The Devils Cinema, Steve Lillebuen
The Devils Cinema, Steve Lillebuen
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The Devil's Cinema
The Untold Story Behind Mark Twitchell's Kill Room

Author: Steve Lillebuen

Narrator: Steve Lillebuen

Unabridged: 10 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/03/2023

Synopsis

"A detailed, well-constructed account of a diabolical real-life Dexter. Lillebuen has written a riveting, true crime page-turner about aspiring filmmaker Mark Twitchell, who turned his obsession with fantasy into horrible reality." -- Robert Remington, co-author of Runaway Devil

     On the night of October 10, 2008, Johnny Altinger was heading to his first date with a woman he had met online. He was never seen again. Two weeks earlier, aspiring filmmaker Mark Twitchell, a young father with a devotion to the television series Dexter, began a three-day shoot for his latest short film. His horror story featured a serial killer who impersonates women on an online dating site to lure unsuspecting men to his suburban kill room. But was his script actually the blueprint for a real-life murder? And what of Twitchell's other writings, including the elaborate and shocking document titled "S. K. Confessions"? Was it a work of fiction or a diary detailing his dark transformation into a would-be serial killer?
     A powerfully gripping narrative, The Devil's Cinema is the definitive account of the notorious "Dexter Killer," a case and trial that captured the world's attention. Steve Lillebuen takes us deep into the extraordinary police investigation and the lives of everyone involved, while unveiling never-before-revealed details, all drawn from extensive and exclusive interviews -- including months of contact with the killer himself.

About The Author

STEVE LILLEBUEN is an experienced crime reporter whose work has been published in a wide range of respected media, including the Edmonton Journal, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, the Sydney Morning Herald, and around the world through The Associated Press and its related agencies. He currently divides his time between Edmonton and Australia.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange)

4.0 Stars This is such a dark true crime account that happened right here in Canada. The author did a good job creating a narrative. I found the part surrounding Dexter particularly interesting.......more

Goodreads review by Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich)

The Case: The Devil's Cinema follows the story of Canadian filmmaker, Mark Twitchell (a.k.a "The Dexter Killer") who is obsessed with and wanted to be like the fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan of the Dexter tv show. He is later charged and convicted of first degree murder for the murder of......more

Goodreads review by Natashya

Without giving too much away, I have to say that Steve Lillebuen did a fantastic job researching and writing The Devil's Cinema. He was there at the beginning as a reporter, and then dedicated several years of his life putting this book together, with unique access to all the people involved in the......more

Goodreads review by Stefanie

Mark Twitchell was born in Canada in 1979. He had aspirations of becoming a big name filmmaker, and attended the Radio and Television Arts Program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He ultimately graduated from there in 2000. Twitchell was using the popular dating site, Plenty Of Fish, whe......more

Goodreads review by Heather

Well organized. Dark and twisted.......more

Quotes

“A detailed, well-constructed account of a diabolical real-life Dexter. Lillebuen has written a riveting, true crime page-turner about aspiring filmmaker Mark Twitchell, who turned his obsession with fantasy into horrible reality.”
—Robert Remington, co-author of Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-year-old to Murder Her Family

“The Devil’s Cinema uses police reports, news coverage, social media and interviews with those involved -- including Twitchell himself -- to create a compelling and frightening account of the crime. . . . Lillebuen takes readers deep inside the mind of this creative pathological liar who blurred the lines between fantasy and reality. The author creates a fascinating and detailed narrative, from the killer’s and victim's early lives to the dramatic and bizarre courtroom trial. With its ties to online communities, dating sites, pop culture and modern filmmaking, The Devil's Cinema is a terrifying and intriguing account of murder in the digital age.”
—Winnipeg Free Press
 
“Based on reams of first-person interviews, newspaper reports and court documents, The Devil’s Cinema is a meticulous reconstruction of Mark Twitchell’s Dexter-worthy shenanigans. . . . [The book is an] admirably structured, thoroughly readable parsing of a psychopathic mind.”
—National Post
 
“Show[s] how Twitchell went from a husband and father working sales jobs to the prime suspect in an outrageous murder case.”
—Edmonton Journal
 
“Lillebuen does an admirable job in pulling together a story that has more real-life twists and turns than anything famed director Alfred Hitchcock could have applied to the silver screen. Truth is, indeed, always stranger than fiction.”
—Wetaskiwin Times
 
“Remind[s] us how the borders of human interaction and connective technology have shifted so drastically, and in so little time.”
—Edmonton Journal

Awards

  • Arthur Ellis Award for Best Non-Fiction
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