SYNOPSIS: "You have to understand something," says 14-year old John Robison. "I really liked Fran. I mean, I wanted her to be my girlfriend!" Instead, Francesca Bailey is found dead - raped and strangled with her own panties on Friday the 13th. And since she was last seen walking through the Canadian countryside with angelic-faced John, he's arrested for murder as the police, forensic experts and, eventually, the courts try to determine if young Mr. Robinson is really an innocent, rather decent boy-next-door...or a teenage psycho killer.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:  This is the story of how a series of coincidences and being in the wrong place at the wrong time may have devastating effects if you're the last to be seen with a girl who ends up dead.  14-year-old Andrew Skidd plays John Robinson, a boy who likes one girl but is the object of obsession of another.  Fran Baily, played by Michelle Fansett, is the 12-year-old daughter of the biggest employer in town and John's soon to be girlfriend (or so he hopes).  Nora Cook, played by Karen Martin, is the slightly "odd" girl with some obvious mental problems who eventually gets her revenge on John for his lack of "interest."  One day Fran goes missing and John becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance.  After Fran is found dead and half naked in a wooded area near where John and Fran were last spotted, the police arrest John thanks to some his "friends" who aren't very truthful.  Without his parents present, John is strip searched and found to have a series of cuts and scrapes (including on his penis) consistent with what may have occurred in a forest.  John's embarrassment and secrecy surrounding how he really got his genital wounds is all the evidence that the police need to go to trial.

This movie is based on the true story of Steven Truscott, a Canadian boy who was charged with a similar crime and went to trial based purely on circumstantial evidence and shoddy forensics.  The outcome of his trial set in motion one of the most outrageous events (and subsequent drastic turnaround) in Canadian judicial history.  Recommendation for Mercy was filmed in 1975, but the "true story" is from 1959.  The original release in the 70s was rated 'X' (but NOT for pornographic content).

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STARRING: Andrew Skidd, Robb Judd, Mike Upmalis, Karen Martin,  Michelle Fansett.
AVAILABILITY: In stock! Ships within one business day.
LENGTH: 82 minutes.
LANGUAGE: English.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 1.33:1 (4:3 Full Screen); 2.0 Stereo; 1 disc; Chapter selection; Uncut.
VIEWER DISCRETION: Moderate nudity, sexual innuendo, coarse language, violence.
PICTURE QUALITY: Good to very good picture quality (but an old film shot on 16mm film stock).  (what's this mean?)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada (1975).
ALSO KNOWN AS: Teenage Psycho Killer.
DATE ADDED TO OUR LIBRARY:  May 11, 2007.
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