Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

robertgriffin35 I remember watching this movie, I was about 14 years old living in California at the time, and it still scared the hell out of me. Even to this day I don't know if I would or could watch it again due to that fact. Most people think that the killings stopped when Wayne was put behind bars but they didn't. The FBI, even the President of the United States knew that a race war could blow up in downtown Atlanta if the public knew what the FBI knew of certain members of the KKK's involvement. The FBI have phone taps of certain members of the KKK, one person more then any other knew a lot of those kids that had been killed, even telling an FBI informant that he was going to kill one of them. Guess what that kid ended up being killed.Now im not saying that Wayne is innocent of any of the killings, but things don't make since. A serial killer hardly ever changes his course. Ted Bundy loved brunettes with parts down the middle of their hair, Wayne Gacy loved white men who were gay. The Green River killer killed street walkers. Are we to believe that Wayne Williams went from killing little kids to full grown adults??? Are we to believe that Wayne Williams killed these adults by himself, strangled them even though some were bigger and stronger then he was and then toss them into a river.No murder weapon was ever found, stories have been changed to fit Wayne Williams must of been the culprit.Wayne Williams have recently tried to get DNA testing, which I do not know has been passed or denied, but why would it be denied? That one person the FBI had hard feelings about stated he had a Siberian Husky, Wanye Williams had a Shepard. EArly stories of some of the killings stated that Husky hair had been found, Later they to changed to Shepard hairs in changing of stories.5 of the kids that were found were found in a park where this person and his brother visited on a regular basis.Also most serial killers keep trophies, nothing like this was ever found at any spot where Wayne Williams lived or worked at? People say he hated black youths, but then the same people say he loved to seduce black teens.I don't think we will ever know what happened in Atlanta, so many witness have changed stories, people have died, Aids probably killed a lot of witness, or people close to the case. The victims were raped, and Aids being pretty much a fast death sentence at that time could of probably killed the killer(s) as well.I for one do not thing Wayne Williams was given a fair trial. The trial was rushed, his lawyers were buried with a mountain of evidence to sort thru in such a limited time. Witness changed their stories in mid trial. Williams' layweres were not allowed certain evidence that would help to release him.

ericcody The Atlanta Child Murders, a 1985 CBS mini series of the week is a good movie, but not an accurate portrayal of the political establishment of this still growing city. Former Mayor Andrew Young tried to ban this movie from airing the city of Atlanta and the surrounding counties. I am a resident of Decatur, GA 10 miles outside of Atlanta. I was a seven year old boy when the first of 27 bodies of young Black teenage boys and two Black girls were found in 1979.As of this writing Dekalb County Police Chief Graham just five days ago announced that he has reopened the cases of five murders of Black teenage boys that was on the original list of the murdered children. Chief Graham believes Wayne Williams could not have committed these murders. The Atlanta Child Murders screenplay was written by Abby Mann. Mann was a strong supporter along with writer James Baldwin and Civil Rights attorney William Kunstler of Wayne Williams innocence. The Atlanta Child Murders film captures masterfully the fear and outrage that gripped the city (Atlanta) that eventually hosted the 1996 Olympics Summer Games. Mann attempted not to offend the politicians such as Former Governor Busby and Former Mayor Maynard Jackson whom were both in office at the time of the child murders and whom had the most to lose politically if these murders was not quickly solved. In my opinion Wayne Williams did not commit all of these murders. He would have had to been Superman to get around the city to commit all of these murders in the time frame the authorities was finding bodies. Wayne Williams was only convicted of killing two men who was considered the last victims of the list.I give this movie ***stars. Good, but not excellent. This movie is not on DVD.

SanFernandoCurt When the "Atlanta Child Murders" first aired in the mid-'80s, it didn't raise too many eyebrows - even though Abby Mann's script intimates in the concluding minutes of the miniseries that convicted culprit Wayne Williams may NOT be the murderer of dozens of young men and boys in a horrifying crime spree that held Georgia's biggest city spellbound with fear three decades ago. Given Mann's film-making track record - "Judgment at Nuremberg," "King," etc. - nobody was going to accuse him of being a conservative. In fact, most of his work has always seemed philosophically bound by a boilerplate leftism and a near-obsession with black/white race relations in America. It wasn't too much of a surprise that he would spring his unique - and frankly bizarre - theory on network television. For Mann, Williams was the victim of incompetent police work, corrupt city government and that old devil, racism. OK. Sure.But now, it's 20 years later. Wayne Williams is still in prison. While the serial killings of Atlanta's young have not continued (in fact, they stopped with Williams' arrest in 1981), Williams still maintains his innocence. So, where's Abby? Shouldn't he be working for William's freedom? Or, if he's changed his mind, repudiating his own theory? I mean: We're stuck with a 1985-vintage "J'accuse" that seems to have been conveniently forgotten by its own creator. Where's Abby? Is he sitting up in Beverly Hills with the rest of the Hollywood Chardonnay proletariat, reading the Daily Worker and ordering the Third World servants around?If Wayne Williams is innocent, shouldn't SOMEONE be trying to free this poor victim-of-the-system from prison? And if, indeed, he's guilty, why did Abby Mann ever say he was innocent? Real mystery, huh?

dtucker86 This was a very gripping and well-made tv film about the real life serial murder case that rocked Atlanta in the early 1980's. A deranged killer held the whole city in the icy grip of fear like the Son of Sam did in New York. This film is like Dragnet in its no-nonsense telling of the murders and the horror that rocked a nation. It has an unusually distinguished cast that all give fine performances. Morgan Freeman, Rip Torn, Jason Robards and Andrew Robinson (who was the killer in Dirty Harry). However, this film falls into an all familiar Hollywood liberal trap after Wayne Williams arrest and its depiction of his trial. It tries to convince you that Wayne Williams was like an innocent little boy who was railroaded and put away. It tries to convince you that he was innocent. To this day, he is appealing his sentence. I want to tell all of you something right here and now. WAYNE WILLIAMS IS WHERE HE BELONGS!!!HE IS THE ATLANTA CHILD KILLER!!!!HE DID IT CASE CLOSED!!!There is a brilliant book that I read recently called Mindhunter by John Douglas who is a retired FBI Agent. Mister Douglas was a pioneer in profiling of serial killers, creating a psychological profile of the monsters who deal in mass murder. He helped the prosecution in the trial of Wayne Williams. First of all, Williams fit the profile of the Atlanta killer like a glove. He was a police buff who tried to get himself involved in the investigation. These sick guys subconsciously want to get caught you know. There were hair and fibers found in his automobile that matched the victims exactly. I mean people, if there is that kind of evidence against you THAT IS IT!!!I will tell you something else from Wayne William's trial that is not generally well known. PLEASE PASS IT ON!!!John Douglas conferred with the prosecutor before he cross examined Williams and he told him how to do it. He said to hit him hard and stand close to him. The prosecutor followed this strategy and at one point, he said to Williams "What was it like when you wrapped your hands around their throats Wayne? What was it like? Did you panic?" Before he could catch himself, Williams stammered out "NO". Did you get this folks? HE CONFESSED ON THE STAND THAT HE DID IT!!!!Then Williams went as and started screaming at the prosecutor. The jury couldn't believe it! They said afterwards that was the turning point. Wayne Williams made a full confession as far as I am concerned. The bastard did it and he is lucky to have escaped with a life sentence CASE CLOSED!!!!However, this is a fine film. Jason Robards gives a fine performance as the defense attorney. He almost reminds me of Clarence Darrow. He was a hero in real life as well. He was in the Pearl Harbor attack and won the Navy Cross for bravery. God bless you Mister Robards and sleep well.