ski-32802
He may be the first documented serial killer but the Law of Probability suggests that there were serials in America since almost the founding. I just don't think it's ethical to say he was the first one. According to former chief of the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, John Douglas, there are 25 to 50 active serial killers in the United States at any given moment. Today. It's not unreasonable to believe that the same wasn't true since the founding. There will always be, unfortunately,those people who prey on others
grumblinggargoyle
First off, I usually love documentaries, and am fascinated by the story of H. H. Holmes. My partner is always teasing me about watching 'boring' shows, and how I tend to become so transfixed by what's being portrayed that I never notice things like one of the cats eating off my plate or drinking from my glass. This documentary did NOT live up to expectations. Honestly, it played out like the kind of show that gives documentaries a bad name--the kind my old schools usually showed when the class had been too rowdy. The main problem I had with it, I think, was the narrator. He had a great voice, but spoke completely impassively--not much fluctuation in tone or volume, and with the kind of dry manner that gives the impression he was completely bored out of his skull. As mentioned in the title, this put me straight to sleep, TWICE. Other than the dull, dry manner of narration, the film was pretty good. It had lots of interesting information that I'd not found in my online reading about Holmes, and I loved how they followed along the floor-plans whenever they could, in relating incidents. Holmes was a complete nut-job, to say the least, and even my partner was disturbed by some of what Holmes did--Eric isn't easily disturbed. So overall, it was a good film, but probably won't be watching it again unless I have an early start the next day and can't sleep.
Michael O'Keefe
Often forgotten, mostly unknown H.H. Holmes was the first of note to string murders together just for the hell of it. Holmes was born Herman Mudgett in New Hampshire. He would use dozens of aliases during his life of crime. Holmes actually graduated from the Michigan Medical School in 1884, with the fascination of the human corpse. In the late 1800's, he personally designed a building, called The Castle, in Chicago with the sole purpose of having secret torture chambers, acid vats and small crematory in the basement. Most of his victims were unsuspecting visitors to the 1893 World's Fair. He would offer them rented rooms, where he would torture them. He would admit to killing over 200; but was never proved. This documentary at times will seem haphazard and a bit confusing as it rambles about the life of Holmes with use of still photos, newsreels and stock footage. Holmes was hanged in 1896. Written, directed and produced by John Borowski and narrated by Tony Jay.
Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski)
Uninspiring so-called "Documentary" which was patched up by a pseudo-filmmaker, complete with insipid, low budget "retellings" that don't excite or allow for any valid renderings of facts. It is amazing that this even attempted to analyze the "killer" so directly, who was portrayed erroneously in many of the segments. Historical accuracy is replaced by slander, innuendos, assumptions, half hearted guesses and mind readings. The "experts" resemble boisterous and lonely people who parade before the camera without any insight and pretend to know how 'murderers' operate. At best this is a laughable attempt at horror, at worst, a mockery of objective film-making. Everything about this production is tedious, including the t-shirt order address on the DVD.
AD
