Muder in the Heartland

The story of Charles Starkweather, who went on a two-months killing spree with his under age girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate in December 1957 and January 1958 has been told in several versions, sometimes depicting the actual story and other times merely using the story as inspiration.

This 1993 TV mini series probably stays the closest to the real story. The first part covers the 11 murders committed by Starkweather, who later claimed that Fugate was a willing participant, changing his initial story that she had nothing to do with the murders. Fugate always maintained her innocence, claiming she had been held hostage by Starkweather, who threatened to kill her family (her mother, stepfather and half-sister were among the first victim, Fugate denied knowing they were already dead).

Part two deals with the aftermath - the police investigation, the extradition of Starkweather to be tried in Nebraska rather than Wyoming (both states had the death penalty but he said to prefer the Nebraskan electric chair to Wyoming's gas chamber), the extent of Fugate's involvement in the crimes.

Tim Roth plays Charles Starkweather in his usual brilliant manner and Fairuza Balk is actually surprisingly good in this, as well (she usually plays weirdos rather than the precocious young girl).

Pretty decent TV adaption.

7/10

First Blood

This is the first of the Rambo franchise.

John Rambo, Vietnam vet, former green beret, trained to become a killing machine, can't catch a break back home. When he gets picked up in a small town for minding his own business, he ends up beating up a few officers and fleeing into the mountains. The local sheriff sends everyone and their grandmother in pursuit of him.

Rambo goes into self defense mode and holds his ground against some two hundred assorted law enforcement people. Casualties are kept to a minimum (one tends to falsely remember vast numbers of dead bodies when it comes to this, because the later Rambo films spill more blood than this one).

In the end, he faces off with his 'creator', one captain Trautman and breaks down crying, before surrendering.

6/10