I really don't get the hype.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

I found out about this film through this site and I enthusiastically downloaded it based on the reviews I read.This film is very poor.The main difference between this and Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer is the fact there is a strong dynamic between the characters within Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer as well as very strong characterisation regardless of strong acting abilities. All of the characters within this film are flat, dull and at the most two dimensional,the dialogue is rubbish and where as within Henry you are prone to empathising with his situation and charismatic personality at the time as despising the sleazy antics of Otis and observing how Henry despises him also.This film leaves you feeling very uninterested and apathetic.There is no tension,there is no build up at all.This film is a dry prolonged yawn.Avoid.I have never wrote a review or responded on a forum ever.Watching this film drove me to it,I think that says a lot in itself.

Confessions of a Serial Killer tells the tale of Daniel Ray Hawkins (Robert A. Burns), he has just been arrested in Texas & is being held prisoner. Sheriff Will Gaines (Berkley Garrett) questions him, the cold blooded Hawkins has no problems in recounting & describing his horrific crimes in which he claims to have murdered over 200 people...Written & directed by Mark Blair I thought Confessions of a Serial Killer was an excellent piece of film-making, the script is great, the character's are superb & the dialogue is assured. It's chilling, it's unsettling & it's pretty damn frightening that a person such as Hawkins could exist. I think the character of Hawkins is based on Henry Lee Lucas who confessed to over 500 murders across America but was only convicted of 10. Anyway this is a basic film at heart with Hawkins simply recalling various incidents from his past from the very first murder he committed to when he was a child he would see his Mother (Jane K. Smith) bring men home & have sex with them in front of him, a practice which made his Father (Bill Boyd) commit suicide. Confessions of a Serial Killer is pretty shocking stuff throughout as Hawkins callously murders his victims without remorse or feeling, almost as if it's a normal thing to do. This is a million miles from my own mentality & I simply can't relate to this guy which makes what he did even more frightening. A deeply unsettling film that had a genuine power & nastiness. Why aren't more challenging films such as this made? The only negative thing I have to say about Confessions of a Serial Killer is that the final 20 or so minutes felt like a condensed slasher film such as Friday the 13th (1980) although I loved the sombre down beat & abrupt ending, I though it worked perfectly as it doesn't really give closure & there's no happy Hollywood ending to make the audience feel good about themselves. It's a pretty rough ride all the way but one well worth taking.Director Blair gives the whole film a bleak, minimalist look & feel which adds to the uneasy feeling that the guy standing next to you in a que could be a Daniel Ray Hawkins. There are some nasty scenes that mix sex & violence, a prostitute's head is bashed in & her bra ripped off, a woman is raped at the same time as having her throat slowly slit, there are more cut throats, broken necks & murders.Technically Confessions of a Serial Killer is as good as it needs to be, this is raw uncompromising stuff that doesn't need the latest CGI computer effects or high paid actors to get it's message across. The acting is strong by all involved especially Burns as Hawkins who gives a cold performance, the guy remains cool & calm throughout, he doesn't even flinch as he recalls the details of many of his brutal crimes & he has a chilling detachment from what he has done. Burns was actually the art director on classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) also production designer, The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1980) & Re-Animator (1985) among other's, sadly he committed suicide after being diagnosed with cancer in 2004.Confession of a Serial Killer is a great film for those with the stomach, it's as simple & straight forward as that. A fantastic performance from Burns & an absorbing script detailing brutal crimes that on occasion sent shivers down my spine. What are you waiting for? Find a copy now, sit back & enjoy (if enjoy is the right word)...

Mark Blair's 'Confessions of a Serial Killer' is a rather good film but – whether you like it or not – you automatically compare it to John McNaughton's 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' and then it definitely loses the battle. Reviewing this movie actually states all the more how powerful and unequaled McNaughton's effort really is. 'Confessions...' is very grim, but 'Henry' is at least a dozen times more grim! Rober A. Burns is truly eerie in his role, but Michael Rooker is at least a dozen times eerier in his! 'Confessions...' is disturbing, but... You get the picture! Based on the testimonies of the real Henry Lee Lucas, Burns plays a forty-something Texan hillbilly who quietly and without showing any form of emotions unravels his life as a serial killer to a patient copper. How he picked up multiple hitch-hikers and later dumped their cadavers in peaceful meadows. How he managed to stay out of the police's reach by being on the road all the time, etc... There's very few explicit material featuring in this film and that rather disappointed me. Not that I'm a sick puppy but a documentary about a serial killer is much more realistic when you're exposed to raw, shocking or even downright repulsive footage. Like it was the case in (sorry for bringing it up again) 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". . The film is suspenseful, however, and the extended sequences of Daniel Ray chasing terrified victims though corn fields are truly unsettling The character drawings of Moon Lewton (Daniel Ray's homosexual accomplice) and his sister Molly are weak and the giant anti-climax is sorely disappointing. It's pretty much like the title says: confessions! You sit and listen to a man clarifying his vile acts, but you never really get inside his twisted mind or guess for the motivations of his insane behavior. Worth seeing but certainly not a must.

I've just finished watching this dribble! It must be the WORST film I have ever seen, the quality was non-existant the audio on the region 2 disc had the swear words blanked out. If your think of buying or renting this.....DONT get Ted Bundy its far better.