In the year 2006, "In Cold Blood"-a riveting thriller from 1967-has two new interesting contexts that it did not previous have. First, and most chillingly, is the fact that it's star, Robert Blake, was recently on trial for murdering his wife. Second, the recent Oscar winning biopic, "Capote" showed the muddled back story of this haunting true crime tale's author, Truman Capote. These two new twists make the film timely for a modern audience.

As a stand alone film from it's era, "In Cold Blood" is top notch in every way. Most notable is the stunning black and white cinematography from Conrad Hall (later of "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition" fame). Many of the stills from this film of the Kansas farm house at night or the tree-lined back country roads could be sold as fine art photography. Combined with the cracker-jack direction from Brooks and superb editing in the early scenes (where we see the mundane daily life of the innocent family about to be senselessly slaughtered beautifully intertwined with the plotting of the two hapless killers), a rich brooding atmosphere is created that sets the stage for riveting suspense (even when everyone knows how this is all going to end due to the fact its all based on real life events). It's also great to see in this day and age how brilliantly staged a harrowing murder scene can be depicted where the graphic nature of the act is transmitted to the viewer subliminally with nary a drop of blood shown on screen.

The film is also anchored nicely by Robert Blake's eerie performance as the more sympathetic yet senselessly brutal side of the killing duo. The flashback scenes to his horrible childhood are extremely well done. Then there is the scene towards the end of the film where he is speaking to the reverend before being sent to the gallows and he makes his last "confession" so to speak. It's one of those classic movie moments that is a perfect marriage of gritty acting, superb writing, flawless direction, and haunting photography. I dare you to erase from your mind the stark image of the rain's reflection from the window flowing down Robert Blake's pallid face in lieu of actual tears.

The only thing hampering "In Cold Blood" is the slow moving middle act where the killers are on the lam and the forced nature of the social commentary at the end. The tacked-on political message about the death penalty is secondary to its compelling depiction of the mad killers and their prey.

It is pretty difficult to add to all the great attributes of this film already posted by other users. I will say that I feel more attention and sympathy should have been paid to the victims. Another thing, I never heard language like this in a 1967 film.

Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" came back to people's attention with the release of Bennett Miller's "Capote", depicting the author's research into the Clutter murders and subsequent infatuation with Perry Smith (widely considered the first time that a book about a heinous crime essentially made a celebrity out of the perpetrator). Nonetheless, Richard Brooks's 1967 adaptation of the original novel still bears watching. Robert Blake and the recently deceased Scott Wilson - nowadays recognizable from "The Walking Dead" - depict Perry Smith and Dick Hickock as a pair of men who feel like they have no other hope in the world, so they pull off their infamous crime.

The characters say and do things that must've been shocking for viewers at the time. Without a doubt, this was one of the movies that helped bring down the Hays Code. And that's just one of the reasons why it remains a classic. Anyone curious about classic cinema has to see it.

Also starring John Forsythe, Jeff Corey, Will Geer and Vaughn Taylor (Marion's boss in "Psycho").