Berdella (film)
Encyclopedia
Berdella is a 2009 horror film
directed by Paul South and Bill Taft and stars Seth Correa, Steve Williams, Marc Saleme and Vito Spino. It is based on the true story of Kansas City
serial killer
Bob Berdella.
, moved to Kansas City
in the 1960s to enroll at the KC Art Institute. Shortly after his move to Kansas City, Berdella purchased a house on 4315 Charlotte Ave. This house would serve as the grounds for some of the most bizarre acts of torture
and mutilation ever performed.
Bob Berdella was very active in his local community. He was in charge of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Coalition for many years, was a cook for many restaurants in KC, even worked with the local news stations in organizing numerous charities and auctions. Berdella was also notable for his work mentoring troubled youths, and was even assigned as the probation officer to many of these teens ( He had good recidivism metrics.) Berdella was also known for his shop, at the Westport Flea Market, "Bob's Bazaar Bizarre", which sold occult
-themed items such as real human skulls and books on witchcraft
.
Berdella was known for keeping precise notes on his torture and killing methods. Investigators found these notebooks under his mattress with over 1,000 Polaroid
pictures taken of his victims at various stages of their torture. The evidence was overwhelming and Berdella eventually admitted to six murders between the years of 1984-1988.
on June 21, 2010.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Paul South and Bill Taft and stars Seth Correa, Steve Williams, Marc Saleme and Vito Spino. It is based on the true story of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Bob Berdella.
Plot
Bob Berdella, who originated from OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, moved to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in the 1960s to enroll at the KC Art Institute. Shortly after his move to Kansas City, Berdella purchased a house on 4315 Charlotte Ave. This house would serve as the grounds for some of the most bizarre acts of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and mutilation ever performed.
Bob Berdella was very active in his local community. He was in charge of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Coalition for many years, was a cook for many restaurants in KC, even worked with the local news stations in organizing numerous charities and auctions. Berdella was also notable for his work mentoring troubled youths, and was even assigned as the probation officer to many of these teens ( He had good recidivism metrics.) Berdella was also known for his shop, at the Westport Flea Market, "Bob's Bazaar Bizarre", which sold occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
-themed items such as real human skulls and books on witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
.
Berdella was known for keeping precise notes on his torture and killing methods. Investigators found these notebooks under his mattress with over 1,000 Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
pictures taken of his victims at various stages of their torture. The evidence was overwhelming and Berdella eventually admitted to six murders between the years of 1984-1988.
Cast
- Seth Correa as Bob Berdella
- Steve Williams as Larry Skidero
- Marc Saleme as Felps
- Vito Spino as Cliff
Release
The film premiered September 10, 2009 at the Screenland Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, just minutes away from Berdella's actual house. The film was released to DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on June 21, 2010.