Netflix has premiered the first official teaser for Anna Kendrick’s debut feature Woman of the Hour on its social media handles on September 17.
Kendrick, who is mostly known for her acting performances in Hollywood blockbusters like the Twilight and Pitch Perfect franchises, as well as critically acclaimed films like Up in the Air and The Accountant among many others, is the director of the crime thriller from a script by Ian McDonald.
The film is set to stream globally on Netflix on October 18. Upon the release of the teaser, audiences have been curious about the real life incident and particularly the notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala played by Daniel Zovatto who is featured prominently in the teaser along with Kendrick.
Who was Rodney Alcala?
Rodney Alcala was a professional photographer based in and around New York in the early 1970s, operating under the alias John Berger. His involvement with crime began much earlier, according to various news reports.
The earliest charges of conviction for Alcala dated back to 1968 which also put him to the FBI's most wanted list. He was arrested in 1972 by LA police under charges of attempted murder but was given parole after 34 months.
According to evidence discovered later, by then he had already begun his killing spree around the country by luring mostly young women by asking them to click their photographs.
A highly intelligent individual, according to the authorities, Alcala crafted a ‘care-free bachelor’ persona after his release, supported by his handsome looks and characteristic long hair.
This persona allowed him to appear as a contestant on the aforementioned reality show, where he was described by the host as a successful photographer passionate about motorcycling and sky-diving.
The bizarreness of a man with a serious criminal record appearing on a reality show is attributed by law officials to Alcala’s narcissistic and egoistic behavior.
Alcala was convicted for the first time in 1980 for the murder of Robin Samsoe, which led to the discovery of evidence in Alcala’s locker in Seattle.
The police found numerous photos of young women in compromising positions and jewelry, which contributed to his conviction. However, Alcala won this trial and several others before finally being convicted in 2010 in California.
The police believed he killed an estimated 100 women from the early ‘70s to 1979, though there is no substantive proof for all the murders.
What happened to Rodney Alcala?
During the State Supreme Court proceedings in Manhattan, Judge Bonnie G. Wittner famously broke down in tears while recounting the gruesome details of the murders.
In addition to this conviction, Alcala had already received a death sentence for five killings in California (including a 12-year-old girl) dating back to the 1970s in 2010. According to the district attorney, the New York convictions ensured that Alcala would never leave prison.
This ultimately proved to be true, as Rodney Alcala died in a Kings County hospital in 2021. According to local law enforcement reports, the notorious serial killer died of natural causes at the age of 77.
Upon hearing the news of his death, one of Alcala’s surviving victims, Tali Shapiro, who was only eight years old when she was sexually assaulted and brutally beaten by him in 1968, told the press, “The planet is a better place without him, that’s for sure.”
What does the teaser of Woman of The Hour show?
The teaser focuses on a fictionalized retelling of a date that never happened between Alcala and Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring young Hollywood actress who met Alcala through a 1978 episode of the popular reality show The Dating Game, where Alcala was also a contestant and eventual winner.
In real life, although Bradshaw chose Alcala as her number one pick among three contestants, she didn’t follow through with the meet-up as she felt uncomfortable around him.
The film intercuts between the fictional date and the real murders and acts of atrocities that Alcala committed to different women around the USA in the ‘70s.
Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more updates.
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