Remastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke

MY RATING

IMBD: 7.3
Mine: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 8 February 2019

Genre: Documentary
Director:Kelly DuaneJeff Zimbalist
Writer:Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist
Running Time: 1 Hour and 14 Minutes

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

An investigation into the circumstances and controversy surrounding Sam Cooke's murder.

MY REVIEW

I really enjoyed watching this documentary, however, the title is a little misleading. This should have been called the Life of Sam Cooke. There was very little time devoted to the actual untimely death of Sam Cooke. It's full of wonderful history and culturally significant African American culture.

Yes, there were some dubious assertions made about the death of not just Sam Cooke, but several others. Yes, there were some pieces that did not have factual back up to prove the statements. It doesn't matter though, it's been over 50 years so it's unlikely that we will ever know what happened.

I think the section where Sam refused to perform in Alabama with he was told that the audience would be segregated. He stood his ground when most of the other performers took the state anyway. I admire his tenacity.

It's a good watch, but don't expect to understand his death at the end.

Murder Maps

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.4

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

First Episode Air Date: 10 Nov 2015 (UK)

Seasons? 1 through 3
Watched Where and When: Netflix
Genre: Crime, Documentary, History

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Not really

STORYLINE

This drama-doc takes us back in time to the most shocking and surprising murder cases in history. Nicholas Day guides us into the world of the killer as we see how police ingenuity and early forensics helped bring them to justice.

MY REVIEW

Brief overview; This doc series is available on Netflix. (Only seasons 1 through 3 at this time) East episode is roughly 45 minutes and there are 4-5 episodes per season. It's astounding to see the path that forensic evidence takes through these winding tales that take us through the murders from the 180s through to the first fingerprinting evidence in the 50's. This is worth the watch.

I love how the series uses live action reenactments as well old photos and drawings of the times at which the murders were done. Peppering in a few interviews with historians and law enforcement professionals that made the stories really come to life.

Of course, any horror movie aficionado as myself, knows some of these stories all too well, but a good amount fo the murders were new to me. Season 2 tells the story of John Christie, the murderer who was responsible for the Notting Hill murders in 1943-1953. It was so intense that it was spread over two episodes. Another new one was the Brighton Trunk Murders, Season 3 Episode 1 about the summer of 1934.

On a more personal note..... 

Little SnapChat fun with the cats tonight. They were not as amused as I was at the idea!

Evil Genius

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.6 of 10

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

First Episode Air Date: 10 May 2018

Seasons? 4 Episode Series
Watched Where and When: Oct-Nov 2018 on Netflix
Genre: Documentary, Crime

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

The extraordinary tale of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.

MY REVIEW

I remember seeing this in the news in 2003 but wow, just wow. This documentary was intense. Netflix has done a really great job with this one. What I feel is the most powerful fact is that the researcher spent 15 years of his life getting to know the main suspect, Marjorie Deihl Armstrong. Definitely worth the 2.5 hours you will need to get through this documentary. Great job!

Part 1: The Heist
So let's set the scene. A bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania ends
in the death via collar-bomb device on a pizza delivery man, Brian Wells, who may or may not have been a hostage forced to commit the crime. The police are confused/bumbling in this portrayal where they just watch as he yells from his spot in the road that he was set up. The device blew and he was declared dead but NOT dead enough apparently to put their guns down. We find out later that this was definitely a set up for this guy by a prostitute that he often went to. She sold him out for some quick cash.

Part 2: The Frozen Body
Now we find out more-- SO there's a frozen body (James Roden) in the freezer at the house of this woman, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who by all reports is crazy intelligent but is riddled with personality disorders and mental issues.. AND get this, she was turned in by her friend/boyfriend/lover (William "Bill" Rothstein) whoever since it just kinda all merges. What we do find out is that one of them killed James Rosen, even through Rothstein claimed in was Deihl-Armstrong. Roden was her boyfriend and was killed so he wouldn't tell about the heist is the assumption.

Part 3: The Suspects
Two years after the heist, one of its architects (Rothstein) has died of cancer, a witness comes out of the woodwork and then Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong reveals much too much to her cellmates in prison.

Part 4: The The Confessions
So here we are, years after the death of Bill Rothstein, conspirators start to come forward, deals are made and a jury renders its verdict BUT THEN, another twist, more witnesses to the so-called solved crime step forward.

First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 23 February 2016
     Netflix 26 September 2016

Director: Angus McQueen
Running Time: 48 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? No

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.9 of 10

MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE

In this Channel 4 UK Special Documentary, anthropologists encounter several groups of UNCONTACTED people in the jungles of South America, in a preserved region on the edges of Brazil and Peru. Patiently communicating as best they can, with the help of translators who speak a dialect not too different, they learn about these peoples experiences with rubber barons and invasions in the years before. They begin to help some of them integrate into the modern world.

MY REVIEW

This documentary is striking and awkward and amazing that there are still people who live like this in the modern world that I live within. This documentary follows the discovery of 35 indigenous tribes people who first appeared in June 2014 and nine months later are now living under the protection and authority of the Brazilian government. It's crazy how easily they took the modern convenience. It's crazy that they have no concept of time. It was mentioned that they only have a counting system that goes to ten and there is no way to determine age or even how long they might live.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The understanding that we were able to gain from having the interpretation of their languages.
• The tribe spoke of killings by rubber traders, loggers and even hunters over the years that have made them wary of trusting outsiders.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I'm not an anthropologist so I can only speak from opinion, but these "uncontacted" tribes seem very "dressed". I mean like window-dressing. They were way too comfortable with the idea of clothing and the white people themselves. They were distressed by the idea of someone smoking a cigarette? I just feel like that was absurd. Maybe since they were discovered, they feel more comfortable, but it just feels off to me.
• It felt a little scripted in places.

On a more personal note..... Good day today! I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to weed and mow the back yard! So proud of myself that Is got ready and did the grocery shopping for the week!

The Imposter

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 August 2012
     Netflix 23 September 2016

Writer and Director: Bart Layton
Running Time: 99 Minutes

Staring:  Carey Gibson (The Sister), Beverly Dollarhide (The Mother), Nancy Fisher (Special Agent) and Frederic Bourdin (The Imposter). There are several appearances of other family members as well.

Rating? R (For Language Only)

SPOILERS? YES, but not enough to NOT WATCH!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.5 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas Family that he is their 16-year-ld son who has been missing for 3 years.

MY REVIEW

I cannot believe how emotional I got watching this movie. I literally cried at one point. I think it hit home specially for me because I WAS kid in Texas at the time when this happened. It was 13 June 1994 and I remember watching news stories about the missing boy from San Antonio. I was on summer break from West Texas A&M University at the time, a sophomore and a girl in my dorm wing was from there and we talked a lot about this. It's captivating and damn near chilling how this IMPOSTER could have fooled so many people for so long. I guess when your child goes missing, you're willing to believe the improbable, much less the impossible. This was a damn good documentary.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Director Bart Layton made the impossible task of selecting specific pieces of interviews with various people at random times seen well collated and maintained the flow of the documentary with such aplomb!
• It's fascinating to see/hear about these events in such detail FROM BOTH SIDES! 
• I love the way the film was structured. As you are watching, you feel the sense of urgency and wonder along with the Special Agents, family members and this Frederic pretending to be this poor missing boy.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• So many questions left unanswered. Loose ends are left so entirely loose that I cannot forgive!!

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Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Vengeance

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 2011
     Netflix 21 August 2016

Director: John Borowski
Running Time: 81 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Nope

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

This documentary examines the live of serial killer and rapist Carl Panzram who lived from 1891 to 1930. It examines how his life hardened him into a psychotic murderer. It also examines how a prison guard named Henry Lesser forged a friendship with him and encouraged him to write an autobiography.

MY REVIEW

I absolutely love Crime Documentaries, and with the amount that I watch on Netflix, the recommendations it gives to me occasionally are pretty awesome. So when this one was suggested, I was happy to watch. It's intriguing and disturbing all at the same time. Definitely unique to say the least and one of the least known serial killers of the 20th century. I had;t heard of this guy until this movie! This is insane that had it not been for the prison guard, Henry Lesser, sneaking him paper and pencils, this story may have never been told. Lost forever!!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I think that John Borowski did a pretty awesome job with this documentary.  I loved his with on the H.H. Holmes Documentary. I think he did well fleshing out the story with such disparate and hard to prove information. Carl Panzram's writings were bog on stories and low on the details that could prove too much. Borowski did a lot of digging to find what he did. Great job!! This guy was a sadistic rapist from his youth in reform school. 
• This story is disturbingly relevant. It's a good study on man's inhumanity to man. The hunan race is failing to see what could happen if people like this are not taken into consideration early on. I don't know what we could have done to prevent this, but still should have been on the radar.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• i get the face that they were trying to tell a story, but the dramatic, or, OVER-dramatic reenactments were at times laughable. They were pretty amusing though!!

On a more personal note..... Super good day today!! Started out this morning and took a few selfies on Snapchat!! I LOVE THOSE THINGS!! Then, off to the mall with my BFF Missy!! We had some lovely Coconut Caramel Macchiato's and then to the Limited, Old Navy and Bath and Body Works!! A tiny lunch, then back to my house and made steaks on the grill! 

             Love, Michelle

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H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 26 October 2004
     Netflix 17 August 2016

Writer and Director: John Borowski
Running Time: 64 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? No

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

Depicts the entire life of Herman Mudgett, AKA Holmes, and his castle of horrors. Also known as the torture doctor, Holmes designed his own building, complete with torture chambers, where he rented rooms to unsuspecting victims visiting the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Focuses on Dr. Holmes' entire life of crime and villainy (1861-1896). Threaded with on-location footage from Holmes' past haunts, such as his childhood home in New Hampshire and the Philadelphia courtroom where his trial was held. It's a visual tour-de-force of reenactments, expert interviews, and period photography

MY REVIEW

As a horror movie fan, this name comes up quite often as the basis of some creepy horror movie villains. I've seen it before and I know I've likely watched it several times. This was the latest and I decided to go ahead and review for the blog! It's a good documentary, not great, but good.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This is a story of true psychosis of an individual and their descent into the madness that cannot be described easily.
• The story of his life and how if effected his final days.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Not that I didn't like it, but the documentary fails to show the extreme depravity of H.H. Holmes brutality and utter manipulation of those around him.

On a more personal note..... My baby Kitten, Rocket, was being super helpful today and helping me with some drawings. Needless to say, he was able to get charcoal all over his silly face! Then, I headed out to Chesapeake with Ami and Denean to have a little lunch with my favorite ladies!! Came home to find Baby Dexter and Rocket asleep on my bed!

TalHotBlond

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 1 February 2009
     Netflix on 16 August 2016

Director: Courteney Cox (Yes, THAT one)
Writer: Trent Haaga and Barbara Schroeder
Running Time: 83 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

This is the true story of a love triangle that takes place almost entirely online. Lies lead to murder in real life, as a teenage vixen, screen name TalHotBlond, lures men into her web.

MY REVIEW

Wow, this was a pretty powerful documentary. I hadn't seen it when it originally came out, and I admittedly passed it up on Netflix a few time, but desperation and boredom lead to watching things you never would have in the first place. This was an almost unbelievable chain of events that I could never have thought would actually happen.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This was a true story. That alone was the sad but albeit best part. The fact that this young man lost his life because of the lies and online gam played by this evil woman was shocking.
• Whether the story fails in one way or another, the idea of holding a mirror up to the face of the dark and disturbing side of humanity is what is the most interesting piece of this movie. The person responsible for the act, Thomas, and his telling of his tale from prison is absolutely perfect. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Although this was a pretty decent documentary telling the story of the depraved actions of two people, it fails with the heavy analysis of who is responsible for the heinous act. This could have been a great parable to the dangers of online affairs and it turned into the muddled story of just one affair.
• Could have been a lot more than it was.

On a more personal note..... Had fun with filters today!  Took this little gem of a selfie! Then, I happened upon Baby Dexter looking all adorable in the window and he just sat there and let me snap a few awesome photos! I love this little baby! And finally, the 3D Printer is working out splendidly! In the process of printing an Ironman mask! 

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Manson's Missing Victims

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 28 December 2008 (Made for TV)
     Netflix 18 December 2016

Running Time: 48 Minutes

Rating? Unrated Documentary

SPOILERS? Not Really

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.1 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

It's almost universally believed by those who were involved with, or who have studied, the Manson Murders that there are far more victims still out there. This documentary looks at some of their graves.

MY REVIEW

This documentary is NOT for everyone. If you are interested in Historical Crime, then yes, you will like this. It's got a few researchers looking at the idea of the unidentified victims that may or may not have succumbed to these murderers.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• A fun watch.
• Interesting take on the Yuma Co. Sheriffs department stalling evidence collection.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• LOTS of conjecture and circumspect. Lacking on the evidence.

On a more personal note..... Looked super cute today in my black and white polka dotted dress with a red belt. By the end of the day after the gym, I was literally done, hence the tube dress and lack of interest!! And one from yesterday with baby Rocket.

Whitey

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 27 June 2014
     Netflix 12 July 2016

Director: Joe Berlinger
Running Time: 1 Hour and 47 Minutes

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.8 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

This documentary captures the sensational trial of infamous gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger, using the legal proceedings as a springboard to explore allegations of corruption within the highest levels of law enforcement. Embedded for months with Federal Prosecutors, retired FBI and State Police, victims, lawyers, gangsters and journalists, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger examines Bulger's relationship with the FBI and Department of Justice that allowed him to reign over a criminal empire in Boston for decades. Pulling back the curtain on long-held Bulger mythology, the film challenges conventional wisdom by detailing shocking, new allegations. With unprecedented access, Berlinger's latest crime documentary offers a universal tale of human frailty, opportunism, deception, and the often elusive nature of truth and justice.

MY REVIEW

I have always been interested in crime and this story has always been one that has stuck out and in the since he was caught for good in 2011, it's been in the news again. This is a pretty brilliant documentary. The fact that he was the second most wanted fugitive next to Osama Bin Laden is just incredible!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• It was filmed in an artistic less-newsy way that I really appreciated. Although it's packed with information, it's done in a very intense way so that all of the data is shared quickly and in easy to digest segments.
• The interviews- wow, just wow!
• Hearing a lot of data about the Top Echelon Criminal Informant Program (TECIP) and rare footage of Joe Valachi

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Although there was lots of background on Irish Crime in Boston and I would definitely like to see more, the movie was very densely packed with information and at some points it was too much.
• A lot of conjecture on whether Whitey was an informant or not with not a lot of evidence either way.

On a more personal note..... I was feeling very classic today with my black hair, red lips, black and white clothes and pearls. Maybe a little Audrey? Also, the 3D Printer is pretty much running at full speed these days. The Terminator head came out pretty good even taking 40+ hours to complete. Paint went on nicely! AND, lastly, I had two friends birthdays this week, Chris and Billy. I made these little gems.. Peach cake with Vanilla Peach frosting and little blue sugar crystals.

The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 March 2013
     Netflix 28 May 2016 

Director: Ursula Macfarlane
Running Time: 47 Minutes

Staring:  Warwick Davis Narrates

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Yes

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.8 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

The actor, Warwick Davis, presents the story of the Ovitz family and their ordeal during World War II. From a successful musical act to being tortured and experimented on by Dr. Josef Mengele in a concentration camp. This story might have been lost to history if it weren't for the family's diminutive size, which made them a novelty as well as an inspiration.

MY REVIEW

I love documentaries and occasionally I run across one on Netflix that looks interesting. This was in that category. The story of the Ovitz family was not new to me as I did a research paper in college about Dr. Mengele, the Angel of Death of Auschwitz, and his inhuman experiments on the prisoners under his care. This unfortunately was only a footnote in the research. The 10 Ovitz family members were all dwarves as well as accomplished singers, dancers and actors in their time in Eastern Europe. They were sent to Auschwitz due to their Jewish heritage unfortunately putting them in the hands of Dr. Mengele. This is not a story for everyone.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This is a story about beating the overwhelming odds. Survival. It's truly inspirational and makes one question the nature of people who would do something so terrible.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The only thing, and this may be personal to me, but I would have liked it to be a little longer with greater detail. I mean, it did make me do some internet searches to find out more information, so maybe that was a good thing!

On a more personal note..... I finally found a cupcake carrier that I love! It just so happens to be perfect to carry 2 dozen cupcakes to work that I can share with my co-workers and friends! AND, my deck of Exploding Kittens came in today and I am so freaking amused with the new cards!! So much better than the iPhone game! And, the traditional selfie. I was wearing pink and pearls and it reminded me of college. Back in Delta Zeta, I learned how to accessorize!

The Search for Michael Rockefeller

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 2011 (Actually watched December 2015)
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Staring:  Documentary
Rating? N/A
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.3 of 10
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE
In 2007, filmmaker Fraser C. Heston discovered a cache of lost footage shot by adventure-author Milt Machlin during his expedition to the cannibal coast of New Guinea in 1969, in search of the lost scion, Michael Rockefeller. The film includes previously unreleased footage and eye-witness interviews, including some startling revelations, which shed new light on the unsolved mystery of Michael's disappearance. In the tradition of Werner Hertzog's "Grizzly Man", director Fraser Heston, has created an entirely new film from Milt Machlin's unedited epic documentary. The disappearance of Michael Rockefeller is one of the enduring unsolved mysteries of the 20th Century. In 1961, Michael Rockefeller left on a voyage down the cannibal coast of New Guinea in a trading canoe. Several miles off shore, heavy seas swamped his craft. After a night adrift, Rockefeller set out to swim for the distant shore, leaving his companion with the fateful words: "I think I can make it..." He was never seen again. Or was he? Author and journalist Milt Machlin, on a wild lead, went to New Guinea in 1969 to find him. "If by the remotest flight of fancy Donahue's story should be true, Michael Rockefeller would have to be found. I was determined to be the one to do it." - Milt Machlin.

MY REVIEW:
You know what, this was not that bad. After I watched, I was intrigued and did a little more research into this and what I found was pretty interesting. I would have given this a 10, but the story was not told in the most exciting manner. I think they could have jazzed it up a little bit. I mean, this is the son of a BILLIONAIRE and he was likely eaten by CANNIBALS! Where was the drama!!?!?!

That being said, I did enjoy the history lesson and the "what might have happened" scenarios that were presented. When this  happened, the world was still a little bit unknown and dangerous in a different way than it is now. Although it was never really determined if he died, was eaten or made it to safety... I think the debate is an interesting one and I would be happy to do a little more research and maybe take a trip out there and check it out for myself. (Not really!!)

If you like history, documentaries and unsolved mysteries.. this is a good choice for you!!

Back in Time

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 21 October 2015
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Staring:  The Cast and Crew and some others from the Back to the Future Films
Rating? Not Rated
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.3 of 10
MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE
Cast, crew, and fans explore the classic time-travel trilogy's resonance throughout our culture 30 years after Marty went Back in Time.

MY REVIEW:
Not prefect, some flaws, but it was still enjoyable to see. This is a hit and miss documentary, though it is a lot more hit than miss. Some of it, like the fan segments, are not that great. Do we care about a man proposing to his girlfriend or a miniature golf course? Not really. But the background information on how no studio wanted the film, and hearing from just about everyone involved, this is great and this film should be included on all future releases of the trilogy.

And that is what strikes me as the most impressive -- that the series was never intended to be a trilogy, but only a single film. The way the three weave in and out of each other, it seems brilliantly intentional, but perhaps it is even more brilliant because of the way it looks natural. Maybe Dan Harmon thinks the sequels stink, but the general population loves them.