Customer Reviews

Ann Rule Presents: The Stranger Beside Me - The Ted Bundy Story

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I bought this DVD after reading Ann Rule's fascinating book of the same name. A longtime fan of both Billy Campbell and Barbara Hershey, I was anxious to see their portrayal of Rule's riveting (and true) story about her longtime friendship with Ted Bundy. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Everyone knows that made-for-TV movies often lack the quality acting and scripting of feature films, and this one was no exception. Although I know Hershey and Campbell to be fine actors, I think the poor quality of the script dragged them down in this instance. The most riveting feature of Rule's book was her emotional dilemma in trying to reconcile the Ted Bundy she knew as a witty, giving friend with the gruesome serial killer he became. Rule's struggle about what she feels for Bundy -- if she should stand by him or turn her back on him -- just doesn't come across in this movie, nor does the lingering affection she feels for the man even AFTER she accepts what he's done. Perhaps it's because so much of the development of the Rule/Bundy friendship is either changed or left out entirely. In my opinion, the weak script just didn't provide enough opportunity for Campbell and Hershey to generate any kind of chemistry at all.

More often than not, Hershey portrays Rule as someone who is often annoyed with Ted and simply tolerates him even BEFORE she learns what he's done. I never really buy them as good friends at all. I did not get the same impression from Rule's book in which she seems to feel rushes of emotion for Ted, and often wants to protect him as a big sister might. Certainly Rule detested Ted's acts and felt betrayed by him, but right up until the end, she felt true emotion for the friend she once knew. I don't get any of that from Hershey's version. Campbell's performance as Bundy is ok -- even decent at certain times - but again, a weak script limits him.

Factually, this movie is riddled with glaring mistakes that will really annoy someone familiar with Bundy's murder sprees. The changing of victims' names is totally justified, but things like the circumstances of Bundy's final arrest, his two escapes from jail, the way he flees from the Chi Omega crime scene, and even the color of his VW are unecessarily rewritten -- and not even in a way that improves the drama. Bundy's famous kidnapping and murder of two girls from Lake Sammamish State Park in 1974 is left out altogether.

Perhaps this patched together TV movie was even more disappointing because the source material was so rich -- and so wasted. I don't know if Ann Rule wrote the teleplay, but if she did, that's even more of a crime. The emotion between important "characters" -- all based on real people -- just falls flat.

I have not seen the Mark Harmon TV-movie on Bundy (The Deliberate Stranger), but from what I can gather, you'd be better off obtaining and watching this one rather than the Campbell/Hershey version.

Having worked on Death row with Ted, speaking with him in great detail and reading almost every book about him, this version of his story is the worst I have seen in terms of accuracy. It's like they not only did not try to present the facts of the Bundy case accurately, they seemed to have tried (and succeeded) to present the story as fictitiously as possible. Some of the court scenes were sort of accurate, but not many. For something with Ann Rule's name on it, this is a total let-down.

While it didn't turn into a poor version of the Bundy tale, it never comes alive with any feeling. The Mark Harmon version of the story made in the 80's was far better and didn't feel the need to change so many of the facts around. The actors are good but there isn't the "spark" of compelling story telling here. Not bad ,but far from great.

all of the Ted Bunies Movies have been so farfetched. i wanted to see the true STORY of Ted Bundy!! i didnt get that. i want them to show us what his life was like growing up as a child and slowly progress into 1974 so we get the whole picture...little things also annoyed me! if you havnt read the book, dont watch the movie!! everything in it is false. the color of his VW, the names of the victims..even great parts of the book were edited out. boring. boring. boring.

after reading the reviews I bought the movie for 3 bucks and was very impressed. I wasn't expecting very much and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. It is not close to the book, but few movies are.

Not as good as the "Deliberate Stranger", better than "Bundy: A Legacy of Evil", around the same league as the movie simply called "Ted Bundy" made a few years back. A little bit "fictionalized", as in how the "Boston Strangler" movie was a fictionalized account of the true story, same goes for Ed Gein in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. Cambell plays Bundy rather well, and the woman playing Ms. Rule does her job as good also. However, having read just about everything on Ted (i'm from Starke, Fla where he was, um, "fried"), the movie left out A LOT of Ted's nastier habits, like pedophilia, dismemberment, necrophilia & peeping tom-ism, but besides these minor faults, i liked the film, good if just for a "passing watch" or, if you are into true crime, serial killer stories or "Lifetime"-like movies, than this is for you.

I thought the movie was quite well done, despite the inaccuracies and omissions. I watched the movie back-to-back with a Bundy documentary and did not find the movie as bad as other reviewers have noted. Still, if you're looking for a docu-drama, this isn't it. It's strictly a movie that's based on fact and if you keep that in mind, I think you'll like it.

Looks like a TV movie, quacks like a TV movie. So it must BE a TV movie. I don't know the facts behind the Ann Rule friendship with Ted Bundy, so I can't say if this is accurate. I'm sure a lot of nuance has been omitted. Still, it's spooky enough and moves along nicely.

This movie is based on the real life friendship between America's most famous serial killer and America's famous true crime writer. The movie states that this is her first book and that she did not know it was her coworker that was the serial killer that police were looking for. The story is told mostly from her side of the story and if you are expecting blood and guts then you will be disappointed. But if you are expecting a story that will have you thinking twice about the people you know then you have a winner here. Great acting and storytelling also will help keep you at the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this to all true crime fans!

I got this movie knowing it probably wasn't that good. It was a decent movie, but I am someone fascinated by the screwed up Bundy mind. In that regard, it was not too bad.
However, i am also a stickler for accuracy when films are based on true stories - and they changed a lot of facts in this one!
Not enough to bug someone just in for entertainment, but for someone into history, sociology, or psychology, it is annoying!
Names are changed, no real problem with that since it is to respect victims, but other important things really aren't mentioned, and the relationship between Ann Rule and Bundy is really blown out of proportion.
I mean, it was kinda self-serving. Thing that annoyed me was Chi Omega killings: Bundy used a club of oak and left splinters everywhere. In this movie, he uses a flashlight. What is the point of this change? Soften the blow? (pun intended)

Good points of the movie: does provide insight into the killings (to those who haven't read the book anyway)
Ann Rule repeats her belief that Ted Bundy killed Ann Marie Burr (you will know who that is if you know Bundy lore, if not, i do not want to spoil it for you)

Altogther, interested in bundy and/or the deviant mind, watch it, if not, pick something else more lighthearted. it is not really that suspenseful or violent and it is too long for something to sit down and watch for fun - unless you are interested in it like i am.