Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Zac Efron)

Sarah

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This comes out in cinemas in the UK today and is also being shown on Sky Cinema. Really not sure what to think about Zac Efron in the lead role, but looking forward to seeing it anyway.

Warning: This article contains details about a serial killer's actions, which you may find upsetting.

Zac Efron's known for playing handsome, charming, leading men - and his latest film role is no exception.

But his character in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a long way from the beaches of Baywatch.

He's playing one of the most infamous serial killers in US history - Ted Bundy - in an adaptation of a book written by Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy's girlfriend during his time killing.

The film is out in cinemas in the UK now, and it's also being shown on Sky Cinema.

What did Ted Bundy do?
Between February 1974 and February 1978 Ted Bundy murdered 30 women - he's been linked to many more killings.

He would often approach women in public places, gain their trust with his charm or a fake injury, and then lure them to secluded areas and kill them.



 

Justine

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I'm really excited to see this project. Zac really looks the part, so does Lily Collins - I hope it's worth the watch!
 

Sarah

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I underestimated him as a pretty boy, so looking forward to seeing what he does with it. :)
 

Ome

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I underestimated him as a pretty boy, so looking forward to seeing what he does with it. :)
I've really enjoyed everything I've seen him in, except HSM, but then the whole franchise was aimed at a much younger audience. I also think he's come a long way since those films
 

Sarah

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I think that's it. I thought he only did kids stuff like HSM.
 

Alexis

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I was kind of blown away by him in The Greatest Showman. I didn't think much of him before that, but now I take him much more seriously.
 

Sarah

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Oh I haven't seen that one yet. I know all the songs but haven't seen the movie! :loon:
 

Willie Oleson

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Couldn't they think of a more sensational title?
What bothers me about these movies is that it blurs the line between history and pop culture.
Ted Bundy The Movie - do you think he's having the last laugh?

I can't claim to be innocent, I watched the Dirty John series.
 

James from London

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Couldn't they think of a more sensational title?
What bothers me about these movies is that it blurs the line between history and pop culture.
Ted Bundy The Movie - do you think he's having the last laugh?

Yes, the "issue" with the film doesn't seem to be Efron's acting (I'm no expert, but it would seem that he proved there's more to him than High School Musical quite a while ago) so much as the glamorisation of Bundy himself. It's taken 130 years for someone to write a book about Jack the Ripper that focuses on his victims as three-dimensional human beings rather than as secondary characters in the story of the man who killed them so maybe it'll take a while longer for Bundy's to be seen as important as he is.

"There is a list of all Bundy’s known victims at the end of the film, before real-life footage of the serial killer in court. There could be no true karma or comeuppance for Bundy – he was executed, yes, but only after murdering countless women who were full of potential, whose stories never had a chance to unfold, and have never been told. It is disturbing, as a culture, that we are still looking into the eyes of a killer, still in thrall to a brutal, worthless man."

https://www.theguardian.com/global/...dy-victims-hollywood-heartthrob-serial-killer

(Or maybe it's great, I haven't seen it!)
 

Willie Oleson

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"There could be no true karma or comeuppance for Bundy"

Sometimes I ponder about death penalty (it's something I like to do on a sunny day) and eventhough it's the most extreme punishment, there's something about it that doesn't sit well with me.
Killing a serial killer like Ted Bundy feels like shooting a rabid dog, the "life" in this person is already gone (assuming it was there in the first place).
It makes the world a safer place, especially for the victims or their relatives, but there's something just so unsatisfactory about it.
And at the same time I don't think it should feel highly satisfactory. It's not how I want or can feel about death.
It's fun to see a movie villain screaming in agony and defeat when he falls into a vulcano, but that's not really the same, is it.

I would use these people for tests (medicine) or look for healthy organs. That way they could contribute to the health or even survival of other people.
Make the best of a horrible situation.

But anyway...I don't know how good or bad this movie is, but I do know that Ted Bundy is not an interesting person.
I love courtroom drama, and all the characters involved, but I don't need to know about Bundy's personal life. He's not a pop star and he doesn't deserve this kind of posthumous exposure.
He's not the story, his victims are.
 

Justine

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I watched the film today and found it enjoyable. It didn't appear to divert to the real-life version of events, as witnessed in the Netflix doc.

Yes, the "issue" with the film doesn't seem to be Efron's acting (I'm no expert, but it would seem that he proved there's more to him than High School Musical quite a while ago) so much as the glamorisation of Bundy himself.

I think the fact that Bundy was glamorised in the film is exactly the point. He was glamorised in real life, too. The courtroom actually was filled with dumb young women, who made dumb statements like "he's so handsome, he doesn't seem the type" and "I think I love him."o_O I really like that they included the comments from the judge about how his life was wasted and that he would have liked to have Bundy practice in his court. It was a kind expression of humanity that he didn't really deserve but maybe caused him to reflect on how badly his life turned out (though, I seriously doubt he had any remorse even toward the end).
 

Michael Torrance

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I liked Efron a lot. I think maybe he made Ted Bundy a little too appealing visually, but then again so many women found him so. I am not against such films, but by focusing only on the Florida trial, the gruesome nature of Bundy's crimes is downplayed, including the necrophilia. He was a psychopath from a very early (childhood) age, and I doubt anything the judge said would have made a difference.
One book I like is "We need to talk about Kevin" (there is also a movie) because it deals with someone who is just intent on torturing people. We don't like to believe such people exist--we think every murderer was the product of a tough environment or circumstances or what have you. As in, there is some reason why A.J. Freund's "parents" subjected him to cold showers for soiling his bed and finally bludgeoning a 5-year old boy to death.
 
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