Zodiackiller.com Message Board: Theories: Movie inspirations for the Zodiac?

I thought I'd start this thread for discussion about Z possibly being inspired by the movies.

Speaking of Dick Tracy, et. al.: remember a 1999 movie called The Bone Collector (with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie)? The killer was inspired by an old book named The Bone Collector, and actually recreated the crimes from the book. Parallels have been drawn between Z and The Most Dangerous Game, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, and so on. Is it possible that there was a specific movie (or book, as the case may be) that Z used as a template for his crimes, rather than bits and pieces from different movies that caught his fancy?

Ed,

I gave at the office-the box office that is! If anyone wishes to view my old posts on Charlie Chan/Treasure Island,The Most Dangerous Game, Batman and certain comics(and songs that are by the Beatles) please go to Archive.

Other posters,as usual,have given us much more interesting posts on Zodiac and the movies,including comics,etc.

The Archives are filled with very informative material.I pick a time and go through them and I think it's a great idea for new people(as well as we old Zodiacologists!)to visit as it will cut down on redos and questions-including speculations- that have already been answered in the past.

It's not fair for people to give information on a post that they spent a lot of time on-both as to the research and to do the post and then someone, due to plain ol' laziness(or just not knowing about the Archive),has them go over the same subject all over again.

Tom,the Webmaster, has constantly urged people-to the point of frustration- to GO to the Archives to learn all they can there.It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Quite right, Howard. It's always advisable to check the archives, and I should have mentioned that. Since Bookworm had a few new ideas in other threads, I thought this one might be a good idea as a catch-all for various new suggestions, rather than a thread specific to a certain movie. Of course, check the archives for all previous relevant posts!

Ed,
As you know there was the Dick Tracy comic strip that came out in 8/17,69 called the "Zodiac Gang"-which was a gang of astrological killers led by an evil man by the name of "Scorpio"(which was Mansons sun sign- as he would always tell everyone).Of course, the strip came out too late to have been an inspiration to Zodiac-unless, as it has been speculated-he learned of the segment before it was published.Like a lot of aspects to this case that is just more Zpeculation-or Zychronicity tm.
Just as Eduard did with Batman, someone should search the Dick Tracy comics (and newspaper comics)for possible Z 'inspiration.'He certainly,as some have observed, was into a world of fantasy.Also,Z mentioned The Exorcist,the Mikado,Badlands and his pasteups,etc.

A few days ago I got pictures of a silent movie called "The Bat". It's about a serialkiller who writes letters telling he will kill someone at a certain time and challenging the police to prevent this.
This movie was an inspiration source for the character Batman.
Below you will see a comparison between the Zodiac LakeB. outfit (police drawing) and a picture of the villain calling himself "The Bat".



Interesting, don't you think!

Eduard
"The Zodiac-Batman Connection"

Eduard, the pic didn't load...

Here is another try...


You see that both wear glasses on their masks (The Bat did this to mask the color of his eyes).
Both masks have rinkles on top.

I read 2 policereports with Hartnell in it and in both reports he tells about the mask but he never mensioned it as square-like. The mask on the police-drawing also doesn't look square-like.
Question: Who came up with the square-like mask theory? Only Hartnell saw this mask and he didn't mension it as square-like.

Eduard

EDN,
In one report(Case INV 1-15-311-F9-5861) it says:"B.H.And this MASK he[Z]had on .It was ingeniously devised.It[the mask]...had FOUR CORNERS at the top,like the top of a paper sack...black.IT[the mask] came down,came down with the front panel...a kind of a thing that came over his shoulders."Therefore it was Bryan Hartnell that gave the 'square' depiction of Zodiac's hood.

In Graysmiths interview with Hartnell it says that the hood was a "...ceremonial midnight -black hood,SQUARE on top,with four corners like a paper sack....The top was FLAT."(EMP mine).I think this same basic description is in another report I have stored.I will check.

Excuse me ,I meant to address Eduarbat-sorry.
Ed,the Bat movie is very interesting as we know Zodiac had an interest in films both old and new.Yes,very interesting!

Okay, Howard...
The report you talked about is the report about the intervieuw Hartnell gave in the hospital and was also taped on cassete,right?

Why does the police show a drawing of the killer's outfit not one time with a square on top of the mask?
Not only one time but twice they did this (see picture below).


Did the police slip on this one?

Eduard
"The Zodiac-Batman Connection"

Eduard,
Here is the other report by det.J.Robertson 9/29/69 :"Victim[Hartnell]stated on front of the FOUR-CORNERED type MASK(SIMILAR TO A PAPER BAG IN STYLE)there was a symbol...Victim stated he could also see hair through the MASK'S eyelets and observed the hair to be dark brown...Victim thought suspect was possibly 20-30 years of age by voice concept.Victim stated suspect was 5'8" to 6',225-250lbs.,dark brown hair...Suspect spoke with some kind of drawl..."This should give enough context in this particular interview.(EMP mine)

Howard,

I believe you are right, but why didn't the two drawings show a four-cornered type mask?
Any idea?

Eduard

P.S. Thanks for this info...

The drawing is also missing the vest with Z symbol on it. That drawing must have been a first draft or perhaps the artist did not have all the info.

Interesting drawings, though...almost comic bookish. I've never seen them before. Where did you find them, Eduard?

It also looks like Zodiac wet his pants.

Eduard,
The drawings are evolutionary.Keep in mind that Hartnell was interviewed at different stages of his physical- as well as emotional recovery -and over time, gave more details in response to the questions.This is fairly typical.

I think Graysmith's(an artist also) drawing is probably the best depiction of Zodiac's costume.It certainly fits Hartnells description when one carefully combines all the reports together.