Please ignore Karla movie

Toronto Star, JENNIFER HOLLETT, GUEST COLUMN, Jan. 23, 2006

It's official. Karla is a one-name celeb. You know, like pop stars Britney and Beyonc and Madonna. Only the first name is needed.

Karla, the movie, starring Laura Prepon, above, as convicted serial killer Karla Homolka, is causing much hurt and controversy.

But Karla is not a pop star.

She's a serial killer. And on Friday, Karla was released in Canadian theatres.

I was hoping that the movie premiere about the schoolgirl killings by Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka would just keep getting delayed, and that maybe the film would never reach an audience. No such luck, but at least it won't appear in Niagara; theatre owners there know better.

I refuse to see the movie, with its playful Internet Movie Database tagline, "Until death do us partake." I'm not even tempted to see the trailer. I believe in boycotts and I don't think I could actually watch it.

I went to high school with Kristen French, Holy Cross Secondary School. I knew of her. That's the real shame as I didn't have the chance to get to really know her. I'll never forget the rainy Holy Thursday when she was abducted from the church parking lot on her way home from school.

I remember friends receiving calls that night about Kristen's whereabouts. I remember wondering why police cars were at my school. I remember circulating missing poster signs, combing the city for clues. The media circus, wearing a green ribbon, attending the funeral, looking for a cream-coloured Camaro, showing up outside Paul Bernardo's and Karla Homolka's house when their arrest hit the news.

In high school, I also remember protesting serial killer cards, because they glamourized horrendous crimes. This is the same issue I take with Karla. It's the same reason I refused to see Monster, the Academy Award-winning movie based on the life of serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

What about the victims and their families? Let's not forget their names, stories, or dignity.

I often think about the French family. I think about popping by their home and telling them that I still cry and that I'll never forget their daughter. I also think of the Mahaffys, as well as the Homolkas and the other victims.

When does it stop? The abductions, the bodies, the arrest, the trial, the release of Karla Homolka from prison, the commercial movie?

I'm a storyteller and I'm usually in favour of an interesting story, but everyone in Canada knows this story. The media were all over it. It was international news. We don't need the help of That '70s Show star Laura Prepon to get it out.

There's nothing entertaining about these crimes. I understand the fascination with the minds of serial killers, but I'd rather spend my energy focusing on the hearts of the victims and their family and friends.

I am distressed with the business of Karla. The point of this movie is to make money. A successful film cashes in at the top of the box office, or later in DVD sales. The spin is "a controversial journey," according to the official movie website.

"Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka's psychological dance with death and depravity faithfully re-created here in stunning performances by Misha Collins and Laura Prepon will haunt you forever ... because it's true."

Dance? Faithfully re-created? Stunning? The media release for this movie will haunt me forever!

Some might argue that I should see the movie before critiquing it. I can't even get past the idea of a casting call for the victims' roles or the filming of the sex scenes, omitted after Tim Danson, lawyer for the French and Mahaffy families, raised the issue that any nude scenes depicting the teenaged victims might constitute child pornography.

The images are of a nightmare, not a movie.

I am humbled by the fact that the families did not try to block the movie's release. I am comforted by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's outrage and the TV ad spots being pulled. I hope for poor Canadian ticket sales.

Everyone in St. Catharines felt like Kristen was their daughter, their sister, their friend. Would you watch this movie if it was about the gruesome sex-slaying of your daughter, your sister, your friend?

Please see Narnia instead. Or spend some time with your family. Feed your soul, not your curiosity.

Jennifer Hollett is a freelance journalist best known for her work as a MuchMusic VJ. She is currently volunteering with CARE Canada on a youth project in Kenya.