In Cold Blood

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Truman Capote's extraordinary nonfiction book about the course of two killers in this world--their lives, their senseless slaughter of an entire family, their executions--was faithfully adapted for the screen in this 1967 film by Richard Brooks (Deadline USA, The Blackboard Jungle). Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are remarkable as the murderers, but what has kept this film special over the decades is Brooks's blunt, clearheaded, and nonsensational approach to the story. (The term "semidocumentary" has been applied to Brooks's style on this film, and it's an entirely fair description.) The experience of watching In Cold Blood is naturally unsettling, but the director--as with Capote--leaves final judgments about justice to the beholder. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

In cold Blood.......2007-08-31

Good movie , good actors but Capote's book is so perfect that to
make a movie as much as good is almost impossible.

In Cold Blood.......2007-08-07

I didn't like it - but I think I might be the only one. In Cold Blood follows the the story (by the same name) written by Truman Capote. The film invites us into the criminal's minds and acts through some pretty sensational black and white shouts. However, parts of the movie very much began to drag and Brooks almost, it seems, begins to gorge the audience on the main characters. Before too long I found myself more than full of the dragging plots and character development.

In Cold Blood.......2007-06-27

Based on the best-selling exposé by Truman Capote, which told the story of the real-life November 15, 1959, slaying, Brooks's gritty, realistic docudrama offers an unflinching look at the perpetrators of a nonsensically horrific crime. Scott Wilson couldn't be better as the coldly manipulative Hickock. And Blake, in his breakout role, delivers the best performance of his career, playing a brutal psychopath- more than a trifle spooky, given the dramatic events Blake's later life. Filmed in stark black-and-white by Oscar nominee Conrad Hall, "Blood" is a harrowing masterpiece of true crime.

A real classic!.......2007-05-28

Nice to see this on DVD. I also have In Cold Blood on a sixteen millimeter film print however the DVD has the movie in 3 track (across the front speakers) stereo & I've never heard the movie that way as my film print is mono until I bought the DVD. Yes I'll keep both my film & this DVD. You bet I will....

A sublime adaptation of a literary masterpiece.......2007-05-21

In Cold Blood is a masterful adaptation of the literary work of the same name, which itself was a ground-breaking adaptation of true crime events. In the narrative, Truman Capote tells the story of two petty con men who together commit a mass murder that neither would have been inclined to pull off individually. The screenplay was adapted and directed by Richard Brooks in 1967, two years after the book's initial release in 1965.

The film was shot on location the small towns of Kansas, and the actual Clutter residence was used as the site of the murders. Robert Blake and Scott Wilson portray murders Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, respectively. The film has come under fire for sympathizing with the murderers, but, to me, they were just humanized on the big screen. The story is not sympathetic to the killers; rather, it reveals the life story of two men who had never killed before but were buoyed by criminal competitiveness and past demons to join forces and massacre a family. As hard as it is for the viewer (and the American public) to reconcile, the murderers were humans, and did have families and histories and moments of normalcy. The power of the film lies in its ability to show how forces can conspire to create tragedy--at so many moments leading up to and during the murder, either man could have changed the course of history.

Director Richard Brooks uses a stark, minimalist style to portray the true crime events. The murder takes place at the beginning of the movie, but not until late in the second half does the viewer get to see what took place inside the clutter home on that ice cold Kansas November night. The black & white cinematography is crisp and evocative of the times. This is a movie that stands the test of time and will live on indefinitely as a cinema classic.

Average customer rating:

Cold blood
Tragic Mind-bender
TV DOESN'T QUITE MAKE IT WORK
A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE...
Movie Fan - Fan

In Cold Blood
Starring: Anthony Edwards , Sam Neill , and Eric Roberts
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00067AVKQ
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Customer Reviews:

Cold blood.......2007-07-04

Some repeats are not as good as the original - this was one of them.

Tragic Mind-bender.......2007-03-07

In Cold Blood was a movie you had to pay close attention to so that you could understand what was going on & why, but not too difficult to do so that you couldn't enjoy the movie. It was tragic that innocent people had to die because of a couple of losers. Being innocent & trusting cost them, I believe. The movie was well made & explained the true-to-life story very good. The settings for the time period, etc. were well done & the acting was very good, with many emotional scenes, both sad & happy.
In Cold Blood is well worth watching!

TV DOESN'T QUITE MAKE IT WORK.......2007-01-23

This tv miniseries from 1996 seems to be an unnecessary remake of the classic film starring Robert Blake and Scott Wilson.
Although the teleplay does give us more background on the Clutter family and the killers themselves, it's done in such a turgid and lethargic style, it's hard to hold your interest.
Eric Roberts and Anthony Edwards are to be commended for their passionate performances,but atempt to elicit sympathy for them demeans the horrible crime they committed. Sam Neill gamely plays the federal agent who tracks them down and there are some nice cameos from Bethel Leslie, Stella Stevens and Gwen Verdon. Kevin Tighe as Mr. Clutter, however, doesn't have the acting chops to carry off his role.
All in all, it's decently done but pales in comparison to its original source and is nowhere near as good as CAPOTE.

A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE..........2006-06-03

A remake of the 1967 film of the same name, which was a fairly faithful adaptation of Truman Capote's sensational non-fiction book, this version does not disappoint the viewer. Although it does not have the gritty, quasi-documentary feel of the black and white 1967 film, which starred Robert Blake and Scott Wilson in the two lead roles, it is compelling in its own right and a fairly faithful adaptation.

The film follows the path of two losers, Dick Hickock (Anthony Edwards) and Perry Smith (Eric Roberts), as they careen towards catastrophe for themselves and for the hapless Klutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, upon whom they have set their sights. The pathology inherent in these two protagonists is chilling. It is also scary to think that a simple twist of fate would join them all in the annals of true crime.

While Hickock was incarcerated, a fellow inmate, Floyd Wells, who at one time years ago had worked for Herbert Klutter, the patriarch of the Klutter family, told Hickock that Klutter was a wealthy farmer who kept a large store of cash in a safe in the house. Given many details of the family and their house, Hickock fantasizes of making a big score, courtesy of the Klutter family.

When Hickock is released, he hooks up with his friend, Perry Smith. Smith, initially the more sympathetic of the two protagonists, is an individual with obvious psychological problems, deeply rooted in his troubled childhood, while Hickock, who seemed to have had a relatively normal childhood, is a totally amoral con man with little empathy for others. Together, these two spell trouble.

As they begin their preparations for their supposed big heist, the viewer gets a dose of the pathological psyche of these two pathetic individuals. Clearly, Hickock is the leader, with the troubled Smith seemingly reluctant to go along with Hickock's plans. It is chilling to watch them as their preparations and actions take them ever closer to their moment of reckoning with the Klutter family.

The film also tells a parallel story, that of the all-American Klutter family. The viewer sees how they lived and what their modest lives were like just shortly before theirs were to violently intersect those of Smith and Hickock on November 14, 1959. It is this poignant glimpse into their lives just before their senseless slaughter by these two strangers that makes the film so heartbreaking. Were it not for a simple twist of fate, this family might have gone on to live their lives in relative obscurity.

When Smith and Hickock finally reach the home of the Klutters that fateful night, they simply walk in through their unlocked door. Sleeping in the family home were the Clutters and their two teenage children. It would prove to be an unforgettable night for all concerned. The rest of the film focuses on the subsequent actions of Hickock and Perry, as well as on the investigation of the murders, which investigation ultimately saw this motley pair brought to justice.

Anthony Edwards gives an impressive performance as the creepy, amoral, and immature Hickock. He plays him as a big talker pumped with self-importance, a flim-flam man who cons Perry into thinking that this score will set them up for life. Eric Roberts plays Perry Smith as a sympathetic and somewhat sensitive character, who, but for the cruel twists of fate, might have had another kind of life. His portrayal makes the revelations at the end all that more surprising.

This is a remarkably good made for television film that does not try to copy the original 1967 film but, instead, forges its own path. The direction is excellent, as are the performances of the entire cast. Those who enjoy the true crime genre will find this film to be well worth watching.

Movie Fan - Fan .......2006-05-22

Movie Fan - Fan is almost totally correct. It is not as good as the first one. Anthony Edwards is terrible. He should never had tried this roll. He did not carry it at all.

Capote/ In Cold Blood (Double Feature) (2005/ 1967)

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Capote/ In Cold Blood (Double Feature) (2005/ 1967)
Director: Bennett Miller , and Richard Brooks
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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In Cold Blood

Product Features:

Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Thai
Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Unknown Format)
Commentary by director Bennett Miller and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Commentary by director Bennett Miller and cinematographer Adam Kimmel
Unanswered Prayers - a documentary on Truman Capote
2 behind the scenes documentaries

ASIN: B000P23Q5O

Product Description

When a horrific murder rocks the peaceful community of Holcomb, Kansas, legendary writer Truman Capote is inspired to record the shocking true story in his novel IN COLD BLOOD. Capote--accompanied by fellow wordsmith Nell Harper Lee (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD)--travels to the Midwest in search of answers, and ends up becoming emotionally involved with one of the killers as they await trial.

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In cold Blood
In Cold Blood
In Cold Blood
A real classic!
A sublime adaptation of a literary masterpiece

In Cold Blood [Region 2]
Starring: Robert Blake , Scott Wilson , John Forsythe , Paul Stewart , and Gerald S. O'Loughlin
Director: Richard Brooks
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005N52L

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

In cold Blood.......2007-08-31

Good movie , good actors but Capote's book is so perfect that to
make a movie as much as good is almost impossible.

In Cold Blood.......2007-08-07

In Cold Blood.......2007-06-27

A real classic!.......2007-05-28

A sublime adaptation of a literary masterpiece.......2007-05-21

Charlie Rose with David Dreier & Jim Hoagland; Philip Seymour Hoffman (September 29, 2005)

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Charlie Rose with David Dreier & Jim Hoagland; Philip Seymour Hoffman (September 29, 2005)

Manufacturer: "Charlie Rose, Inc."
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

Charlie Rose talks with California Representative David Dreier and Jim Hoagland of the Washington Post. Also, actor Philip Seymour Hoffman discusses his new film, Capote.

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I Only Wrote This Review For You, Johnny Thunders
Wasted and looking awful, Thunders takes the stage.
Depends on how you look at it
warning
Rock and Roll Distilled

Live in Cold Blood
Starring: Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000062XH7
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Description

This 30 minute performance from Johnny Thunders is Live from New York City in 1982 and features 9 great tracks including the title song "In Cold Blood." This DVD uncovers the real Johnny Thunders with rough and tough, archival footage!

Customer Reviews:

I Only Wrote This Review For You, Johnny Thunders.......2006-11-24

JT, A little over 3 years & 3,000 tears ago, I mail ordered this dvd, paid
a little over $25 bucks for it & I A B S O L U T E L Y H A T E D I T !
Luckily, I did not throw it in the lake, but put it high on a shelf so my
children could not reach it until now. Today, ThanksGiving, my teenage
son, Gideon, found it, played it, watched it & loved it! JT, weren't you
the least bit religious? I am not though I have heard it said that a child
(small? young? I can't remember) shall mislead or lead & today I found
that to be true! Watching it with my teenage son, I WAS TRANSFIXED, fixed!
Well, you must know how I felt. I once was blind, but now I see...
I only wish the entire show had been made available & not just the 30 min.
version I got though it's alot to handle & more than enough to love! THANKS
from my heart to yours. "I'm sorry I didn't have much to say..." JT, R.I.P.

Wasted and looking awful, Thunders takes the stage........2005-10-15

Well, as a Johnny Thunders fan, I love this because live JT on video/DVD is a rarity. Unfortunately, JT is completely strung out, LITERALLY performing with his eyes rolled into the back of his head for 3/4 of this half-hour long DVD. This is for Die-Hard fans ONLY.

As another reviewer pointed out, this was obviously a direct video to DVD transfer. No chance that THIS was going to be "remastered!" The sound-mix is AWFUL. For example, during Pipeline the bass track is WAY in front, burying whatever JT was playing! That is his signature tune and we hear the BASS! The editing is crappy, but I have a feeling a good 1/2 hour of footage spared us seeing JT at his rock-bottom worst. As someone who LOVES his music, I don't wanna see that anyways.

JT had to lie down for a good five minutes...at least he continued singing, though. Walter Lure and the rock-steady bass player hold things together as best they can and the drummer does an admirable job (though he apparently never learned to end a song with a flourish...a few songs end with muted tip-taps).

That is my review. If you are reading this you will definitely want it, since the only people who would bother to THINK about purchasing In Cold Blood are Die Hards. You can find this regularly on ePay for less than $10, so happy viewing!

Depends on how you look at it.......2003-02-12

Well it's Johnny Thunders any way you look at it. The DVD production is pretty much the video pressed on a digital format (you didn't honestly think anyone would put any real cash into this, did you?). But it's not awful. It's rare to have any live video footage of this band so I would have to say it's worth buying. It's short, sweet and Thunders close to his worst. It will make you wish he was captured on video on better days.

warning.......2002-11-25

first of all i consider my self a johnny thunders fan.i have many of his cds and videos/dvds.may he rest in peace.the only reason this dvd should have been released would be to warn people of the danger of using drugs.mr.thunders in his prime was one of the greats!but this concert shows him at one of his lowest points.he can't play guitar.he can't remember the words or sing.he can hardly stand up.unlike on dead or alive it looks like they give it to you like it was, no overdubs.which is what i hated about dead or alive cause there are parts when he is sitting down and isnt even holding the guitar but his parts are still playing.in this video he cant even keep his guitar strapped on but you can hear the slop that is coming out.walter and the rest of the band look like they want to hide.i (think)johnny prided himself on the image..and pulled it off for a long time but in my opinion this is a rip off of his fans..its plain painful to watch..johnny i still luv ya...with that said im putting my copy up for sale..

Rock and Roll Distilled.......2002-04-11

This first aired on the USA network in 1982, as many of you with long since worn tapes can attest. Herein we find Johnny Thunders and Walter Lure again reunited, slapping and slamming and slurring their way through a first-rate set featuring "In Cold Blood," "Pipeline," Alone in a Crowd," and "Born to Lose," among others. Being Johnny, he is not without his troubles: his guitar strap refuses to be stayed, his shirt rips, his sleeve catches in the strings, his boots are falling apart, the song "I Love You" blows up. And yet.... And yet it's a great set, much better than the "Dead or Alive" DVD. This is worth it. The only drawback is the length; thirty minutes is too short--but for the price it's a bargain.

Salad Days - When the Boys Are Green in Judgement and Cold in Blood

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Salad Days - When the Boys Are Green in Judgement and Cold in Blood

Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

What are the salad days? Noun, a time of youthful indiscretion and delinquency. Witness skiing's new generation's happy days - the salad days - when the boys are green in judgement and cold in blood. View the tightest in jib style and culture with backcountry air, cliffs, rails, urban, pipe, and more.

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Killers in cold blood

Killers in Cold Blood
Starring: Killers in Cold Blood
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000062XEU
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Customer Reviews:

Killers in cold blood.......2004-12-29

Don't let the title fool you - you think you are ordering
true crime but the package arrived holding 3 DVDs about snakes.
This set should be listed under nature!

Dead or Alive Gift Set (Includes In Cold Blood Book)

Average customer rating:

Speedball
punk's professional disaster shines!

Dead or Alive Gift Set (Includes In Cold Blood Book)
Starring: Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers
Manufacturer: Mvd Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Proto Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

American Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005B7AK
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Description

This special limited edition gift pack features the legendary ex- New York Doll, Johnny Thunders on DVD, coupled with Nina Antonia's outstanding biography of Thunders entitled "In Cold Blood". The DVD features Thunders and the Heartbreakers in a rare concert film. The DVD also contains the essence of the Dolls' Sleaze scene, Thunders in the Studio, and lots more. The biography is a detailed look at the life of Johnny Thunders from his early pre-Heartbreaker days to his tragic death in 1991. This 270 page book contains a complete Thunders discography over 100 photographs, some never seen before!

Customer Reviews:

Speedball.......2002-08-26

For Johnny's fans, you have found IT, nirvana, paradise.....Herein we find a swell DVD where Johnny acts and drinks milk and buys rolling papers in a very amusing way. And we also buy a book that comes close to capturing his soul. Miss Antonia had enough time around Johnny to not just write him off as a manipulator--she checked her pockets and, with the love deserved, wrote the best biography we'll ever know of rock and roll's greatest expositor. May he rest in peace--and may you buy this.

punk's professional disaster shines!.......2002-07-01

First of all, the DVD itself gets four stars. The book pushes the package to an easy five. Nina Antonia's 250+ page bio includes a comprehensive discography, over 125 b&w photos, and the only real account of Thunders' life. The book cover everything from birth to childhood to a lost shot at a baseball career to the New York Dolls to the Heartbreakers and beyond, ending with a heartbreaking, riveting account of Johnny's final days and the strange circumstances surrounding his mysterious death. In Cold Blood is filled with incredible tales of madness and triumph as well as sad and frequent bouts of frustation and failure. Thunders did his best to screw up and bad luck was always there to finish any disaster he started but could not complete himself. There is no excuse for any JT or Dolls fan not own this wonderful book! I can even forgive Nina for saying that Mickey Mantle played in Shea Stadium, this book is that good.

AS for the actual DVD, it's JT & THe Heartbreakers(Walter Lure, Jerry Nolan & Billy Rath) reunited at The Lyceum in London in March, 1984. The track list includes: Chinese Rocks(live clips from '77)/Pipeline/Personality Crisis/One Track Mind/Too Much Junkie Business/Born To Lose/Hurt Me('84 acoustic-studio footage)/part of You Can't Put Ypour Arms Around A Memory(acoustic)/Eve Of Destruction-Like A Rolling Stone(aborted acoustic Medley)/In Cold Blood/7 day weekend/So Alone(bizarre & disturbing)/Just Because I'm White/Baby Talk/Do You Love Me ?/Sad Vacation(at the Marquee '84). Also features a trailer for "Born To Lose-the last rock 'n' roll movie"(featuring idiotic comments from the late Dee Dee Ramone), a JT filmed interview from '84, and various staged footage. As Thunders admits in the book, there were some necessary overdubs done after the live show was recorded.

It's true that you can't put your arms around a memory, but this video & book will get you closer to it than most. The video perpetuates the legend of the professional junkie...the book introduces you to the man behind the nonsense, the heartbroken father and the fatherless child. You need this book!

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