True Crime Movies

[needler]

Wow!!

Cel and all,

I found the Moors murders ITV dvd on Amazon, See No Evil, and just finished watching it. While a few bits have been jammed together due to time restraints, the gist is accurate. This is NOT for the faint of heart. Well played, beautifully photographed and atmospheric as hell. It also seems to be based on Emlyn Williams' masterpiece, Beyond Belief, which I STILL read about once a year. This one could be right at the top of my list for the no BS, tell-it-true films. This and In Cold Blood.

And my main objection to ALL the Ripper films is that they really are crap. Why these folks have to make Abberline a druggie or alcoholic is beyond me, and the girls are usually pretty, clean, well fed and cheerful.......RIGHT! At least Kelly is made so....... I think what bothers me most is that film makers think they must embellish the story........with a dumb solution, an escape of Kelly, or a "reason" the-killer-faded-away-and -was-never-going-to-be-arrested-anyway-'cause-he's-a-royal ending. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE REAL STORY? Murder most foul, sex, a phantom killer?? Now what's wrong with THAT scenario?? Maybe Hollywood doesn't think the public can handle his fade into oblivion with no definitive answer???

Ah, well....we can bet NOT ONE of the Ripper films will make it onto THIS list!!

Cheers.

[Mike Covell]

Hi Stan, I have read about the Peace movies but never watched them.

The Buster film is ok, and at the time was very popular, although some say the acting is quite stiff. I enjoyed it, even though I don't like Phil Collins.

[sdreid]

Hi Mike,

Is that Buster movie any good? It looks like one of those farce deals.

Referencing your other thread, have you seen The Case of Charles Peace from 1949? It was a pleasant surprise, I thought.

[sdreid]

Yes, Heavenly Creatures is a good one. Crime sort of paid in the long run.

Thanks Mike, I'll have to check that one out.

[Magpie]

Did anyone mention "Heavenly Creatures" yet?

It manages to be both a fantasy movie and a true crime movie at the same time!

[Mike Covell]

They made a movie about the 1963 Great Train Robbery. It starred Phil Collins and was called "Buster", altogether now, "Going Loco down in Acupulco!"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094819/

[sdreid]

Hi Magpie,

It was fun although it's been a long time since I've seen it.

I wish they'd make a film about the 1963 train heist.

[Magpie]

One of my favourite movies (period) is "The Great Train Robbery" with Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland.

Although it's very close to the original book, the original book wasn't particularly accurate about the actual crime (which I wasn't aware of until I read the history of CID).

Great fun though

[sdreid]

Oddly, no Ripper movies have been mentioned and there are some that are at least pleasing in my view. My favorite is The Lodger from 1944.

[sdreid]

My favorite gangster movie is Mobsters, about the rise of the syndicate mostly in New York. It's pretty much as accurate as you'll get also.

True crime western - Tombstone

[sdreid]

YES SIR! Dougie

[sdreid]

Hi Cel,

Yes, I remember that one and wrote a brief synopsis over on TheCrimeWeb.com. Hill was thought to have perhaps killed as many a five if I remember correctly.

[dougie]

"Rise of the footsoldier" anyone? grim ,gritty and true to life I thought........cant think of guys name who it was based on .....but it was very good..better than I thought it was going to be when I rented it......just recalled it was based on the life and criminal career of carlton leach....watch it if the opportunity arises...thats an order
regards

[Celesta]

Hi Stan, Judy, and everybody,

I was trying to describe a movie to Judy earlier but couldn't remember the name of it. The movie was Murder in Texas about Joan Hill Robinson and Dr. John Hill, and Ash Robinson, Joan's father. Joan was a Houston socialite and an award-winning horsewoman. John Hill was a plastic surgeon. Ash was a Texas wildcatter, who struck it rich. The movie was made from Ann Kurth's book. Ann was married to Hill, as his second wife. A better version of the story is by Tommy Thompson, Blood and Money. Joan died of toxic shock. In those days, toxic shock from tampons was not well known. At the time of Joan's death, it was not known how she got the toxic condition and the story-line is that John Hill gave her infected pastries. To my knowledge, it has still not been established beyond doubt just how Joan got the bug that killed her. John Hill was shot to death in the same house that he lived in with Joan and later Ann. The house was a gift to Joan as a wedding gift from Ash. The house, when I knew it, was a multistory white house, on a corner in the ritzy River Oaks. The same neighborhood where Terms of Endearment was set. (I lived near but not in River Oaks! No fat cats here!)

In the movie, Sam Elliott, (my heart be still!) plays Hill, while Farrah Fawcett plays Joan, and Katherine Ross plays Ann Kurth. Andy Griffiths is excellent as the feisty Ash Robinson, who never gave up trying to get Hill convicted.

I found the story fascinating and highly recommend Thompson's Blood and Money followed up by Kurth's book. There has been a controversy around John Hill because people who knew him saw him in Mexico shortly after he was gunned down. That won't make any sense to you unless you see the movie or read the books.

Best to all,

Cel

[Mike Covell]

It's worth watching Stan and I bought the movie and the book, which was a powerful expose of the British Drug trade, and the underworld bosses that keep it going!