10 to Midnight

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, the rookie Detective Paul McAnn teams up with the veteran Detective Leo Kessler to investigate the murder of Betty Johnson and her boyfriend that were stabbed by a naked serial-killer in a park. Detective Kessler recognizes the victim, who lived in the same neighborhood many years ago and childhood friend of his daughter Laurie Kessler. The killer Warren Stacy goes to the funeral and overhears Betty's father telling Detective Kessler that his daughter had a diary. Warren breaks in Betty's apartment and stabs and kills her roommate Karen Smalley trying to find the diary. But Karen had already delivered the journal to Detective Kessler. Leo Kessler is sure that Warren is the serial-killer and her plants a false evidence in his apartment. However, Warren's defense lawyer presses Detective McAnn accusing him of perjury and Warren is released. Now the Warren is stalking Laurie to revenge against her father.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director(s): J. Lee Thompson
Production: MGM
 
IMDB:
6.3
Metacritic:
12
Rotten Tomatoes:
33%
R
Year:
1983
101 min
540 Views


(police radio)

Nestor Crittenden. Thats with two Ts.

Tell you exactly how l did it.

Straight-edge razor.

When l catch em breaking the Lords

commandments, l rip em with the razor.

You gonna stick me in jail?

Not today, Nestor. Were full up today.

Come back next week.

Stupid flatfoot.

Never tell you nothing again.

No wonder you never catch nobody.

- Jerry, dont do that.

- Whats new, Leo? You onto something?

The captain issued a statement.

Didnt you get it?

l could fart a better statement than that.

Are we friends or not?

- l wont quote you directly.

- What?

You wont quote me?

You wont mention my name on the TV?

And you call yourself my friend.

- lts not nice, Leo.

- Jerry, lm not a nice person.

lm a mean, selfish son of a b*tch.

You want a story, but l want a killer,

and what l want comes first.

Bye now. Dont wait up for me.

Have fun.

Hi.

Where are we going?

Back to the lake, l hope.

(soft rock on stereo)

(switches music off

Hi, Fran. ls it as good as they say?

lf not, ask for your money back.

- Will we get our money back?

- No way.

- Dont by any chance know her name?

- Not by any chance, no.

- lts Tina. Why?

- Nothing chanced, nothing gained.

lts my fifth time lve seen this movie.

- l havent even seen it yet.

- Youre gonna die!

- Robert Redfords so gorgeous.

- l like Paul Newman.

Tina. Say hi to Warren Stacey.

Hi, Warren. How are you? Fine,

thank you, Tina. Hot buttered popcorn?

Would you mind

sitting somewhere else?

No, indeed. Wouldnt mind at all.

ld rather sit here.

Popcorn?

Now look what youve done.

Shame on you.

Dont go away mad.

(woman moaning and sighing)

Honey.

(screams)

What the hell...?

(sobs)

(girl sobs)

Warren, dont hurt me.

Why me? Warren, lll do anything for you.

lts so sad when they die at the end.

Come on.

- Hes so cute.

- Dont even look at him.

- Hes cute, though.

- Yeah, thats his problem.

- No hard feelings, l hope.

- Wanna bet?

Come on, dont be like that.

Lets start over.

You dont like popcorn.

How about a drink?

Dont tell me youre not old enough.

Were just not that hard up for company.

Wait a minute.

Hes only trying to be friendly.

- So what dyou have in mind?

- Forget it.

l wouldnt wanna come between you and

your girlfriend. Good night, sweethearts.

Dont do anything l couldnt do better.

(siren)

Charlie! Charlie, come over here!

Get the camera!

- Who discovered the body?

- No comment at this time.

- Can you give us their names?

- Not till the families have been notified.

Were they both naked?

How were they killed?

Anything l might say, without further

investigation, would be speculation.

Thats mine.

- What?

- The chewing gum. l dropped it there.

McAnn. Paul McAnn.

lts not a very propitious way

to meet, is it?

You might say that.

Dont throw things around

where were looking for evidence.

lm sorry. l wasnt thinking.

- l see youve already met.

- Yeah.

Lets get on with it. Come on.

Come on.

What do you notice about the MO, Leo?

That girl that was killed

last Christmas Eve, Lorraine Partridge.

Right. Same scene.

Captain Malone and l think

the boy was incidental.

lts obviously the girl the killer was after.

The boy just had the misfortune

to be with her.

Misfortune?

ln the case of both victims,

death was caused by the severing

of the intestines and major arteries,

causing massive haemorrhaging.

This is all all right, but can you tell us

something that we can use?

The Johnson girls blood type

is the least common: AB negative.

ln addition, theres evidence

of a hepatitis infection, now dormant.

Was this girl raped, doc?

Theres no evidence of forcible entry.

- l could have told you that.

- On the basis of what?

lf anybody does something like this,

his knife has gotta be his penis.

Karen, wheres Betty?

lm sure shell be here soon.

l guess maybe she overslept.

You guess maybe?

Dont you live together?

Yes, but sometimes

she spends the night with a friend.

A friend. When she comes in,

l wanna see her.

- What is it, Warren?

- This is Karens typewriter.

Put it down.

Yes, maam.

Works fine now.

Just needed some cleaning.

- Thanks.

- Youre welcome.

lf l need you, lll call you.

l guess she should change

her sleeping habits.

Would you mind

your own damn business?

What do l care? She screws around

and loses her job, whats that to me?

Go away, Warren.

Who is this?

What are you saying?

Oh, no!

Oh, my God, no!

- Bettys dead.

- What happened?

No! No!

Does anyone know

what happened to her?

l spent five years as a patrol cop.

ln all that time l thought

ld learn to adjust to almost anything.

lts funny, this sort of thing,

the personal stuff,

- l suppose in time you become inured.

- Become what?

Able to face the parents

of a butchered girl.

You just dont let your feelings

become involved.

- Youre only there for the information.

- You smoke?

Not any more.

lf you were smart, youd quit too.

l know. lts a filthy habit.

Hazardous to your health,

offensive to everyone around you.

Have l left anything out?

Sometimes you talk like

you should have been a school teacher.

Thats not surprising. My father was

professor of social psychology, Berkeley.

Oh, yeah? And youre a cop?

Lieutenant, l dont think

you have a low regard for cops.

What l do think is you regard me

as a profound pain in the ass.

- Finally said something l agree with.

- lll try and raise my level of performance.

That shouldnt be too hard.

l used to live in this neighbourhood.

That building was once a drugstore.

The owner was hooked on morphine.

His wife tried to have him put away,

so he killed her.

The jury found him temporarily insane.

Six months in the nuthouse

and he was pronounced cured.

A week later he shot his parole officer.

You sure this is the right street?

lts the right address.

Mr and Mrs F L Johnson.

- Oh, jeez.

- Whats the matter? You know them?

God, yes.

Their daughter and my daughter,

they were friends. God.

- You wait here.

- Wouldnt it be better...

No, wait here.

l dont believe it. Leo.

lts good to see you.

Marge. Come here, Margie.

Excuse my appearance. l work

on the night shift now. l just got up.

Leo Kessler!

Good Lord, look at you.

You havent changed a bit.

- How long has it been?

- What is it, Leo?

- Can we talk inside?

- Come in.

Whats wrong? What is it?

Dont let your feelings become involved.

Jesus, cant you drive any faster?

Before... whatever his name is -

Dale Anders. Who else?

She dated a lot of fellas.

Never a night somebody didnt call up.

What are the names of the guys

she went to bed with?

l wish we didnt have to ask this,

but were looking for a motive.

All the names you can remember.

Before Dale, there was Larry Williams,

Lou Porter, George Latham.

There was a guy she didnt go to bed with

but who called up all the time.

Mexican or something. Every once

in a while hed say something in Spanish.

- Whats his name?

- Hed never say his name.

All he called up for was to,

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William Roberts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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