Born To Kill

BORN TO KILL, not to be confused with Robert Wise's BORN TO KILL (starring Lawrence Tierney), is a tight, fast-moving slice of death. The subject is cockfighting, not the average fare seen on ABC's "Wide World of Sports." Oates is a fanatic trainer of fighting cocks who has taken a vow of silence until one of his birds wins the championship. As a result, he goes virtually the entire film without speaking. Within those strict limitations, Oates turns in a wonderful performance as the stubborn, obsessive trainer. Further, the film offers a sometimes fascinating look at the seedy milieu which the Oates character inhabits. The film's major drawback is the repugnance of...