10 to Midnight Page #5

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


- Red jacket, striped shirt, blue jeans.

- And the suit he wore to the funeral?

OK. That too.

Perfect match. Blood type AB negative.

Also evidence of hepatitis, now dormant.

Then thats it.

How do you figure a guy like this? Sets up

a perfect alibi and then blows it with that.

Why didnt he have them

cleaned or burn them?

l think that might look fairly suspicious.

Suspicion leaves a reasonable doubt.

This makes him look awfully dumb.

- He doesnt strike me as dumb.

- Everybody makes mistakes.

l made one myself last night.

l forgot to have Kessler sign

for the tape he picked up.

Last night? l was with Kessler last night

till one in the morning at his house.

lt was about two.

Anyway, have him come in and sign.

Sign here. Standard bail bond agreement.

What itll cost you.

- All l want is out.

- Thats what were here for.

They put you in, l get you out,

Mr Dante keeps you out.

- Whats he looking at, Dave?

- Did they read you your rights?

- Did you?

- Of course.

Good boy.

We plead not guilty, demand a jury trial.

With their backlog,

nobodys gonna pay any attention.

Sexy phone call. l can practically

guarantee you a suspended sentence.

Excuse me.

lm talking to my client. Do you mind?

l have something more

for you to talk about.

We found some blood

on your clients clothing.

- Were gonna rebook him. Murder one.

- What?

See you at the arraignment.

You dirty sh*t! Hes lying. There was

no blood on my clothes and he knows it.

You dirty sh*t!

Hes lying! Hes lying! Hes lying!

No!

No!

Theyre coming out now!

Ask the DA.

Hold it. OK! Hold it!

Hold it!

Hes been charged with first-degree

homicide and held without bail.

Evidence will be presented at

the pre-trial hearing. No further comment.

You did it. Now tell me how you did it.

- Just lucky, l guess.

- Hell, luck? Youre terrific.

How does it look to you, Mr Dante?

l welcome the opportunity to prove

that all the evidence against my client

is not only flimsy, its fabricated.

- What do you mean?

- You got a dictionary? Look it up.

- How well did you know her, Warren?

- Did you do it?

- How well did you know her?

- Did you love her?

Dante says the evidence against

his client is fabricated. Care to comment?

- What evidence?

- Ask him.

- He wouldnt say.

- Makes it unanimous.

- Why would he say fabricated?

- They always say that.

Daddy, l gotta go.

lve already missed two classes.

lm real proud of my old man.

And you too. First time l saw you

l said Thats a good detective.

- l dont remember that.

- l said it to myself.

- l think lll go down with her.

- You never answered. Why fabricated?

- Whats he up to?

- Forget it.

McAnn. Can l have a minute of your time?

lm in a hurry.

Tomorrow lm gonna

call you as a witness.

lm gonna ask you about

the evidence against Stacey.

What about it?

You know there were no blood stains

till someone planted them.

Who says that? Warren Stacey?

McAnn, you can deny it now, but if you lie

in the witness stand, thats perjury.

Perjury is a serious offence.

Threatening a witness

is fairly serious too, Mr Dante.

Whos threatening?

All lm asking for is the truth.

You will know the truth

and the truth will make you free.

lf you dont know the truth,

youd better find out.

See you.

Hello, McAnn. This is Kessler.

lm not interrupting anything?

lf you have a girl there, lll hang up.

- Theres no girl. Just me.

- l havent seen much of you lately.

l thought you might have died of old age.

lve been meaning to call you, Laurie.

lt sounds like a lame excuse,

but lve been very busy.

Got a new partner, a new assignment.

lve got your radio here.

l was kind of expecting you

to come by and pick it up.

- Maybe say hello, if you felt like it.

- Sure, lll do that.

ls this Paul McAnn, the detective?

l feel like lm talking to a stranger.

lm sorry. l just had

a lot on my mind lately.

Look, lve got another call.

l really have been thinking about you.

l would like to see you.

l gotta go. lll call you.

- Yeah, sure.

- (hangs up)

Hello.

Wanted to remind you, in case you forgot,

when you testify tomorrow, remember,

youre sworn to tell the truth,

the whole truth

and nothing but the truth,

so help you God.

See you in court, McAnn.

When Kessler came to get

the tape and the voice print,

did you discuss anything else with him?

Sh*t. He told you, huh?

Lets hear it.

The boys grabbed a load of... stuff.

They burned most of it.

- But this was such high quality...

- What are you talking about?

- What are you talking about?

- Were you with Kessler the entire time?

- Except when l went to get the tape.

- When you came back, he was here?

- Where else?

- No, l mean here, right here in this room.

No, he was in there.

- Whats kept in that refrigerator?

- Blood samples.

Nice, very nice. Just right.

Lets hear it again.

- Guilty or not guilty?

- Not guilty.

Good boy. We can always

plead insanity later.

- lm not insane.

- l know that.

But in case we have to go that route,

l want you to know were in good shape.

No matter what youve done,

the worse it is,

the more the jurys gonna think that

no normal person could have done it.

So we work out a routine, say

youre two people - one good, one bad.

You start hearing voices, the bad boy

telling the good boy what to do.

He doesnt wanna do it

but he cant help himself. You see?

- Youre saying lm a schizo.

- No, Warren.

lm saying that you walk

out of a crazy house alive.

Theyll carry you

out of a gas chamber dead.

What?

Staceys lawyers putting me on the stand.

He says Stacey was framed.

Dave Dantes not a lawyer. Hes a shyster.

He says the evidence was planted.

Do you know that to him

this is one big game?

lf he gets Stacey off,

hes won the Super Bowl

and to all the scum out there hes a hero.

l went back to the lab

and talked to the technician. l asked...

What the hell did you do that for?

Why didnt you ask me?

l was afraid you might tell me

you planted those blood stains.

Yeah, well...

l did.

Jesus, Leo.

- Why?

- What kind of a question is that?

- Wed have nailed him soon.

- After counting how many more dead?

He had to be stopped. The only way

to do that is to put him away.

- You understand what lm saying?

- Yes, l understand what youre saying.

You want me to commit perjury.

What do you think hes gonna do?

Hell lie about everything.

Staceys not a cop.

He didnt take an oath.

An oath? Jesus Christ!

Would you take an oath

that hes not guilty?

You go in that courtroom and forget

whats legal and do whats right.

lf l thought it was right,

ld swear to anything you say.

We will then present evidence

that the crime was premeditated

and then we will call witnesses

to testify that the defendant

harboured malice towards the victim...

testimony confirmed

by the victims own diary.

We will produce evidence that there were

blood stains on the defendants clothing...

that he acknowledges wearing

on the night of the murder,

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William Roberts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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