Robert J. Maxwell At least this made-for-TV movie wasn't shot in Canada, although it might as well have been. It does the kind of job most TV movies do -- a straightforward, almost documentary, retelling of the incidents with enough fictional human interest scenes to turn it into something more than a search for Colonel Plum and his pepperbox revolver.I suppose most of us remember the killing spree around Washington, DC, in the early 90s. It was in the news every night. President Bush made a public comment on it. Two African-Americans drove around town in a Chevrolet with a hole cut through the trunk. The older man, played by Bobby Hosea, exerts some sort of charismatic spell over his younger disciple, Trent Cameron. Hosea drives the car, giving orders like "Clear your mind," while Cameron snuggles in the trunk and sights his Bushmaster rifle through the circular opening.It begins with a bang. Actually three or four bangs, discreetly done. No squibs explode. The victim looks surprised, stumbles a bit, and drops. Some victims we don't see at all.Both Hosea and Cameron are quite good, given the material they have to work with. Charles Dutton is the main figure, the police chief, built like a tank, speaking slowly, deliberately, emphatically to the TV cameras. He doesn't really bring much to the party. He gets to look exhausted and once or twice his eyes brim with tears. There is a sentimental coda that is supposed to make the audience sight with relief and gratitude. I'm afraid I dislike these tacked-on happy endings. It's like the beaten boxer, glimpsing his girl friend in the crowd, then hauling himself to his feet and clobbering his opponent to the canvas.Someone complained that the film didn't answer any important questions, such as, "Why did those two guys go around shooting people." I'm glad no answer was provided because at this stage of the game there is none to be had. The vast majority of homicides involve people who know one another. It's perfectly understandable because the victims are people who know us, whose opinions we care about, and who are in a position to hurt us. Killing a complete stranger has a preposterous quality. What's going on inside the heads of people like this, to whom shooting someone at random seems only a step or two beyond blasting a traffic sign on a rural road? Nobody knows. And the usual attempts at explanation -- abused as a child, traumatized by a war, grew up in a dysfunctional family -- are as ridiculous as the murders themselves.

BurninLuvvv1982 Although we live further south now, at the time of the sniper, we lived in Frederick County, Maryland...Just to give ya an idea, it was 15 miles from where the sniper was caught, and around all the other shootings....The movie, I thought, captured everything just as it happened, and was not over-dramatized...There was real fear there, police escorts were available at shopping malls/centers 24/7,residents were warned to remain indoors/out of public as much as possible, and the highways really did back up miles and miles long looking for that elusive "white van" (initally suspected vehicle)..I think all of our guardian angels were working overtime that week...It could've been anybody, as the victims were picked at random, and the movie really got that message across flawlessly...Anyhoo, I just wanted to say that this, by far, depicts an actual event so correctly that I would (and plan to) buy it on DVD...That's my 2 cents LOL..:)Good job!P.S. - ::::A little prayer 4 the victim's families:::

davideo-2 STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsA re-enactment of the comparatively recent real life District Capital shootings,that held the communities of Virginia and Maryland in a state of terrified frenzy for four weeks towards the end of 2002.As all the chaos envelops around him,Police Chief Charles Moose (Charles S Dutton) does his best to restore normality as much as possible and to get to the bottom of who is behind the killings.As one or two other reviewers have stated and as I did mention at the beginning of my plot summary,this was a rather recent event and the producers of this film very quickly slapped it together.A little too quickly slapped together,perhaps,I think I'll agree and perhaps it would have been wiser for said producers to have let the dust settle a little first (well,at least let the TRIAL happen!) before going ahead and making it.To be honest,the very fact that a film based on such a major event is a TV movie,and as such,with the budget and production values of a TV movie in the first place shows how hasty to jump the gun they were.If greater patience had been shown,this should have been a major Hollywood production,with better sets and a bigger name cast behind it.As it is,though,with it's cheap looking production and almost entirely unknown cast,D.C. Sniper:23 Days of Fear has attained an eerie,tense feel to it,with it's use of location and use of imagery and symbolism,as well as fairly moving performances from all it's central cast members.The creeping and unfamiliar sense of fear and disbelief is very well captured,with the aid of a well composed soundtrack and a tight,well written script that seems to have gone to meticulous detail to capture the true essence of what went on.Such sensitive subject matter was always going to court controversy and yes,I think I'll agree the movie does give off the overall impression of being rushed and cheap.But it's certainly a very enthralling and moving account that will have you hooked to the end.****

Beeracuda The whole purpose of a documentary is to provide additional information rather than just the actual events. Everything displayed in this movie was widely available through media sources. We all knew the facts of this case. Especially those of us in relative close proximity of the crimes. What the movie fails to offer is any kind of insight as to why these 2 people committed these awful crimes. Why not? BECAUSE IT HASN'T GONE TO TRIAL YET!! Perhaps after the trial, we'll have a better idea as to why these 2 did this. But to release a movie like this before the trial is very irresponsible. It's already hard enough to find a jury for a fair trial. Now they come out with a movie depicting the actual events while jury selection is going on! Ridiculous, irresponsible, and greedy, USA Network should be ashamed for showing this trash.I think that USA Network just gave the defense lawyers great ammunition for declaring a mistrial once the trial actually begins. I'd be surprised if it doesn't happen.