Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 22, 2026

When is a documentary not a documentary? Maybe when it's a documentary about a documentary that never got made. Got that? No worries if not, since Charlie Shackleton is on hand as a veritable "tour guide" of an aborted project of his that seemed to have fantastic potential. Until it didn't. Shackleton had been in the process of optioning a book by Lyndon E. Lafferty called The Zodiac Killer Cover Up (also known as The Silenced Badge), a tome which alleged a decades long strategy by law enforcement to hide the true identity of one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Lafferty's theories have been hotly debated, to say the least, but they provided an instant cinematic "hook" for Shackleton, and he felt a documentary based on the book would be a smash. Probably unwisely, he started pre-production before securing the rights, and evidently very shortly before shooting was actually slated to commence the author's estate nixed selling the rights (at least to Shackleton). What's a frustrated documentarian to do? Well, in Shackleton's case he decided to take a whimsical "meta" approach, making a documentary about the documentary he never made. Got that?

There are several things documentary lovers will notice about this effort virtually from the get go. First of all, aside from a few fleeting interstitial shots of Shackleton in what looks like a voiceover recording studio, there are no on screen talking heads, and instead Shackleton more or less narrates the entire enterprise, often with a decidedly cheeky sense of humor. Second of all, probably due to the fact that there are no talking heads or similar accoutrements of a "traditional" documentary, there are many long, virtually static, shots of various locations where literally nothing happens (aside, perhaps, from pedestrians or cars entering and leaving the frame). There are also some comically long moments of pure black screen, as well as frequent snippets from a variety of true crime documentaries that Shackleton snarkily uses to deconstruct the idiom. It's all rather strange, but quirky to the max and quite enjoyable in its own peculiar way.

Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Zodiac Killer Project is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Music Box Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. As of the writing of this review the IMDb doesn't have much if any technical information, but a number of online sources cite Arriflex 416 and Aaton XTR cameras and 16mm film, which I'm assuming had a 2K DI. The results are decently detailed, though again it has to be stated that the bulk of this film is often static midrange or wide framings of various locations, meaning fine detail levels can be marginal at times. The palette is very healthy and natural looking, and a gritty but tightly resolved grain field gives a very natural, organic appearance to things. There are a couple of very minor blemishes that can be spotted.

Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Zodiac Killer Project features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. The surround track definitely opens up ambient environmental sounds (which are a near constant), as well as the interesting score by Jeremy Warmsley, but this is in essence a completely narrated affair, and as such the stereo track will probably suffice perfectly well for many. All spoken material is delivered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Charlie Shackleton Q & A from the Chicago Premiere (HD; 23:47)


• Rejected Sundance Meet the Artist Video (HD; 5:15)


• Camera Test (King Cadbury) (HD; 7:03)


• Full Evocative B Roll Reel (HD; 56:24)


• Director Uncommentary Track is hilariously silent, since the actual film's soundtrack is basically a commentary by Shackleton.


• Charlie Shackleton on Paint Drying and the Letterboxd (Community Phenomenon) (HD; 2:36) is a brief interview with Shackleton. The complete title is incorrectly listed on the menu (part of it is moved down to the next supplement), hence the parentheses here.


• Letterboxed Visits Charlie Shackleton's Paint Drying Wall (HD; 3:08)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:43)

Zodiac Killer Project Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I admittedly have a soft spot for true crime documentaries, and so the whole setup of Zodiac Killer Project appealed to my jaded sensibilities in a number of ways, including my probably completely politically incorrect sense of humor. This is probably not going to appeal to those who want an "actual" true crime documentary, but for those on the lookout for something a little unusual, Zodiac Killer Project offers generally solid technical merits and some appealing supplements. Recommended.