Normally movie fans don’t pay attention to the art director in a film unless they are a relative or you’re hoping to break into set design. Robert A. Burns (1944-2004) is the serious exception to this rule. Over the course of his career, he worked on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Tourist Trap, Don’t Go Near the Park, Disco Godfather, Microwave Massacre, The Howling and Re-Animator. These are Masterpieces of the 20th Century. You might not have connected them through Robert A. Burns, but that’s perfectly fine. In the middle of the ’80s, Burns got to step in front of the camera to play one of the most notorious monsters of the ’80s who wasn’t a studio creation. Confessions of A Serial Killer is a fictionalized telling of Henry Lee Lucas’ story. The murderer was caught in 1982 for two murders and ended up claiming he killed over 300 women across the country. Robert A. Burns gets under the skin as a Lucas-esque character that is as frightening as any creation that stalked his sets.
Daniel Ray Hawkins is behind bars for murder in Texas. He had already served a term for killing his mother and now he’s back. But this time he’s ready to confess to more. Sheriff Will Gaines (Berkley Garrett) is eager to listen. Hawkins has a plenty of victims all over the Lone Star state. The sheriff is eager to use Hawkins to wipe out unsolved murders. He starts his tale with how is mother was a hooker who would service clients at home while he was around. This led him to a lifelong obsession with killing women who were walking the streets. He meets up with Moon Lewton (Dennis Hill) while working as a mover. The two realize they are cut from the same cloth and seal their friendship by picking out a victim and attacking her on a hot sweaty night. They enjoy picking up women in their car and just dumping bodies on the side of the road. Things get extra interesting with Moon’s sister Molly (Sidney Brammer) meets them on the road. Turns out that she’s as blood thirsty as her brother. She does like Daniel although they have a special relationship. How long will this threesome last on the road? When will Texas run out of people?
If I wanted to get too intellectual, I’d argue that this film is a serial killer version of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Daniel as Huck, Moon as Tom Sawyer and Molly as Becky. The first half of the film has them on the open road which is the Mississippi River in the book. The second half of the book has them getting off the river and stuck in a house to get a taste of normal life. That happens here although the second half in Confessions is much better than what Mark Twain wrote in his book. Huck and Tom seem like the kind of guys that would turn out to serial killers.
What makes the film exceptional is how Robert A. Burns plays Daniel. He isn’t an imposing guy. He seems like the kind of goofball who could lure women into his car or get offered a ride when he’s hitchhiking. He looks safe and almost forgettable. Burns reminds me of Graham Jarvis who played Loretta’s husband on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Nobody thinks he’s going to be trouble until he attacks. What’s interesting is that Burns brings in elements of his previous film. He cranks up a chainsaw in one scene. But this isn’t a serial killer parody film. Burns give a cold-blooded performance. He also served as art director on the film. He has a better idea than his victims of any escape paths.
This story might sound familiar if you’ve seen Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer with Michael Rooker. Confessions was finished in 1985, a year before Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer which is also based off Henry Lee Lucas. Like Henry, Confessions of A Serial Killer had a rather complicated release path. Henry didn’t get a real release until 1990. Confessions of a Serial Killer was eventually picked up by Roger Corman for a video release except he didn’t release it until after Henry and Silence of the Lambs. The film was edited down to 89 minutes and didn’t get too much notice for a while. If you were browsing the rack at Video Bar, you’d think this was a film looking into cash in on those films instead of being a trailblazer in the genre. Didn’t help that Corman put an actor looking like Hannibal Lecter with the mouth mask on the cover of the VHS box. This is not a copycat or a rip off. Confessions of a Serial Killer is the real unflinching indie deal. Getting to see the director’s cut in 1080p makes it even more nightmarish.
While Michael Rooker eventually became iconic as Henry; I’ve never seen a t-shirt featuring Robert A. Burns as Daniel. This is a shame since he’s as scary as Rooker on the screen. Burns makes Daniels the most frightening man to terrify Texas since Leatherface. Burns needs to be remembered as a true icon of horror with his role in Confessions of A Serial Killer.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The 1080p transfer has the grainy look that enhances a creepy ’80s film. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 mono so you can hear Daniel Ray Hawkins describe his crimes clearly. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary from writer-director Mark Blair. Turns out his real name is John Dwyer. Joining him is director of photography Layton Blaylock and actor Sidney Brammer. They kid him about his fake name. He lets us know about the various actors. Robert A. Burns was part of the University Texas acting department so he did have acting chops. The soundtrack album was a best seller in Belgium. They also talk about a crew member quitting because it was just too realistic.
Rondo And Bob (100:18) is a documentary about Robert A. Burns and actor Rondo Hatton that recreates moments from their lives. Robert A. Burns during his life worked on getting facts about the actor Rondo Hatton. Hatton was best known as The Creeper from his time at Universal during the classic monsters era. Fred Olen Ray also helps give Rondo’s biography. Stuart Gordon, Joe Bob Briggs and Dee Wallace talk about Burns. The movie came out in 2020. This makes a perfect double feature with Confessions of A Serial Killer. The documentary is subtitled.
The Henry Lee Lucas Story (6:12) is TV news reporter James Moore who interviewed the serial killer a few times after he was taken into custody. He still has nightmares about the guy. He describes Lucas as a man without guilt or remorse.
Polaroid Gallery (2:53) are shots from the set from the continuity person and a few behind the scenes shots.
Promotional Gallery (1:13) includes the poster, VHS covers from around the world, and the film negatives.
Trailer Gallery includes Trailer #1 (1:34) and Trailer #2 (1:45) shows the interrogation and the crimes. No mercy is the theme.
Unearthed Films presents Confessions of a Serial Killer: Collector’s Edition. Directed by Mark Blair. Screenplay by Mark Blair. Starring Robert A. Burns, Dennis Hill, Berkley Garrett, Sidney Brammer, DeeDee Norton, Ollie Handley, Demp Toney and Lainie Frasier. Running Time: 107 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: July 23, 2024.
