SYNOPSICS
The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999) is a English movie. William A. Graham has directed this movie. Kevin Anderson,Tom Skerritt,Naomi Watts,Kellie Overbey are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1999. The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999) is considered one of the best Thriller,Drama movie in India and around the world.
Fact-based story about Ira Einhorn, a 70's peace-nik who is generally credited as one of the founders of Earth Day. In the late 60's and early 70's, Ira lived with Holly Maddux. But when she tries to leave him in 1977, she suddenly disappears. Later her body is discovered in a trunk in Einhorn's apartment. Let out on bail, Einhorn flees from the country and manages to elude authorities for years. Meanwhile he is convicted in absentia and sentenced to prison. Holly's father is determined to see his daughter's murderer brought to justice and has him tracked and is eventually caught in France in 1997. Martin Donovan appears as the assistant D.A. who put the case together. Today, Einhorn is now appealing his conviction.
The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer (1999) Reviews
What happens when good girl falls for bad boy
If you're looking to dissuade your daughters from the fella she adores but you think little of, have her sit through this. Ira Einhorn was a celebrity of the peace / earth movements of the 60s and 70s. Extremely well respected, his peacenik persona cloaked a darker side that hated women and thought very little of anything other than himself and his personal causes. When his long-time girlfriend Holly Maddux decides to leave him, she disappears and eighteen months later her decomposed body is found in a locked trunk in his apartment. Through it all, Ira maintains his innocence, doing his best to convince the world that the American Government set him up, that Holly's murder was done to 'embarrass' him. Out on bail, he flees the country and lives at large in the UK until being caught in the late 90s in France. The French, however, knowing he has been convicted in absentia of Holly's murder and faces life in prison without parole once returned to the US, refuses to extradict him. Apparently, a higher court overturned this decision and he is currently appealing a later order to be sent back. Kevin Anderson and Naomi Watts are superb as the leads; he gives you the shivers as he unveils the layers of a clearly narcissistic sociopath and she, simply, breaks your heart. How many promising young women have you known who fall victim to their own lack of identity and the whims of an abusive lover? Filmed as a tv miniseries, this is a three and a half hour vehicle for victim's rights. While the first half of this is used to set up Ira and Holly's dysfunctional relationship, the perspective of Holly's family, and the anguish they go through in trying to bring their daughter's murderer to justice, takes precedence in the second half. If the evidence weren't so damning against Ira Einhorn, this would be just another manipulative movie of the week (however well acted). As it is, it leaves the viewer haunted by the possibilities of a life brutally extinguished and infuriated by the fact that justice is continually skirted by the one person responsible for the crime.
Thought provoking drama
I have read several books and viewed many documentaries(even an episode of "America's Most Wanted") concerning this case and still come away with the feeling that there is more to the story than is being told. Ira Einhorn was a hippie guru in Philadelphia during the 60s and 70s, and was heavily involved in thought control, paranormal, and computer information programs. He always claimed that the CIA and other government agencies were monitoring his activities, and some of this is brought out in this movie. However, for the most part this is the story from the slain woman's family point of view. I also found it very interesting that the lawyer that got Einhorn out on bail(for murder for Pete's sake!)was none other than Arlen Spector, author of the JFK "magic bullet theory" and involved in many congressional intelligence oversight activities. Watching this movie, or following the case, one can see some of the Danny Casolaro incident present. This movie is presented fairly well, and the acting is superb, but watch it and read between the lines!
Never forget Holly Maddux!
I have read a previous comment on this movie, and yes it is a long movie, if it is watched all at once, like on Lifetime Movies. It was originally a two part mini-series. I think people need to remember the horrible death Holly Maddux endured. Ira Einhorn is in the public light where he loves to be, whether it is bad or good. Of course where he is concerned, their is no good. It is so important to remember Holly Maddux a young women who was trying to make a life for herself, never to marry, or have children, taken from this world at the hand of another, and in such a brutal murder. My family and I payed our respect to her grave just yesterday, along with the graves of her father and mother. We have never met the family but had such strong feelings this movie gave us, we felt compelled to find her marker and leave flowers. I hope this movie touches you the way it touched me and my family, and that you will remember HOLLY MADDUX the victim, the person, and remember the family who would not give up until justice was done. The hippie guru has now been sent home to face his crime and punishment from France. He does however get to have a new trial...Go figure...That ought to make for interesting watch as well. How can you plead innocent for something you ran from for 23 years. He's toast.
The final results and psychopaths
I thought the movie a good one, allowing one to imagine the angst the family of a murder victim goes through.What happened after the movie left off: Ira was returned to stand another trial due to a special law passed in Pennsylvania allowing persons convicted in absentia to petition for another trial. In Ira's second trial with him presenting his story of the CIA trying to embarrass him, etc. it took the jury all of two hours to return a guilty verdict. Ira is serving a life sentence at Hautzville prison in PA. It is an interesting study how madmen can hypnotize persons into believing them. Think of, besides the Unicorn, Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler, Jim Jones and, unfortunately, many others with this ability.
To those who want to know what eventually happened later...
This isn't a real review of this movie, but I wanted to respond to the reviewer who wanted to know what actually happened after the movie ended. Einhorn eventually got extradited back to the U.S., had another trial in PA in like 2001, represented himself, got convicted again, and was sentenced and is currently serving a life in prison term. For some reason, I thought he had since died, but according to Wikipedia, he is still alive. Wikipedia does have an interesting article on Einhorn and mentions this film. It's a fascinating story, to me, both as a Philadelphian who was here during his legal wrangling to fight extradition and as a lawyer.