It’s the 1960s. There are no VCRs (or not many). There are few if any options for stopping and restarting movies. You can’t really find Easter eggs.
I’m skeptical.
That’s a good point worth remembering. The Most Dangerous Game was more widely known because it was a popular short story well before the film.
It’s the 1960s. There are no VCRs (or not many). There are few if any options for stopping and restarting movies. You can’t really find Easter eggs.
I’m skeptical.
There aren’t really Easter eggs in the film though, only extended sequences. Zodiac might have even seen 13 Ghosts in 1960, been a fan of William Castle and liked the glasses tie in.
Another gimmick from a Castle film, House on Haunted Hill: "A skeleton with red lighted eye sockets attached to wire floated over the audience in the final moments of some showings of the film to parallel the action on screen when a skeleton rises from a vat of acid and pursues the villainous wife of Vincent Price’s character". Easy to imagine these campy and theatrical productions, with unique audience interaction, appealing to someone like Zodiac, who liked Gilbert & Sullivan and was amused by The Exorcist.
I also may as well share this poster:
"I shall (on top of everything else) torture all 13 of my slaves that I have wateing for me in paradice"
On the face of it, this has to be the weirdest attempt at extortion ever. "If you don’t do as I’ll say, I’ll torture these 13 ghosts".
I guess he thinks he’s funny.
IIRC Zodiac misspelled "twich" the same way as the Bates Confession Letter writer.
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IIRC Zodiac misspelled "twich" the same way as the Bates Confession Letter writer.
I listened to the 12-26-75 podcast that deviates from GSK to discuss the Cheri Bates murder and confession letter. They strongly suggest that the letter writer and the murderer aren’t the same person, based on what is forensically known and what had previously been disclosed in the newspapers. Which makes the inclusion of the spelling ‘twich’ notable. Is Z the letter writer, but not the murderer?
The reference to the "middle wire" was allegedly information only the killer would know. I have an article open right now that says: "the distributor and the coil wire had been torn loose." (Daily Independent Journal & The San Mateo Times, Nov. 1st 1966). This is the only Bates-related article that turns up if you search "cheri jo bates middle wire" on Newspapers.com. I know nothing about old cars or whether that was an easy guess.
Going back a bit: 8mm film was the popular home-viewing format of that era. There were video recorders at the time, but they were far too clunky and expensive for the average consumer.
The reference to the "middle wire" was allegedly information only the killer would know.
Thanks for this clarification.
I recently came across some old screen printing materials and realized that printers also use the symbol on their screens….it is called the "registration" and allows them to line up the prints. Made me wonder if he had anything to do with the industry as well.
Television had test patterns that were very similar.
I recently came across some old screen printing materials and realized that printers also use the symbol on their screens….it is called the "registration" and allows them to line up the prints. Made me wonder if he had anything to do with the industry as well.
Yes, it’s a registration mark to help line up the 4, separate plates – cyan, magenta, yellow, black. AKA: CMYK. Those are/were the individual inks used in a colour printing press. But, that is if you relate the symbol to the one on the letters. If you take into account Hartnell’s recount of the symbol on the hood, then it’s a lot thicker and something more reminiscent of a Celtic cross vs. cross-hairs or a registration mark. To me, the hood symbol is how the Zodiac really saw it and the letters were a short hand for that.
Because of what’s called semiotics, a symbol (sign) can signify multiple things at once. It is a cross-hair, but it represents a lot of other things all at the same time. I just think it means he wants to kill you, but at a particular time and date, determined by the solar calendar.
I was watching the somewhat cheesy 1968 Hammer Horror film The Devil Rides Out yesterday and at one point early in the film, Christopher Lee says of his friend who’s getting mixed up in Satanic rituals, "Simon’s playing the most dangerous game known to mankind". It’s clearly not as strong a link as the reference to The Most Dangerous Game itself, however over Lee’s shoulder at that moment is a drawing of the zodiac wheel. Also notable in the film, is that the leader of the Satanists, Mocato is collecting 13 sacrificial victims, or at least he requires 13 acolytes for transdimensional travel, or some nonsense. The film was advertised with a poster showing a robed figure with a cross emblazoned on the garment (although I don’t think there’s any such outfit in the film). The film was known as The Devil’s Bride in the US.
I was watching the somewhat cheesy 1968 Hammer Horror film The Devil Rides Out yesterday and at one point early in the film, Christopher Lee says of his friend who’s getting mixed up in Satanic rituals, "Simon’s playing the most dangerous game known to mankind". It’s clearly not as strong a link as the reference to The Most Dangerous Game itself, however over Lee’s shoulder at that moment is a drawing of the zodiac wheel. Also notable in the film, is that the leader of the Satanists, Mocato is collecting 13 sacrificial victims, or at least he requires 13 acolytes for transdimensional travel, or some nonsense. The film was advertised with a poster showing a robed figure with a cross emblazoned on the garment (although I don’t think there’s any such outfit in the film). The film was known as The Devil’s Bride in the US.
This is interesting. I like what you’re doing going through old horror movies… I’m thinking about it and why wouldn’t someone like the Zodiac be drawn to the gore and fear in them? He would probably think that they’re child’s play, but still enjoy them. It makes sense to me.
That’s two horror films that have been found recently now that could have meaning, 13 ghosts and this one, in addition to all the others (The exorcist, the car, badlands, etc). I’m not thinking he’s trying to replicate anything in the movies, but if he does draw inspiration from them?… maybe this could create a closer, more accurate profile of the man?
I’m interested in what else you find.
