Ten minutes of "Echoes in the Darkness," with Peter Coyote and Željko Ivanek

Look, let's not pretend that I put this section up for any other reason than the shorts.




This is an excerpt from the 1987 made-for-TV movie "Echoes in the Darkness," starring Peter Coyote and Robert Loggia as Bill Bradfield and Jay Smith. It's about the strange, and sadly true, story of the Main Line Murders in Pennsylvania in the late 1970s-- the murder of schoolteacher Susan Reinert and her two kids, Karen and Michael.

Peter Coyote plays Bill Bradfield, a charismatic possible murderer and English teacher at Upper Merion High School. Cindy Pickett plays Sue Myers, a fellow teacher and Bradfield's lover. ZI plays Vince Valaitis, a young and naive English teacher at the school who looks up to Bradfield. Stockard Channing plays Susan Reinert, a woman with mysterious ties to Bradfield. And Alex Hyde-White plays Chris Pappas, another admirer of Bradfield's.

Even though it's an American/Canadian film, the DVD is available online from amazon.co.uk. Go figure. Copyright Boulevard Entertainment.

From what I've read, the whole movie is about four hours long, but my DVD has only 3 hours. I don't know what's in that extra hour, but I assume the VHS is the full miniseries.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• zeljko ivanek
• peter coyote
• stockard channing
• alex hyde-white
• robert loggia
• cindy pickett

[scorpietta]

I wish the full movie could be uploaded here, but I will try to get a hold of it, nonetheless.

I read the book several months ago. Was Bradfield a sociopath?

[thetallships]

I don't know for sure, but he probably was.

[snoochy2]

Did Bradfield cover Vince's mouth before or after the family was killed? Poor Vince.

[thetallships]

Before, I think-- there's the Christmas scene right after.

[Matthewsmollen4]

@IrishEyes1989 I like her glasses.

[Matthewsmollen4]

Bill Bradfield died in prison in 1998.

[Matthewsmollen4]

I've seen pictures of the real Bill Bradfield.

[cynthiacher]

@themirrorsofmymind Well, I guess they had to SOMETHING to make him seem like Bradfield (Bradfield had a beard, but it tended to be quite long and unruly). But even with the beard Coyote is a most unconvincing charismatic sociopath.

[themirrorsofmymind]

@cynthiacher No offense to Mr. Coyote but why not just have him wear a sign around his neck that says "I AM WEARING A FAKE BEARD!". It's so awful, even in this short clip of the film, I wonder how the other actors didn't laugh or say "Why are you wearing that 'circus hobo' beard?".

[ShiningxOn]

Oh gosh, I was going to go to this school if I haven't moved. But I still love UMASD <3

[KOHF34]

The banker in real life actually had the opportunity to prevent Reinert from withdrawing any money. Pennsylvania had (and still does) a law at the time barring anyone from withdrawing cash if the bank felt they were being victimized. Even though he warned her, she still withdrew the money.

[Miseria227]

Mr. Valaitis is Mr. Valaitis. I had him for 12th grade English, in 2001, and he was still this kind of naive juvenile guy. If you ask him any questions about the murders, he seems almost proud to have been involved with them, for lack of a better word. He loves talking about it, and always gives you the impression that he knows a lot more than he's telling you.

@cynthiacher Yes, Mr. Valaitis did wear glasses back then. I've seen the yearbook pics to prove it. :)

[cynthiacher]

@scorpietta No, Smith was never exonerated. He was released due to a legal technicality. His daughter and son-in-law were never seen or heard from again. Their remains have never been found. It was the same for Michael and Karen Reinert. They disappeared, and were eventually declared dead. Their bodies were never found.

[scorpietta]

@cynthiacher Disturbing, but wasn't Smith eventually exonerated?

Were the remains his daughter and son-in-law ever recovered?