known) of clowns that drive white vans and abduct children. And while they circulate around Chicago, the story cannot be traced to the obvious source of John Wayne Gacy (though he certainly intensified it). Here we never quite get to the root, but along the way learn a great deal about Chicago's history with clowns, which is interesting in itself.

This film is every bit as good as "Cropsey", though it does suffer from the format. From the short segments, we are left with one of two impressions (or both): that these needed to be longer but could not be because of running time, and that this was likely supposed to be an ongoing series for Chiller that never came to be. One can easily imagine Zeman traveling to a new town each week and getting to the bottom of an unsolved mystery and an old legend, being the gruesome counterpart to Jan Harold Brunvand.

And we hope he does make more.

Oh wow, this "documentary" is really just a couple of hours of self-indulgence.

Made by the same man who made "Cropsey" (which was ok), this film purports to reveal the origins behind 4 urban legends. The facts are sparse because it's not a real documentary. So the time is filled with visiting old locations where literally nothing else happens, telling innocent residents that their homes were formerly occupied by killers, and a plodding, uninteresting, downright irritating narration that I suppose is supposed to sound menacing but comes off as ridiculous and heavy-handed.

If you're really into urban legends, your time would be way better spent at Wikipedia. This "film" is dull, uninspired, and boring.

I stumbled across the film Cropsey last year on Netflix and was blown away. I did a little research on IMDb and found that Joshua Zeman had another film in the works about urban legends. I have been an avid collector of urban legend stories for many years so I was super excited.

Last night I was finally able to watch Killer Legends. It did not disappoint. There are four different segments researching and examining the truth behind these stories. My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer. I feel that it could be a great TV series with each episode examining a new legend.

I for one can not wait to see what he does next!

Picked randomly on Netflix i found the content directly relating to each incident quit fascinating. Problem is the film comes off amateurish due to the fact that the documentarian(s) find it necessary to insert themselves with filmed commentary, including the two of them bumbling around on location attempting to identify murder sites and rather pretentiously speculating on the case circumstances and the killers motives. Most superfluous and unnecessary are the occasional, random personal reaction shots during interviews or in hotels rooms while conducting research. Wish i could give more positive feedback. The filmmaker's just seem to be stretching this a bit, most likely due limited resources on the chosen subjects.

Self indulgent poetry. Those are the kindest words one can give the filmmakers.

Are there are threads of history woven in the narrators puke? Yes. Do you have facts to backup any of these outlandish claims? Maybe. Can we see them? No!

Killer Legends: One Mans Journey to Bother Everyone!

"Did you know something terrible happened in your house?" "A child was murdered!"

The filmmakers forgot to make a movie about about the people these killers touched, and instead they made something which is much more focused on their own delivery.

I cringed through this entire film.

I had planned to give it 1 star. I am adding an extra star because they commandeered some nice photography. I'd be interested to know who owns all the copyrights to all the videos they used!

In 2010 there was a chilling documentary called Cropsey about the real-life disappearances of five children in Staten Island and the urban legend it spawned. Now from Chiller TV, the director of Cropsey Joshua Zeman, is back with a new and equally unsettling documentary taking on four more classic urban legends and the real-life crimes that inspired them. Zeman and researcher Rachel Mills travel across the U.S. and dig deep to find the truth that inspired some of America's most chilling campfire tales… and truth is always scarier then fiction. Zeman and Mills first travel to Houston, Texas to investigate the murder of a little boy poisoned by tainted Halloween candy and quite possibly the case that started the popular fear-inducing Halloween urban legends of candy filled with glass, razor blades and poisons… of which there are actually no recorded incidents aside from this sad tale. We learn of the death of 8-year-old Timothy O'Bryan in 1974 and the intense police investigation which culminated in the arrest, conviction and eventual execution of the "Candyman", the man who poisoned the Pixie Stick that lead to Timothy's death and the start of these scary Halloween tales. Even more shocking was the man's name was Ronald Clark O'Bryan… the boy's own father. Proving the most frightening ghouls and goblins are the ones living in our very own backyards. The duo next take us to Columbia, Missouri to tackle the popular urban legend of babysitters being stalked by unknown fiends with the heart breaking rape and murder of young Janett Christman in 1950, who was sexually assaulted and strangled while babysitting for a local family. We are treated to an investigation that finds how the popular urban legend was fueled by the possibility that the same man may have committed a number of similar crimes and was never caught…though some unfortunate individuals were blamed for his heinous acts. Even more chilling is their research points to a man who was questioned but, never connected to the crimes… a man some of the victims knew as a neighbor and friend. This segment was particularly disturbing to think someone got away with murdering these poor young women and actually might have lived among them in plain sight. Zeman and Mills then travel to Texarkana to investigate a series of brutal murders of teens at a popular make-out spot that occurred in 1946 and inspired not only the urban legend of the "Hookman" but, the chilling horror classic The Town That Dreaded Sundown. We get another chilling investigation into a series of attacks and murders by a man dubbed "The Phantom", a crime spree that was never solved and even more unsettling is how the town is still haunted by these horrific events decades later and it has provoked some equally disturbing customs from the residents. Our final segment is sure to send goosebumps rippling up and down arms with a story touching on the fear of clowns and some really creepy clown cases and tales from the windy city of Chicago. For decades Chicago has suffered reports of clowns driving around in white vans trying to lure children inside and even more disturbing is that there are actually police reports and eye-witness accounts of this occurring… and the reports suggest there were more then one of these 'clowns' stalking the city. Thankfully, no children were abducted... that we know of. It's a case that has never been solved. We also get an in-depth look into a city that was home to the world famous Bozo The Clown show and to perhaps the spookiest clown creep of them all… John Wayne Gacy, who was convicted of killing over 30 people. Where did the fear of clowns originate?… Chicago apparently! All these stories are given some very thorough investigations by the documentary filmmaker and his researcher. We get some bone-chilling facts, shocking crime scene photos, interviews with those involved and visits to some of the actual locations which these real-life crimes and occurrences took place. It's very informative and the information provided can really be unnerving as we find the true start to some popular urban legends and the movies they inspired. And Zeman and Mills take us on this journey of discovery, eagerly trying to get to the bottom of these cases from which some of our culture's scariest bedtime stories have spawned. They dig deep and it's not only fascinating but, also quite horrifying that, in most cases, the perpetrators were never caught, or worse still, the wrong person was charged or suspected of the crime. And what better way to start an urban legend then an unsolved real incident?… and Zeman and Mills are more then happy to give us some hauntingly all-too-real facts that will make one sleep with a light on far more effectively than any movie or bedtime story. A very effective and disturbing documentary that chills and informs equally.

I was actually pleased someone had the idea to produce this film. Urban legends are all around us, and some really do have a "real life" basis.

The Phantom Killer was the basis for The Hook, Halloween candy tampering and poisoning ( yes, it's happened....with a real case proving it (Candy Man), baby sitter murders ( remember Black Christmas?), and Killer Clowns (John Wayne Gacy). Even Cropsy is mentioned briefly.

I think many urban legends are, as they suggest here, not only stories that warn us that bad things can happen; they are also created to help us cope with real evil in the world.

The film is shot as a documentary, which it is. It combines many facts, which, over time, blurred that fine line of fact into fiction. Great legendary serial killers, such as Zodiac (the original one in San Francisco) will eventually turn into the urban legends we know and shudder to.

I only wish they would make this into a series. Good job!

Don't want to give anything away concerning this film. You can find it on Netflix right now. I didn't know what the movie was about and thought it was insightful. Got to learn about cases I have never heard before. This movie is worth a watch if you are into the horror genre. I might watch this one again once Halloween rolls around. I did think the main commentator sounded a bit cheesy at times. I hope they create more films like this about other urban legends. Some of the clips they used I hadn't seen in a while and somewhat creeper out while watching at night. This movie might bother you more than others just because of the real life cases and those that talk about living during those time periods of hysteria.

The two presenters here are certainly no Louis Theroux. Do you remember the really annoying guy that would try scare others with creepy campfire stories on school camps? Well he is back and this is his documentary. For such interesting subject matter, it's testament to the incompetence of the filmmakers that they somehow manage to balls it up so badly.

It comes across highly exploitative and cheap in nature, with the presenters far too often the center of the film, instead of the subject matter itself. It features 4 'very American' urban legends. It would have been better off split into mini episodes as part of a Netflix series hosted by someone like David Farrier - because it doesn't quite work as a documentary.

Just ends up being two amateurs pointing at trees in the dark. It tries too hard to be scary, with not only on-site nighttime footage, but cut-shots of horror movies loosely based on the urban legends. The documentary didn't even come to much of a conclusion on the subject of urban legends.

Don't watch if you have a fear of clowns - though that segment was by far the most interesting part.

I really enjoyed this piece! Rachel Mills and Joshua Zeman do an excellent job of examining several urban legends and the crimes that may have inspired them. I would really like to see them turn this into a series that explores true crimes and studies the twisting of the facts by the general public. Rachel and Joshua take a first person role in examining the facts and perceptions surrounding several high profile murders that spawned or at the very least bolstered urban legends such as the man with the hook, the babysitter and the caller and 'killer clown'. Their objective look at these is very believable and I think would do well in an ongoing examination of other high profile crimes and how facts get twisted in the retelling.

Joshua Zeman's KILLER LEGENDS is a worthy follow-up to his highly-acclaimed horror doc CROPSEY. KILLER LEGENDS features chills, laughs, and 85 minutes of pure entertainment. Having been a horror fan for my entire life, I've always loved being scared by serial killers created by the craziest minds working in the horror genre. However, I never considered that many of these serial killers and insane stories were rooted in reality.

Zeman and Rachel Mills clearly did an enormous amount of research to make this film simultaneously stimulating intellectually and wickedly entertaining. Each segment of KILLER LEGENDS is engaging, chilling, and more compelling than the one preceding it. My personal favorite was the "Candy Man" segment because it hits the closest to home and features the biggest twist. It's also the most disturbing. This segment is so horrifying and relatable (if that's even the right word) because most of us have been trick-or-treating and had heard about tainted candy. The fact that tainted candy killed a kid under the circumstances that it did is really horrible (you'll see what I mean).

Mills and Zeman's passion for the material really shines through and makes this film a winner. They obviously love this material and Zeman seems to love the kinds of films he makes - he has now explored the true-life roots of urban legends in two documentaries. This makes watching them incredibly entertaining. We feel his passion as we watch. I would highly recommend this to fans of horror, documentaries, and, of course, CROPSEY. This is a documentary for those who don't like documentaries.

This was a screener that I was really looking forward to. If there's something I love, it's a good horror-based documentary. I love learning, and there's nothing better to learn about then anything horror. In this case, Killer Legends, takes you all over the place, from Texas to Missouri, to Chicago investigating and finding the truth behind some of the cruelest urban legends. I've seen a lot of narratives before, but never one that dug to find the ugly truth that inspired some of the most chilling stories ever told. So this was a treat, and it's incredibly well made.

Joshua Zeman (Cropsey 2009) and Rachel Mills (American Pickers 2012) take you on a journey that makes you face the harsh reality that real life is far worse than any scary story made up. Also, that any tall tale is always based on some truth, which is always more horrifying. When watching, I couldn't help but reflect how screwed up we are as a species to do the things we do. Killer Legends shows you that you don't have to be scared of the monster in your closet, or the creepy clown doll under your bed, because human beings and what they're capable of, trump all else.

We learn about The Hookman, and the danger of sex amongst teens. In 1946, a killer known as The Phantom murders four couples on Lover's Lane, claiming five victims. He was never caught, and the incidents have been dubbed the Moonlight Murders. These killings are what inspired the motion picture, The Town that Dreaded Sundown, because The Phantom always wore a mask.

Then we get schooled about the Candyman urban legend, where a man gives poison to children in Halloween candy. The sickening truth behind this involves a father poisoning his son's pixie stick, in order to claim the child's insurance policy. Though some still believe him to be innocent, he was given the death penalty via lethal injection.

The Baby-Sitter is one of the most disturbing urban legends by far, as this documentary will teach you that in Columbia Missouri 1950, Jannet Christman was strangled to death with an iron cord. We learn there was a similar strangulation in 1946, only two blocks over from where Chistman would be killed just four years later. Both are said to have probably known the antagonist, because there aren't signs that there was a struggle.

The clowns are possibly the most unsettling of all the stories told. We delve into the psyche of why clowns are so creepy, and how it's the perversion of innocence. I didn't even know there was a name for those afraid of clowns, but now I do. It's called coulrophobia. We learn about random kidnappings and sightings all involving men dressed as clowns, to lore children in. And of course, John Wayne Gacy, and his 29 victims are mentioned.

There's no point in me ruining all the specific details, so I'll stop there. But, I sincerely liked this feature. The time and effort that went into making it is undeniable. Joshua and Rachel did their homework in this eye-opening docudrama. If you like finding the grit and dirt behind scary stories, there's no reason not to watch it. It's very knowledgeable and informative, as well as unsettling.

Killer Legends hits DVD July 1st, so check it out. And beware of the truth.

I really enjoyed the documentary learning what true crimes inspired some of 9ur classic horror films. That candyman I remember as a kid by saving to have our candy checked because of that legend. Tragic that a father was responsible for the crime and tried blaming someone else but of course, he did that because of the life insurance policies he took out on his kids. Sick sick man. Also those stranger is calling ones too. And the clowns! Creepy