The Daily Dig: Killer’s Delight (1978)

An irredeemable exploitation film, it calls inspiration from serial murderer Ted Bundy but offers little more than gratuitous violence.

A cop chases down a serial killer who preys on women in California. Let’s dig into 1978’s KILLER’S DELIGHT, directed by Jeremy Hoenack!

As I See It

Amazingly, this was written by a Woman. It is hard to pigeonhole this as just another male rape fantasy considering that reality. That doesn’t make this any less crass.

Maralyn Thomas started her writing career with this film and never wrote anything like it again, as she went on to write many episodes of various soap operas.

There is no real story. It is like a cheap, uninspired graphic novel without dialogue bubbles.

Alternatively known as “The Sport Killer” overseas, there is no attempt at psychology or metaphor, or motive. It is just one slaying of a woman after another, with some half-assed cop investigation scenes thrown in haphazardly.

Not until the very last scene do we get any indication of what drives the killer to do his work, where he calls his last victim “Mommy”. As I said, uninspired.

Famous Faces

Ann-Marie Martin (First Victim – Girl with Dog) has an impressive genre film resume. Prom Night, Halloween II, and The Boogens. She stopped acting in 1988 and then co-wrote the action hit Twister with Michael Crichton.

Martin Speer (Detective Mitelman) had a feature part in Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes.

Of Gratuitous Nature

The entire film is an exercise in exhibiting male power and the ruse of female doltishness. There is no arc, progression, or reason for any of it. It is pure exploitation.

Heartthrob

The credits rolling was a beautiful thing.

Ripe for a Remake

With dramatizations of Bundy’s story hitting Netflix recently, I can’t imagine there is much room for something that sounds similar.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Inexplicably, Vinegar Syndrome decided to release a Blu-ray version with a limited edition slipcover numbered to 5000. It contains a bevy of new interviews. You can also stream on Tubi.