America Undercover (TV Series) The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer (1992) User Reviews

Chilling Confessions

[natmavila · 8/10 · 12 October 2023]

"The Iceman Tapes" is like the ultimate cold case documentary, and I don't mean chilly crime scenes! Richard Kuklinski, our star hitman, has a face that's as frozen as an ice cream cone dropped in Antarctica. I mean, who needs to ice skate when you can just glide across the icy heart of a serial killer's confessions? It's not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach it, you're in for an absolute chill-ride of storytelling.

Kuklinski's chilling tales of contract killing are enough to give even the most seasoned crime buffs a brain freeze. It's like a twisted bedtime story for insomniacs - "Once upon a time, in the cold, cold world of contract murder..." If you're looking for a bone-chilling, ice-cold dive into the mind of a stone-cold killer, this documentary delivers in spades.

The only downside is that "The Iceman Tapes" might make you doubt every friendly ice cream truck jingle or ice cube in your drink. But hey, at least you'll think twice before accepting a popsicle from a stranger, and that's a win in my book! So grab your warmest blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and enjoy this ice-cold confessional - just don't expect to thaw out anytime soon!

Absolutely chilling

[bayardhiler · 10/10 · 28 August 2012]

Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski was a husband, father, and loving family man. He was also one of America's most cold blooded, intelligent, and proficient killers. He killed for money, to cover up his own crimes, out of anger, and sometimes just because he could. In the "The Iceman Tapes: Conversations with a Killer", you'll hear all about it from those in law enforcement who brought him down, from the medical examiner, from his wife, and from the man himself, the last part being what makes this documentary what it is. Listen as Kuklinski talks about dismembering and leaving body parts on park benches, how he used cyanide to make it look like his victims died of heart attacks, how he blew someone's head off with a shotgun without a second thought, and how he did all this and then went home to be a father and husband to his wife and three children. The filmmakers are able to capture all of this to give us an unprecedented look into one of the darkest souls of human existence that very few other filmmakers have been able to do with other killers mainly because of Kuklinski's nonchalant speaking tone that he uses throughout the show. I can personally say that no matter how many times I watch this, it never fails to send shivers down my spine, especially with the good use of some creepy music. If you are brave enough, I highly recommend this little gem from the early HBO days and just be thankful that Kuklinski isn't on the streets anymore because this is more real than any reality TV show.

A hard-working expediter of sorts.

[TxMike · 17 December 2013]

There is a movie out, "The Iceman", and it is based on approximately 20 years in the life of Richard Kuklinski, from the mid-1960s to the mid- 1980s. Actor Michael Shannon plays the lead character, and plays it quite well.

Curious to see what the real Kuklinski was like, I found this on video. It is based on actual prison interviews with him in 1991.

Kuklinski comes across as a nice, casual, humorous neighbor next door type of guy, if you didn't know his history. But he was raised with a very abusive father and grew into an adult with no qualms about killing someone, and no regrets after. In his own words, "I am a hard-working expediter of sorts." He got to enjoying the challenge of figuring out a way to get his target.

By his own admission, he had a violent temper. If a man insulted him or otherwise got him very angry he was likely to just kill him, but in a way that he would not get caught. After he had gotten accustomed to the killing, he decided to work for a NY area crime boss so he could make some money and support his family. A family that never knew what his real occupation was.