Almost a decade ago, I watched a video titled DEAD BEAT, the star of which I don’t think made a successful career, but which also included Balthazar Getty, Deborah “Blondie” Harry and Sara Gilbert. Mainly, an slightly older hipster Elvis-wannabe gets a bunch of kids enamored with them, kills one of the girls, cons the other girls into getting jobs & financing his attempts to become a rock star, and when one of the boys turns him in, that boy is ostracized by the other kids.
Now I find out it was based on this real 1965 serial killer Charlie Schmid, who also inspired a 1971 film THE TODD KILLINGS and a Joyce Carroll Oates story which was made into a movie called SMOOTH TALK.
Anyone else see DEAD BEAT? How about the others? I did like DEAD BEAT & wouldn’t mind getting a copy.