I had a chance to see Changeling, the new Clint Eastwood film, this weekend and I recommend it for anybody who is fascinated by serial killers. I guess serial killers are a little too morbid for some people, but there's something about people, who by most standards are as normal as you or I, feel compelled to kill people again and again. I don't have a favorite serial killer because...that would be weird...but I think the one who interests me the most is the Zodiac Killer.

Until I saw Changeling.

Serial killers usually don't shock me. Not much shocks me.

Until I saw Changeling.

It's not the best movie ever, so don't go see it hoping for whatever your favorite film is. In fact, I'd compare it favorably to Zodiac: a very well-made film that has a few too many flaws to be called great. The script is a bit trite sometimes, but when you consider that 95% of it came from public record you can't fault the screenwriter much. It goes on a bit long, but it kind of has to in order to fit in the right ending. It could end in a number of places and Eastwood could have tacked on a blurb at the end about what happens after the main story concludes, but he chose to show it. Maybe that was a mistake, but I'm not going to fault him for it.

The acting is what really sticks out to me...or maybe it was that Eastwood seems to know exactly what he wants his movie to be and knows exactly how much to pull from his actors in order to make a compelling film. It's probably a mix of the two.

Anyway, I've never been creeped out by a serial killer until seeing this film. Jason Butler Harner portrays Gordon Northcott in a way that is very unique. Instead of making the killer strong, silent and deranged, Harner makes Northcott slimy and pathetic, but also strangely endearing and sweet. That's why he's so damn creepy: because he's so likable. Once I saw what he did and found out what he was capable of, my jaw dropped.

There's not a whole lot written about Northcott, so I'm taking most of what I know about him from Changeling and wikipedia. I wish there was more to read on him and I'm surprised that there isn't anything to read about him. The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders were really big back then: they are the reason the city Mira Loma isn't called Wineville anymore. They confirmed to the public that the LAPD was (is) one of the most corrupt institutions in American history. Just look at the guy: doesn't he look fascinating?




Also, the cd listings are probably coming on Friday. I'll just do one massive post. Or something like that. The autumn cds are coming.