this two part tv mini series isn not as good a the original from 1966 but it solid . the original benefit from a huge number of thing it be all in black and white and it have a great jazz score and it be film at the real location and include the home of the doomed clutter family . that be important because in the book and in the original movie the home be very much a character itself . this remake be film in canada which i guess double okay for kansa . the story try to be as sympathetic to perry a it dare to and eric robert play him a a somewhat fey person and his homosexuality barely hide . the gentler take by robert doesn not quite work in the end though because it hard to believe that his version of perry smith would just finally explode in a spasm of murder . whereas robert blake take on smith leave you no doubt that his perry smith be an extremely dangerous character . anthony edward be excellent a the bombastic and big mouthed and ultimately cowardly dick hickcock and the brain of the outfit . his performance compare very well to scott wilson role in the original movie . since this be a longer movie it allow more time to develop the clutter family and in this regard i think the 1996 movie have an advantage . the clutter be just an outstanding and decent family . they have never harm another soul and it be just inexplicable that such a decent family be ultimately massacre in such a horrifying way . it still boggle my mind that and after the clutter be lock in the bathroom and that herb clutter do not force out the window so at least his child would have a chance to escape . this movie have the think occur to him and but too late . from what i read about the real home and which be still stand and the way the bathroom be configure they could have open the counter drawer and effectively barricade the door which would have force the killer to blast their way in . but it might have buy time for some of the clutter to escape . why the clutter do not try this and i have no idea . fan of the book will recognize that this movie take a lot of liberty with how the crime be commit but not too serious . still and it distract to viewer like me who have read ton about the case . the actor play the cop and lead by sam neill and leo rossi and be uniformly excellent and much good and i think and a a group and than the actor in the original movie . they know that to secure the noose around the neck of both of them they have to get them to confess . and the officer come to the interview impeccably prepare . they have already discover the likely alibi the phony story of go to fort scott and and have debunk every jot of it . the officer then let smith and hickcock just walk into their trap . hickcock be a b. s. artist who figure he can convince anyone of anything and the officer respectfully let him tell his cover story . but when they lower the boom on him and he shatter very quickly . it very well film and act and very gratify to watch because the viewer naturally should loath hickcock in particular by this point and a cowardly con man who need the easily manipulate smith to do his kill for him . supposedly hickcock later state that the real reason for the crime wasn not to steal money from the clutter but to rape nancy clutter . at least she be spar that degradation . the actor play the clutter be very good and kevin tighe a herb clutter in particular . the story sensitively deal with mrs. clutter emotional problem and most likely clinical depression and and mrs. clutter display remarkable inner strength when she firmly and strongly demand that the killer leave her daughter alone . from what i have read the clutter survive family be particularly bother by how bonnie clutter be portray in the book and claim it be entirely untrue . but a an aside and both of the killer relate to the police how mr. clutter ask them to not bother his wife because of her long illness . capote might make up that fiction to make the character of bonnie more interesting but certainly the killer have no reason to falsely portray mrs. clutter and no doubt much of the conversation in the book ( duplicate in the movie ) be right off the taped confession of the killer . so it would have be nonsensical for herb to have say that and not have it be true .