spoiler superior crime drama set in south florida during it mean season when the wind pick up and the storm and hurricane come roll in and with them roll in a serial killer who more interested in publicity for his crime then his victim who be a result of them . come back from a vacation in colorado miami journal reporter malcolm anderson and kurt russell and be assign to the murder of teenager sarah hook and tamara jones and who be find dead by the beach that morning . a few day after file the story malcolm get a phone call at his desk at the journal from someone claim to be sarah killer . tell by the caller a fact that be not know to the public about the crime malcolm as well a the police official ray martinez and phil wilson and andy garcia and richard bradford and that he get in touch with who be on the case realize that the caller be the real mccoy and begin to tape malcolm phone at the newspaper to identify and capture the killer . the killer and in his call to malcolm and tell him that he duplicate a number of killing that he do some time ago and get no recognition for . it later find out by someone who know him albert oshaughnessy and william smith and that his name be alan delour and richard jordan and and that those killing be in chicago a number of year ago . the serial killer want malcolm to be his link to the outside world and via his newspaper to prove that he the one who commit those crime and tell malcolm that there will be and like those that he do not get credit for and five more killing before he finish . a his murder spree continue it malcolm who get all the publicity and the killer feel cheat and take it on on malcolm for his failure to get him the recognition that he want . that lead in the killer kidnapping malcolm girlfriend christine and mariel hemingway and and threaten to murder her . one of the good crime drama that come out of the 1980 thats smoothly pace and finely act a the serial killer get bold and bolder with each kill to where he unnecessarily expose himself and to malcolm and in order to get his ego enhance . malcolm life become a horror a the killer start to take it out on him for his overshadow his action which lead to christine kidnapping . tense suspense murder drama with an unsuspecting end make the mean season a modern film noir classic .