What I’m watching: a disturbing documentary and a film noir gemDate: 2/13/2019 What I’m watching: a disturbing documentary and a film noir gem
On Netflix: Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
I’m sure there have been many sociological and psychological studies about why the act of murder figures so largely in our popular culture. What is entertaining about it?
As someone who has watched horror films, thrillers, action and mystery films all that could contain homicide, I wish I had the answer to that question, but I don’t.
I do know “The Ted Bundy Tapes” on Netflix is an amazing look inside the mind of one of this nation’s most horrifying serial killers. It was compelling. It was an excellent piece of journalism, but it wasn’t entertaining.
I could not binge watch all of the episodes as they disturbed me so much, so I watched the series in half-hour chunks.
My problems were just the sheer magnitude of Bundy’s crimes – the murder of at least 30 women and the fact that Bundy did it with sheer impunity and random desire.
Granted he committed his crimes before the advent of DNA testing and before law enforcement across the country was easily sharing information, but that only lessened the horror of his crimes a little bit for me.
The documentary is based on the 200 hours of audiotape interviews conducted by journalist Stephen G. Michaud with Bundy while he sat on Florida’s death row. Michaud and Hugh Ayneswort wrote a book based on the tapes, but the documentary includes much more footage including an interview with the woman who was able to escape from Bundy.
There have been some reviews that have wondered what is the point of the series. I think the documentary tries to get into the reasons Bundy did what he did, as well as making the indirect point that even today with the advancements in forensics and mental health treatment we still have serial killers.
Director and writer Joe Berlinger has much experience in true crime subjects and he does a remarkable job here.
On Blu-ray: So Dark the Night
A film noir that I know nothing about made in 1946? Sign me up.
Director Joseph Lewis had a long career in Hollywood and spent the first part of his directing career making B-films for some of the low-budget studios. Unlike some of his peers, Lewis tried to do his best with the small budgets and he eventually worked his way up to Columbia Pictures where he had surprising success with a film titled “My Name is Julia Ross” in 1944.
That box office and critical success allowed him to make “So Dark the Night” in 1946 at Columbia. It is a very odd film noir as it starts out with a tone that seems almost to be a romantic comedy. Henri Cassin (Stephen Geray) is the best detective on the Paris police force and his boss insists he take a vacation – the first in 11 years. He travels to a small country town. At his inn he is targeted by the ambitious innkeeper’s wife as the man her daughter Nanette should marry.
It doesn’t matter the daughter already has a fiancé nor does it matter that Cassin is old enough to be her father. The daughter (played by Micheline Cheirel) is all for the plan to leave the country life behind for the bright lights of Paris.
Reluctantly, but inevitably Cassin falls in love and at their engagement party all is going well until the boyfriend turns up. The young couple rush out of the inn never to be alive again.
The film changes gears again as Cassin undertakes an investigation and then once more as the killer is revealed.
This is a masterful example of the studio B-film that shows how a clever story, fine performances and inventive staging and camerawork can overcome a tight budget.
If you love classic film, this is one that should surprise you.
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