Documentary HOF

Thanks, vamp, I'll look there.

I know I kinda dropped out of the Doc HoF but I had this checked out from the library so I figured I should watch it. Hell I might re-join if I'm allowed to.

Please do.

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Letterboxd

Also, what do you guys think of those who believe the WM3 actually committed the murders? I haven't read the entire link yet as I'm tired (though I have browsed through it and read a bits from several paragraphs and all of the headlines) but I'll read it tomorrow to come up with my own opinion.

Interesting read. My problem with West Of Memphis was the same one I had while watching The Central Park Five. One it seems like they only show you what they want you to know to cast doubt. Most importantly why do these people confess to these murders? I get the we were interrogated for hours and wore down argument. I never understand after. Take it back, say you were under duress. I will never understand that.

What was the Central Park Five again? Is that the rape case?

I think that whether the story is going to be for or against the WM3 (I just read your link, FM), it will always be biased to the side of the story that they are telling. I just do.

I don't really know if they committed any crime, but I think that one single piece of evidence is the most damning to someone else and not them. That is that single hair that was tied into the knot. And it was the stepfather's (he was the stepfather, right?). I think that is something to consider. That is a reason I tend to lean towards them not being guilty (also, if his friend is telling the truth, his behavior towards him in that phone call).

As far as those guys confessing, I think their attitudes (especially Echols) was one of punky, young guys. He may have killed those boys. He may not have. I don't know. But I know he had a serious attitude problem. Considering his situation, and if he hadn't committed any crime, I guess I can see that. But you would think, even at the age that he was (I kind of get tired of people using age for an excuse but I think it can apply here), he should've known better than to stop being the way that he was because it wasn't helping his case any if he hadn't done anything wrong.

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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

Personally i think the first Paradise Lost is the best one since it is more about severe flaws in the Justice System and image judgement than assigning or deflecting blame from anyone. That was such a hit that it gave a boost in funds and just support for the boys especially Damiens defense. One thing i always thought was that while Jesse was clearly coerced into confessing, he was also following the exact story that was produced for Damien and Jasons trial, i don't believe for a second that Jesse told the whole truth at any time but that he followed whatever he was being told to say.

Personally i think the dad (not Mark Byers) was the best suspect, not that i'm convinced that it was him or that any of the other suspects were innocent though. Really want to know what there was to the Mr.Bojangles incident if anything too. Honestly even if this case gets an 100% proven perp, i will always wonder what that Bojangles thing was all about.

Interesting that you mention The Central Park Five (the doc), Sean. I felt it was pure Ken Burns, using articles and newsfeeds from the time to try to create a time capsule for people who weren't there. Doing that he can obviously skew peoples perception by showing pieces of news that lean either way. Did he not accurately represent the sentiment of the time it happened when people were calling for their heads, then later on when new evidence came to light they suddenly became "the central park five" (obviously i would've reacted the same both ways i imagine)? I'm biased as i love, Civil War and The War and i don't see a problem there.

I'm honestly asking in those questions btw, i know you are from New York and are a year or two older than me you're 25 right . So i know you'll have personal experience with that case that i never will.

I like to take notes on what I want to remember to mention and I can't find them. So, I will have to go off of my memory the best that I can. I apologize in advance, but don't expect anything too spectacular with what I am going to write. Oh, this is frustrating.

Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

I didn't know if I would find this one to be all that interesting as I don't have much experience with Studio Ghibli (my first one was in the 8th HoF). But this film surprised me.

Essentially it is just a film about creating films. And that is alright. And I liked seeing Miyazaki as a person. Learning about his life as a child and through the years. I also liked hearing his different views when it came to life in general (I tended to agree with him). I found it interesting how Miyazaki was basing the character in "The Wind Rises" around his father. And with that, it helped to turn this movie into something that had a bit more emotion (at least from my point of view) than just your basic "making of" documentaries.

With having seen "Spirited Away", and now this film, I can say that I am much more interested in seeing more of Studio Ghibli's films. And I think that I would like to put the "The Wind Rises" next on my list. It has the sort of story that I find to be very much to my liking.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

This was better than I anticipated, too. Not that I thought it was going to be bad. I just didn't know how interesting a story about graffiti would be. That is really all that I thought this film was going to be about since I first heard about it.

First and foremost, I am not the biggest fan of general graffiti. And I suppose that is because I've had it on my garage a few times and I am the one to get in trouble when I don't take it off. I haven't even known it was there - I don't always drive past that side of it. But whether or not I think "street art" is art, I don't know. Do I think people shouldn't just go and paint all over a place? Of course I don't. But do I think that some of that stuff looks pretty damn good? Definitely! I will be honest and say that I sometimes really admire the talent that these guys have.

I didn't expect this film to go in the direction that it did, though. I am ignorant to the entire story. I think I've heard some of the names before, but I wouldn't have been able to attach them to anything like this.

Part of me doesn't blame anyone for being bitter if someone like Guetta could come along and be such a huge success so fast. Especially when he does nothing but create "art" based on other artists or, basically, on nothing. Truthfully, I wasn't impressed with his "work".

But is this film a hoax? I'd heard that awhile ago. I didn't know if it was a hoax. As I watched it, I could see it being so. But I really don't know. Either way, I found it to be interesting.

Make sure you watch Princess Mononoke at some point Vamp. It's my favourite Animated film.

Now, which one was he? I have, for all of these years, gotten the two mixed up. Is he the shorter guy? I am never sure if he is the stepfather or the father. The word "step" is the part that gets me confused. Because the one that I am thinking of is the person that was supposedly the last one seen with the boys that night by that woman.

Alright. Will do.

Terry Hobbs. If i remember correctly Terry was a biological father and Mark was the stepfather. Mark is the nutcase who goes into the woods declaring how guilty the WM3 are then passes the polygraph then flip flops in the third one saying he thinks they are innocent now. Terry was the last one seen with them if i remember correctly though, and i'm pretty sure he was the only one with pysical evidence tying him to it, on the rope used to tie the boys up if i am remembering right.

Vamp Central Park Five was about the rape case, yes. Actually Camo I think I lived in Florida at the time, I would have to double check. I don't remember it all though. What bothered me the most was the fact that they totally glossed over the fact that those boys were running in a pack and beating people up. They act like that was just a boys will be boys moment. I did the think the way the police got confessions from those boys was the most damning part of the case.

As far as the WM3, the part that was most convincing to me was the turtles. Of course that doesn't prove they didn't kill the boys just that the boys could have not been tortured so gruesomely.

In both these docs it upsets you to see how flawed we can be in our system. Of course I think that is a product of humans being flawed regardless. It is scary how we can get tunnel vision when it comes to these things though.

Yeah Camo, I lived in Florida at the time of the case and was 14 when they were convicted. I don't remember the case at all. I do remember some talk about gangs of people just walking around and beating the hell out of random people, they had a word for it that is escaping me. I am sure that case is probably the reason. I was living on Long Island when the case was vacated. I am surprised I don't remember hearing about it. My in-laws would have definitely been interested and remembered when the case was going on. It's also possible I heard more of this than I remember. You hear about so many horrible crimes, some don't stick with you.

Was the word Polar Bear Hunting?

Took me a few minutes on google to find it. It was driving me crazy. The word is "wilding". That was a popular term in the 90's. Haven't heard it used in real life in a long time.

I never even heard of that going on in the 90's. That word doesn't even sound familiar. I wonder if it wasn't a "thing" that people were doing around here and that is why.

Maybe. When I heard it in the doc, I immediately remembered it despit not remembering that case. Pretty disgusting, and the way they talk about it in the doc really bothers me.