‘Woman of the Hour’ review: Anna Kendrick directs a thriller about the ’70s serial killer who starred in ‘The Dating Game.’

It’s an infamous freak moment on daytime television. On September 13, 1978, one of the three competing bachelors on “The Dating Game” was Rodney Alcala, who turned out to be a serial killer; He was captured the following year. It’s no joke – or perhaps even a sensible one – to say that Alcala had the looks and personality of a 1970s woman murderer. He was coiffed like one of the Hudson Brothers and had a chiseled grin reminiscent of Engelbert Humperdinck. He practically exuded good vibes – along with some half-suppressed bad ones, and answered his “Dating Game” questions in a way so confident it was…aggressive.

Of course, television has never been much cheesier than “The Dating Game.” I used to watch it as a kid and marvel at how the entire show, with its Herb Albert-on-happy-pills theme music and flower power decor, was some sort of leering, leering affair. .