Le tueur d'Atlanta

I happened to catch this on TV, and wanted to watch because I remembered the Spin magazine article upon which the movie is based. I was very disappointed. First, if James Belushi is the lead actor in a movie, it should be a sign that it's not exactly an A-list production. Gregory Hines was a world class dancer, but sadly not a great actor.

In fact, all of the acting in this film is either flat or hammy, which can only be blamed on the director, who is this film's weakest link. Charles Carner seemed to be trying to ape Oliver Stone's "JFK" in portraying the alleged conspiracy to cover up the "real" child murderer(s), but without the benefit of a good script, an A-list cast or, it must be said, the talent. It just doesn't work.

It's a shame that such a worthy topic for a film did not get better treatment.

This Showtime original is definitely worth a look. I couldn't help but be reminded of "JFK" and a weekly show on The Learning Channel called "Medical Detectives". Much of the film is told in flashback and with second hand information ("Mrs. X reported seeing a green car near the railroad tracks, etc., etc. etc.). The performances are good and it brings angles to the story that I never knew existed. I won't reveal anything as that would spoil it. It also reminded me of "All the President's Men" a little with the two stars doing their best to uncover the facts. Check it out.

I saw this movie and loved it! It opened my eyes to the depth and dimension of the "missing and murdered children" story. The actors were great and the plot had so much integrity (holding true to actual events and reports). I was a child growing up in Atlanta during the kidnappings and murders (1979-1982) and I remember the terror that paralyzed our city. And I do mean "paralyzed." So many leads and reports were not properly or promptly followed up on by our law enforcement--until it was too late. When the accused killer was arrested and later convicted, our community's fear was not assuaged. While I didn't understand the conviction to be a possible "coverup", I was convinced that some mistakes had been made. Even as a child I knew this. After seeing this movie in 2002, many of my suspicions were confirmed and many new questions were raised. This movie was the catalyst which sparked my renewed interest in seeing the whole truth brought to light. I recommend, after viewing the movie, that you read Rachael Bell's article on the Atlanta Child Murders/Wayne Williams.

Released on video as "Echo of Murder", this film is a scrapbook docudrama which retells the history of the infamous early 80's Atlanta "Child Murders" through the investigative reporting of two journalists, Heins and Belushi. The film gathers momentum quickly and keeps up the pace though the story is more a regurgitation of history than an embellished drama. Worth a look for those unfamiliar with this dark time in Atlanta's history.

A racially mixed pair of reporters start out to cover the Atlanta child murder cases and come to believe that a huge KKK conspiracy is involved in the killings and it was covered up by a combination of police bungling and politics. The story is almost believable yet it fails to recognize that the situation was such that American black activists were all over the case too and it would seem very likely that they would publicize such a conspiracy and not just let the matter rest as it has. The film is a little too simplistic in that sense and doesn't cover any extensive interviews with the defendant or examine why or if the murders continued after his apprehension. I could readily understand the political motives for covering up such an inflammatory conspiracy but it seems too far fetched to believe that such a coverup would have to involve so many people of different races and views that it just seems to implausable. Good effort by Hines and Belushi though.