Category: Actors

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Zodiac {2007}.

The Zodiac Killer was active—as far as we know—in 1968 and 1969, though he claimed in one of his notorious, cryptic, and, really, legendary, letters that he had killed (and was continuing to kill…) many more than the law department could conceive of. His five “canonical” murders were unusual in a number of ways: his “signature” varied from event to event; and instead of trying to conceal his deeds, he boasted and rodomontaded unabashedly and very publicly. When he gloated that he planned to kill schoolchildren as they “came bouncing out” of a schoolbus, panic ran rampant throughout the whole of Northern California.

The initial scene shows the strikingly cryptic, bizarre, haunting interview that Toschi {portrayed by Mark Ruffalo}, Mulanax {Elias Koteas} and Armstrong {Anthony Edwards} held with Person of Interest Arthur Leigh Allen {played by John Carroll Lynch, who gets it pitch-perfect}. By turns haughty, indignant, angry, and laconic, Allen kept dropping revealing, tantalising bits of information that certainly got the lawmen’s attention. They glance at each other, almost in shock, as the suspect all but reveals that he’s the infamous Zodiac. But not quite. An extremely intense scene.

The middle two videos cover one of the “canonical” Zodiac murders, and some of writer/sleuth Robert Graysmith‘s unnerving detours into what may, or may not be false leads, this being a particularly disquieting episode with Bob Vaughn (Charles Fleischer).

The final video shows Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he enters the domain of Leigh, not to prove anything, but to look into his eyes “and know he’s the one”. He does so, and as it dawns on the chief suspect of the Zodiac investigation what is happening, his countenance morphs from pleasant and welcoming, to menacing and cold.

This riveting film focuses, for the most part, on the remarkable degree of not only fear, but *obsession* that the never-caught serial killer instilled in people. This kind of obsession destroyed a number of lives; Paul Avery {Robert Downey, Jr.}, Dave Toschi {Mark Ruffalo}, and Robert Graysmith {Jake Gyllenhaal} are those examined in Zodiac.

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The Moriarty {Andrew Scott}.

Actor Andrew Scott turns in a bravura performance as criminal mastermind James Moriarty in the BBC series Sherlock. Truly mesmerizing.

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Hitchcock’s Psycho {1960}.

“Car Lot“, from Psycho soundtrack. Composed by Bernard Herrmann.

The plot of Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, pivots on the fulcrum of a red herring. Janet Leigh’s character fears that she is in imminent legal danger, and suffers from a troubled conscience, when in fact something far, far worse, something having absolutely nothing even remotely to do with events up to that point, awaits her.

When he dines initially with Leigh, the reaction/mood of Norman Bates {portrayed iconically by Anthony Perkins} changes rather drastically, from chipper, to utterly incredulous, to overtly hostile, to a resigned world-weariness, to a last attempt at joviality. He appears to be friendly and caring, if a bit troubled and mercurial.

When the dogged, unswerving Milton Arbogast {Martin Balsam} calmly dissembles the slowly dissolving structural integrity of Norman’s version of events, he opts to trot out the heavy artillery, proclaiming “If it doesn’t gel, it isn’t aspic; and this ain’t gelling.” Stunned silence proceeds to take over the entire universe, and Norman Bates is clearly rattled. The two shall meet again, soon enough.

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Christian Szell: Marathon Man {1976}.

The sadistic, notorious war criminal Christian Szell—aka The White Angel, or Der Weisse Engel— {portrayed memorably by Laurence Olivier} gets up to some nefarious goings-on in Marathon Man…until Dustin Hoffman finally captures him (…on film).

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Peter Boyle: X-Files: Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.

The mighty and imposing actor Peter Boyle portrays reluctant prognosticator Clyde Bruckman in The X-Files.

{Existential Moments…}

Mr. Boyle truly turns on the jets, and was nominated for {and won} an Emmy for this indelible, unforgettable performance.

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X-Files: Unruhe. The Gerry Schnauz.

The brilliant character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince gives an extremely memorable performance as serial killer/lobotomist Gerry Schnauz in this moving {and eerie} episode of The X-Files.

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The CSI {part 4}: Syd Goggle.

The notorious and ultra-elusive serial killer dubbed {much to the displeasure of Grissom} “The Strip Strangler” is eventually tracked down by the CSI Mæstro, despite the “help” of the FBI. In this powerful scene, Gil confronts one Syd Booth Goggle (once considered a minor irritant, at best…), who turns out to be the deadly predator. A risky venture: no backup, and close quarters.

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CSI {Part 3}: Stalker.

Slightly off-kilter character actor Doug Hutchison was THE *perfect* choice to play CSI Nick Stokes’s rather creepy antagonist in this episode of CSI, season 2, episode 19.

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The CSI, part 2: Paul Millander.

Actor Matt O’Toole gives a remarkable, bravura, iconic performance as serial killer Paul Millander, invoking dread, menace, yet some sympathy (of a sort…) as well. Highly intelligent, and courteous, with a traumatic youth-hood, to put it mildly, Millander nonetheless is that most threatening of characters; always he seems to have the advantage.

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Trek {Star}: Vol. 2.

Three of the Highest Echelon: The Ultimate Computer; Where No Man Has Gone Before; and The Man Trap.

Towering genius Dr. Richard Daystrom, in the midst of further un-understanding, plans to “show” Leonard McCoy—plans to show everyone, in fact—and delivers, in his stentorian manner, a powerfully declamatory oration, all the while teetering on the very brink of sanity/insanity. 

In trying earnestly to persuade the well-nigh legendary (and Great) M5 Multitronic Unit (which displays its textbook Uncompromising Stance) to do, and to not do, certain things, the mighty and almost eternal Dr. Richard Daystrom begins an ill-fated rumination on his life and work, and the all-too-prevalent injustices therein. A last, desperate, titanic, paradigmatic, æon-defining manifestation of wild grandiosity brings with it predictable results. 

Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) employ a potent cocktail of chicanery and subterfuge to subdue the solitude-defending archaeologist, Professor Robert Crater (Alfred Ryder). They proceed to interrogate him vigorously, mainly/entirely concerning the whereabouts of his wife.

Gary Mitchell leaves little doubt of his seriousness—he is most certainly *not* joking—with Lee Kelso. He then ruminates, with ever-increasing wonder, about his newly found, awesome, and steadily burgeoning powers. Gary Lockwood delivers a masterful performance as the metamorphosing Mitchell.