Review #658: 'Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory' (2011)

And so, after 18 years, the story of the West Memphis Three finally reaches its conclusion. As does Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's epic documentary trilogy. These films, as Echols confesses, were so important to their lives that without them, the judicial system would have forgotten about them and left them to rot for the rest of their lives (and until Echols' death by lethal injection). Purgatory picks the case up ten years after the second entry, Revelations, to find the case in a never-ending loop of denied appeals by original Judge David Burnett. With more evidence surfacing, the case is taken to the Arkansas Supreme Court, to argue that enough has been unearthed to warrant a new trial for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley.

After spending way too much time going over what occurred in the first two documentaries (about 45 minutes - which is a massive drag if you've just watched them back-to-back), we finally get to new ground as new interviewees give statements and leading experts in their respective fields give lectures uncovering new revelations about misinterpretations and misconduct given by the original trial 'experts'. Much of the trial focused on these murders being the work of ritualistic sacrifice due to the sexual mutilations of the victims and scratches left on their persons. It turns out that these are clearly the work of animals, most probably turtles (the area where the bodies were found is nicknamed 'Turtle Hill'). It reveals poor research by the original lawyers working for the defendants, and general ineptitude by basically everyone involved back in 1993/94.

Purgatory commits the same sin as Revelations, as suspicion moves from a noticeably more subdued John Mark Byers - who is now a supporter of the West Memphis Three and pen-pal to Echols - to Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Stevie Branch. Although, accusations don't come from character alone, but instead stem from a hair found within the knot of the shoelace with which the boys were hog-tied with and some alarming inconsistencies in Hobbs' story. But (ironically), this is something for the court to pursue and not documentary film-makers. The ending, which sees the West Memphis Three released from prison but not with their innocence intact, comes out of nowhere, as filming had already wrapped when the court called the plea appeal. For a more satisfying closure to the story, I would recommend West of Memphis (2012), which gives a more detailed account of their release, and also a more focused and detailed investigation of Hobbs. Still, it's a relief to finally watch these three walk free, even though it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.


Directed by: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Starring: Damien Wayne Echols, Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #657: 'Paradise Lost 2: Revelations' (2000)

After the storm kicked up by the first film, film-makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky returned to West Memphis four years later. Whereas the first film seemed to simply document the case in as much detail as possible and allowed you to make your own mind up, with Revelations, they seem to have their own agenda. New 'evidence' has been discovered, and perhaps the real killer still walks the streets, and it's clear who Berlinger and Sinofsky believes it to be. That crazy bastard John Mark Byers, who took so much pleasure in giving Biblical rants to camera, hardly covers himself in glory, and he's back here to build fake graves for Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley at the crime scene, only to set them on fire amidst his demented monologues.

It's sad that Berlinger and Sinofsky decided to take such a manipulative approach to the sequel, as although Byers is clearly an unhinged and simple-minded hick, there is no evidence against him killing the three boys (Michael Moore, Stevie Branch, and his stepson Christopher Byers) aside from the fact that he comes across as scary and strange. The first film was an intense study of mob mentality and the dangers of pre-judgement by appearance, and how the West Memphis Three managed to get themselves convicted simply for being black-wearing outcasts. So Revelations comes across is hypocritical.

When new evidence is presented, suggesting teeth marks on the head of one of the victims, tests prove that none of the WM3's teeth match. When Byers is confronted, he reveals that he had his teeth removed but keeps changing his story as to when this took place. He is repeatedly confronted by a support group that help fund and promote the case against the WM3, but they come across as equally strange as Byers, following Echols like groupies as if he was some kind of prophet, and they berate Byers into handing in his dental records voluntarily to prove himself innocent. Byers refuses, stating that there is no case against him, and this is shown in the film as if an admittance of guilt. The film-makers never take any time to explain the reasoning behind Byers' behaviour, clearly convinced of his guilt.

In the end, it's a case of there being too little here to warrant a two hour-plus movie. The new evidence is flimsy to say the least, and as revealed in West of Memphis (2012), is probably completely wrong. Yet when the film gets back down to cold facts, it becomes as riveting as the first film, unveiling a justice system that seems unwilling to open the doors to the possibility that they simply got it wrong. It's just a shame that too much time is spent on a personal witch-hunt, and even when Byers passes a voluntary lie-detector test, the film suggests that Byers was on so much prescription medication that the results of this cannot really stand up, yet fails to ask to conductor of the test of his views regarding this. It's certainly a confused film, and one that works best when it stays on topic and documents the facts rather than revelling in propagandistic speculation.


Directed by: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Starring: Damien Wayne Echols, Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley, John Mark Byers
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #656: 'Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills' (1996)

With the recent release of the closing chapter to the trilogy, Paradise Lost: Purgatory (2011), and the Peter Jackson-funded West of Memphis (2012), it seemed a perfect time to re-visit the original HBO documentary that focused on the original trial of the accused now known as the West Memphis Three. Knowing now that they have only recently been released in 2011, the first thing that shocked me about the first film was realising it was made way back in 1996, and the trial was back in 1993. I was 8 in 1993, and I cannot imagine the torment that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr. went through, spending almost twenty years in prison for a crime they did not commit. Paradise Lost is still as utterly sickening as it was when I first viewed it over five years ago.

The question here is not if these three were innocent of this hideous crime - you can make your own mind up about that - but it is how can three teenage boys be sentenced to life in prison (and the death penalty for Echols) with not a shred of evidence against them? The irony is that these murders were believed to be the work of satanic sacrifice, but the West Memphis Three were condemned to a modern day witch-hunt by ignorant townsfolk terrified of them because they wore black and refused to blend in with the dungaree-wearing hicks in their dirt-poor neighbourhood. It seemed like everyone was against them, eager to lay the blame on something they simply did not understand. Judge David Burnett highlighted the need for evidence of a motive, so the answer was to get 'expert' testimony from a man with a mail-order PhD in the occult. When his lack of qualifications is highlighted by the attorney representing Echols, this is dismissed without a second thought.

Film-makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky were granted unlimited access to the entire trial, so as a documentary, it is incredibly detailed. After the uproar this film caused, this access was quickly denied for the sequel, no doubt they were terrified that more shameful misconduct would be unearthed. Interviewers are given by the parents of the accused and of the three murdered boys (Christopher Byers, Michael Moore and Stevie Branch), and their emotion is laid out raw. Special attention is given to John Mark Byers, stepfather to Christopher, who handed the film-makers a hunting knife stained with blood as a present, which was quickly handed over to the authorities. Byers is a strange and often terrifying character, pumping bullets into a target and stating his wishes that he could do the same to the three boys on trial. It is easy to find yourself thinking that he must be the real killer, but as the trilogy of films progress, I learned that appearances can be deceiving, and that I was guilty of the exact same thing that led to the imprisonment of the West Memphis Three.

This is powerful stuff, provoking more emotion than probably any other film I have ever seen. The atmosphere is extremely gloomy, right from the get-go when we see crime scene footage of the young boys hardened corpses lying naked in the woods. It certainly doesn't pull its punches, and Metallica's magnificent soundtrack, the first time they have ever allowed their music to be used in film, only adds to this. But ultimately, it's the story itself that proves to be the most powerful aspect. They were guilty from the moment they came to court - these sullen kids with their black clothes and long hair. Individuality doesn't go down well in the Bible Belt, it would seem. As each heavily flawed accusation flies at Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley, you must simply watch and grit your teeth. This is a truly terrifying story and also one full of tragedy, both for the young boys who were murdered and for the three that were the fall guys swept up by an almost neo-Nazi institution.


Directed by: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Starring: Damien Wayne Echols, Jason Baldwin, Jessie Misskelley, John Mark Byers
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #655: 'Time Bandits' (1981)

If you were once a young boy (or girl) who enjoyed riding their bike at breakneck speed or got their thrills from wandering off to places you were forbidden to go to, then you will totally get Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits. If adventure and danger were what spurred you on as a child, then you no doubt fantasised about travelling through time and meeting the famous historical figures you learned about whilst falling asleep in history class. Time Bandits is pure Boys Own adventure, making idiots out of the likes of Robin Hood and Napoleon, and even bringing six dwarves along for the ride. The plot is muddled and nonsensical, but the plot is beside the point - arguably just a McGuffin for some childish fun.

It tells the story of eleven year old Kevin (Craig Warnock), who, when not being ignored by his lazy absent-minded parents, spends his time doting on history, particularly Ancient Greece. One night, six dwarves come crashing out of his wardrobe holding a map that they claim show the world's time portals, that they appear to have stolen from the Supreme Being (i.e. God, played at the climax by the wonderful Ralph Richardson). Kevin goes along for the ride, and finds himself meeting Napoleon (Ian Holm) during the Napoleonic Wars, Robin Hood (John Cleese) in the Middle Ages, and King Agamenmon (Sean Connery) in Ancient Greece (amongst others). Meanwhile, in the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness, the technologically obsessed Evil (David Warner) is planning to steal the map and take over the world.

The set design is fantastic in this film, and the main credit should go to that department. The sets look as if constructed from the mind of a child, paying no real attention to historical detail or a 'lived-in' feel - this is all pure fantasy. The film rushes at such a breakneck speed that we don't get to spend enough time with these characters in their times, and this was my main (and only) problem with Time Bandits. Thankfully, these scenes are packed with so much wit by writers Gilliam and Michael Palin (who also appears as the dim-witted romantic Vincent), that it is hard to care too much. This is not Monty Python though, there is humour here for children and adults both, but it's just as funny. John Cleese's over-enthusiastic Robin Hood was a particular stand-out for me.

Gilliam also uses the film to take some sly satirical digs at the emergence of technology, juxtaposing Evil's plan to use computers to carry out his evil deeds alongside Kevin's active imagination and sense of wonder. His parents are bone-idle idiots that get excited at the idea of a microwave cooking their dinner in quick time, and technology is clearly viewed by Gilliam as something that will rot the imagination. This isn't entirely true of course - technology can inspire innovation - but I often see young children staring open mouthed and expressionless at their mobile phones when they should be annoying their parents or getting up to something they shouldn't be, so I can certainly sympathise with Gilliam's concerns. But Time Bandits is mainly about adventure and the wonder of a child's imagination. Funny, manic, and occasionally moving, this is one of the definitive movies about childhood, and how we occasionally long for it.


Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Craig Warnock, John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Ralph Richardson, Peter Vaughan, David Warner
Country: UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #654: 'The Astro-Zombies' (1968)

The Astro-Zombies is one of those Z-grade efforts where you can tell the producers had a bunch of props and sets left over from previous productions and wrote a script based around them. Therefore, the film makes absolutely no sense, and ends up throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the audience. We are left with a story involving mad scientist Dr. DeMarco (John Carradine) and his hunchback lab assistant who are attempting to create an army of 'astro zombies', superhuman beings whose actual purpose is sketchy. After one is loosed and goes on a killing spree, the CIA (led by a clearly sozzled Wendell Corey, who died due to his alcoholism shortly after filming) and a spy ring led by the great Tura Satana become interested.

It's easy to label a film 'the worst film ever!', but The Astro Zombies, directed by schlock favourite Ted V. Mikels, truly lives up to its reputation. Carradine, bless him, makes a valiant attempt to make some kind of sense of the plot with some muffled monologues, but I got completely lost in all the drivel. There is the odd moment of camp weirdness such as the wounded astro zombie fleeing with a torch pressed against his head to keep itself alive or a naked exotic dance that serves absolutely no purpose, but it constantly lingers on endless laboratory scenes where literally nothing happens. The zombies themselves are nothing more than a man in a kind of insect/skull/mutant mask, and there's only really one of them. It's a truly painful experience that lacks the amusing moments of Mikels' other 'works' such as The Corpse Grinders (1971) and The Doll Squad (1973), that at least made those films bearable. Truly painful stuff that could benefit from a good thirty minutes shaved off the running time.


Directed by: Ted V. Mikels
Starring: Wendell Corey, John Carradine, Tom Pace, Tura Satana
Country: USA

Rating: *

Tom Gillespie

Review #653: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' (2013)

After having to wait a surprising amount of time for the sequel - given the success of its predecessor - Star Trek Into Darkness has a lot to live up to. The 'original' did the remarkable job of bringing a fresh audience to what was thought of (by non-Trekkies) as cheesy sci-fi with bad sets and dodgy haircuts. The franchise had been brought back from the dead, opting for less philosophising and more wallop for your money, which although pissing a few Trekkies off, kept most viewers at least relatively satisfied. So after finding a way to be able to re-tell the story of the Starship Enterprise without having to re-write 'history', returning director J.J. Abrams found himself with an entire universe to explore. Which makes it very strange that Abrams and his frequent collaborators have chosen not to give us something entirely new, and instead chosen to touch the untouchable - "KHAAAAAAANNNNNNNN!".

Having made his natural progression from the academy to the captain's chair, Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) and his conflicted friend Spock (Zachary Quinto) begin the film by saving a planet from destruction. Though this is seen as a valiant act in his own eyes, Kirk is reprimanded by Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) for knowingly disobeying Starfleet orders. Kirk agrees to a demotion and to become Pike's second-in-command, and they are briefed about a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), who has just blown up a Starfleet installation in London. But after the meeting of the Starfleet commanders is also attacked, Kirk is reinstated by Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), who gives Kirk the Enterprise back and a mission to take out Harrison.

Many of the problems that lay with the first film are back again. Abrams often heaps on too much comedy in a bid to keep the audience entertained, sometimes much to the suffering of some of the film's supporting characters. Much of the supporting crew are reduced to a set-piece here or a funny line there, with Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Sulu (John Cho) suffering most this time. The story is still focused on the growing relationship between Kirk and Spock, who after many misunderstandings last time around, seem well on their path to the great friendship that will be. Newcomer Carol (Alice Eve) does little more that get her kit off in one pointless and much criticised scene, but, unless you're a die-hard Trekkie, you should be too enthralled to care much about it, as Abrams delivers one breathless set-piece after another, backed by some excellent CGI work.

The plot often gets unnecessarily convoluted given the relatively basic plot, and there are plot holes a-plenty if you enjoy picking at them. Yet Cumberbatch's excellent performance as the refreshingly multi-dimensional bad guy is the much-needed 'darkness' from the title, and Abrams really pushes the boundaries of the 12A certificate (if you're from the UK). It's been called the worst Star Trek movie ever made by Trekkies, which seems utterly ridiculous to me. It treads much of the same ground as the beloved Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), but I believe this was an attempt to bond with the hardcore fans, although I feel The Wrath of Khan is grossly overrated. The re-boot doesn't subvert Star Trek, it simply takes it in another direction, which was the whole point of the exercise. Personally, I'll still be tracking this franchise with wide-eyed curiosity, as Abrams boldly takes us where... well, you get the point.


Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Peter Weller, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #652: 'The Killer Inside Me' (2010)

The Killer Inside Me, a brutally violent neo-noir from British director Michael Winterbottom, raised hell at Sundance, sending audiences into frenzies of disbelief and light-headedness. Of course, as usual with premature festival outrage, the film is really not as appalling as the uproar would have led you to believe. There is one truly sickening scene - as gut-wrenching as any burst of violence I've seen on screen - but, the real tragedy is that this insistence on portraying it so graphically actually takes the focus away from what is a very stylish, if tonally uneven, pulp thriller. Although Winterbottom has juggled genres and styles with relative ease in his previous work, mainly to positive results, perhaps his inexperience with tackling a project so deeply rooted in Americana leads to the film's downfall.

Small-town deputy sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) is sent to warn off prostitute Joyce (Jessica Alba), who is having a dangerous affair with the son of construction tycoon Chester Conway (Ned Beatty). After realising they have the same violent sexual tastes, they begin a love affair and devise a plan to extort $10,000 from Conway, as Lou believes Conway to be responsible for the death of his brother. Unbeknownst to Joyce, Lou, despite his pleasant demeanour, is a violent sociopath, and after Lou beats Joyce to death with his bare hands and runs with the money, county attorney Howard Hendricks (Simon Baker) is called in to investigate. So Lou is forced to cover his tracks while he dotes on his fiancee Amy (Kate Hudson).

Pulp writer Jim Thompson was possibly the grimmest writer of his ilk, and The Killer Inside Me is widely thought of as his best work. I have not read the novel, so I am unaware as to how Lou Ford is written, but here he is a blank but undeniably fascinating character. He is a character that always seems in control, even when he seems surprised at just what he is capable of. Yet for someone seemingly so clinical at killing, he's not very good at it. His extortion plan is full of holes that could lead back to him, and it doesn't take long for Hendricks to figure him out. Often a glance or a word will make you wonder if he even understands himself or anything he is doing. Casey Affleck is a fine actor, and his Lou Ford is intimidating. Even though he's slightly built and his voice is a high-pitched drawl, he is a scary character to spend 90 minutes with, and he even surpasses his performance in The Assassination of Jessie James By the Coward Robert Ford (2007), of which I felt he was robbed of an Oscar.

Winterbottom wisely steers away from any psychological analysing of Ford, only hinting at childhood abuse (but not the way you would think), and glimpses of his intellect. Instead it makes you ponder this hideous character, and stay with him (but not necessarily root for) throughout the duration of the film. But it's Winterbottom's approach that is the problem here, blending a mixture of styles that causes the film to seem contrasting and haphazard. There are moments of pure noir - headlights approaching in the dust, characters sat in empty diners, cynical narration - and these scenes are at ease with the sleaze of the film's focus, but often it will kick in with some banjos at inappropriate moments that caused me to wonder whether I should be taking the film seriously. When it does take itself seriously, it's often inspired, but the final scene is so badly handled that I did wonder if a different director with more experience in the field would have made a much better film.


Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Ned Beatty, Elias Koteas, Tom Bower, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman
Country: USA/Sweden/UK/Canada

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #651: 'The Right Stuff' (1983)

"Is that a man?" asks the pilot of a rescue plane headed towards the crash site of Chuck Yeager's attempt to reach the edge of space in a Lockheed NF-104A. An outline of a man appears on the horizon, blurred by heat and mirage, his face bloody and burned, walking at pace with his helmet in his hand. Yeager's good friend Jack Ridley sits in the passenger seat, having seen Yeager conquer several near-suicidal flight records, including the first to break the sound barrier. Ridley smiles. "You're damn right it is!". The Right Stuff, adapted from Tom Wolfe's best-selling account of the test-pilots in the Mercury Space Program, shows what it takes to be a man; to have the 'right stuff' inhabited by these fearless men, who were the only ones crazy enough to risk everything, on live TV, to beat the Russians in the space race.

Besides the many fascinating and frequently hilarious vignettes involving the test pilots - played by a stellar cast of Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Fred Ward, Charles Frank, Lance Henriksen, Scott Glenn and Scott Paulin - the movie's real ace-in-the-hole is the juxtaposition of this story with that of Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard), a man thought of by his peers to be the finest pilot in the world. Played stoically by an Oscar-nominated Sam Shepard, he is brooding, dusty, a true man's man, but without the college degree needed to join the space program. He is the polar opposite of the 'hot dog's' of the Mercury Program, and when he is not off chasing his wild wife Glennis (Barbara Hershey), he is making sure he is still the fastest man in the world.

Even at over 3 hours, the movie is packed with great and memorable scenes. Director Philip Kaufman managed to retain Wolfe's skill for absurd humour, so we get to see the President crawling on the floor to plug in a projector, two astronauts' slow walk to the bathroom following an enema, and a hilarious moment involving humming and sperm samples. It has an observational aesthetic that America conquered in the 1970's, made even better by some amazing aviation and space travel scenes, easily more exciting than the CGI-laden movies we get nowadays. It's often called the second-best movie of the 1980's behind Raging Bull (1980), and, although I don't necessarily agree with that statement (Blue Velvet (1986), anyone?), it's one of the finest movies to come out of it's era, feeling almost classical despite being modern. Like Shepard's Chuck Yeager, The Right Stuff seems old before its time, encompassing wisdom and poignancy with ease.


Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey, Kim Stanley, Veronica Cartwright, Scott Paulin, Lance Henriksen
Country: USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie