What This Is Spinal Tap did for rock band documentaries, this screenplay attempts to do for TV profiles of serial killers.  The concept is an interesting one, not unlike the approach Woody Allen took in Take the Money and Run.  It provides an opportunity to satirize the criminal justice system, America’s glamorization of murder and how the media itself feeds off crime.  In this respect, the first half is the funnier and more unique portion of the story.  It follows a Geraldo Rivera-type reporter in his crass pursuit of sensationalism.  In the interviews with various witnesses and experts, many of whom appear enamored with the killer mystique despite their victimization, the script shines with tongue-in-cheek humor.

It is less successful in its second half, when it steps out of the documentary mode and assumes a more traditional cinema format.  All humor is lost during the climactic jail break, when carnage again dominates the scene.  While the action is undeniably gritty and exciting, the shift in technique and mood comes as a brutal shock.

Much more could be done with the premise than is explored here.  For example, we know virtually nothing about Mickey’s and Mallory’s childhood or family life.  The approach tends to be limited to opinions of various criminal experts and testimony by witnesses.  Mickey’s poetic talent and sharpness of wit help to make him a fascinating personality, but he could use additional fleshing out.  Mallory remains little more than a love interest.

The writing is uneven, with some scenes working better than others.  While the dialogue has its wry moments, it often becomes preachy and inane.  The legal system does have its share of absurdities, including the idea that a mass murderer could cross-examine witnesses in court.  However, the lengthy sequence involving Grace Mulberry, with its specific instructions to shoot everything in arch close-ups, comes off as a self-indulgent exercise in bad taste.  Although it needs considerable work, this script's portrait of criminality has the potential for being a uniquely original black comedy.

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