“Hall's bleak vision, his gift for working with darkness and rain, rivals classic film noir of the 1940s and '50s in its visual mastery.” - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

“Excellent quasidocumentary, which sends shivers down the spine while moving the viewer to ponder.” - Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Saturday, December 7, 8:15 p.m. & Saturday, December 14, 7:15 p.m. | A haunting adaptation of Truman Capote’s groundbreaking true crime novel, IN COLD BLOOD recounts the true story of the murder of the Clutter family in rural Holcomb, Kansas, on the morning of November 15, 1959. Filmed in stark black-and-white, IN COLD BLOOD stars Robert Blake and Scott Wilson as killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, exploring their troubled lives and the choices that led them to the Clutter farmhouse on that fateful day. Director Richard Brooks (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF) employs a documentary-style approach, shooting primarily on location—including in the actual Clutter home—and incorporating a striking score by Quincy Jones that uses two acoustic basses to symbolize the killers’ “demented minds.” A landmark work in the true crime genre, IN COLD BLOOD is an unflinching portrayal of violence, and its consequences, that will send shivers down your spine.


Awards & Nominations

Nominee - Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Academy Awards


HeartlandFlyover country, the third coast, the rust belt. The American Midwest has plenty of nicknames, and is arguably more difficult to outline on a map than the east or west coasts. Despite its ambiguous footprint, the Midwest is often defined by its people: hard working, sympathetic, and “nice.” With Heartland, we search for the Midwest's cinematic definition—how is middle America defined by big screen style and story, and when the lights go down, do we like what we see of our cinematic selves (however realistic or fantastical) reflected back at us? Read more


The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu