Slaughter of the Innocents

German Title "Der Mord an unschuldigen Kindern"

Director / Screenwriter - James Glickenhaus

 

Kevin Sorbo: "I had a part in the mystery flick, 'Slaughter of the Innocents', which went straight to video." (27.08.97 Orange County Register)

 

A FBI agent Steve Broderick (Scott Glenn) is assigned to investigate a case in Utah's Badlands, where a serial killer is molesting and murdering children. The agent discovers connection between the murders and a religious fanatic who believes himself to be Noah and who is building a huge ark in a cave. Both agent and his teenager son Jesse (Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus), a computer wizard, are certain that Bobby Martel sentenced to die, is the wrong person, but he is executed before Broderick can prove his case. But Jesse is hot on the trail of the real killer, who has kidnapped another child. Now Broderick must rescue both Jesse and the kidnapping victim before its too late.

 

Theoretically this low-budget movie is a psychological thriller. Psychologically - tedious confusion. The course of events is predictable: as soon as Jesse appears on the screen with his talents and interest to serial killers, there is no room for any doubts, that all FBI will go to a dustbin and investigation will be carried out by teenager. Though it is necessary to give Glickenhaus his due. Such things are seldom done so frankly. In the first 20 minutes he introduces to the audience people who work together with Broderick, and never later they will appear, even as a voice by phone.

While the plot is preachy and as simple as ABC, there is something to watch out for - Sorbo plays the well-groomed FBI agent, graduate of Harward, nameless onscreen and revealed in credits as John Willison. Yes, he looks devilishly cute in glasses, but that's not the point :). Without a real support in the script, having at his disposal only 10 lines comprised of 155 words (including significant "Yeah" and "Uh"), Kevin, using poses, a mimicry, gestures and glances, had created quite colourful character of the intermediate guy who can be good or bad, depending on a current situation. He is not malicious, but he will not fight for justice. He is not going to act heroically, regarding decency as a skill to live comfortably. He eats well, he sleeps well, he conducts a healthy way of life and don't feel pangs of conscience.

 

Willison: He also said he'd appreciate anything we could do regarding the Bobby Martel incident. -- Broderick: "Incident". That's a nice word for it.
 

 

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