tdrish The Killing Of America documents real life footage of the random acts of violence that wreak havoc upon the country. There are no actors here. It's all real. The first 30 minutes of the movie examines the assassinations of some major icons, such as JFK and Martin Luther King. The middle of the film will focus more on random acts of local violence, such as school shootings and snipers. The last half of the film will focus on serial killers, such as Ted Bundy. Put them altogether, and you have one of the most disturbing classic documentaries of all time. Be warned, everything you see in the film is real, and and in extremely graphic detail. ( It cannot be denied the worst scene is seeing John F. Kennedys head ripped open by bullets. Again, this is REAL footage!) Myself, I do not enjoy seeing anybody getting hurt, much less watching children getting slain and families mourning over the deaths of many loved ones. However, this documentary is simply showing us history, up until the time of its release (1981) in the making. Fast forward to 2018, and its still very disturbing, especially when we see that things have not progressed much toward peace. I did not like the fact that most of the first half of the movie focused more on the problem with guns, and gun control. Guns are not the problem, its the person operating the gun that's the problem. We choose to hurt people. We choose to murder people. Why do so many people choose to do so? It's one of the unanswered questions to the documentary. Why are we so angry? What fuels a person with so much hate, that they perform these terrorist acts of violence? We may never know what powers such crimes, all we can do is be aware of our surroundings at all times, and NEVER take anything for granted. ( At the time of this review, Chicago has a growing number of crime and homicides, dominating record high numbers, putting Chicago at more murders a day then Los Angeles and New York combined! We are not evolving, we are dissolving here.) It's up to you weather you want to watch this or not, for sensitive viewers, it may give you nightmares. For those who wish to proceed, just understand one thing, and I will leave you with this: This is all uncensored history. You don't have to like it. You don't have to love it. You don't have to hate it, either. Just embrace it. Embrace the fact that this all happened. We don't know why. All we can do is embrace ourselves, and each other.

gavin6942 A documentary of the so-called "decline" of America, said to begin with the Kennedy assassination. It features a lot a great footage (most of it exclusive to this film) from race riots to serial killers and much, much more.This really does show it all: cops shooting suspects, political assassinations, the Jim Jones cult and such notorious figures as Charles Manson and Ted Bundy. The most disturbing part is an interview with Edmund Kemper, an "American who killed Americans". Although not as famous (or infamous) as Manson or Bundy, Kemper talks of killing his victims in a very casual way, and is rather intimidating -- he looms at almost 7 feet in height! As an interesting side note, the narration is done by Chuck Riley (known for his movie trailer dialogue), who coincidentally had known Jack Ruby. What it was like to narrate a scene of Ruby killing Oswald when he had a personal connection is something we can only wonder about.Although not mentioned in the film, a Los Angeles police officer claimed that every officer who shot and killed a suspect would retire within four years because of the psychological damage it caused. This would be an interesting stat to look into. Is it true? Has it changed?"The Killing of America" was initially shown in New York City in 1982 at the Public Theater, but never received a commercial release in the United States. It did receive a home video release in Britain, and a wide release in Japan, where financial backers reportedly pressured the director to add footage of peace vigils for John Lennon as a way to make the documentary less depressing. Years later the documentary would receive a 2013 North American release at Fantasia Festival in Canada (which is a bit odd, as the film has no "fantastic" elements). And in 2016, thanks to Severin, it now gets a full Blu-ray treatment.Critic Eleanor Minnikka wrote, "Rather than an in-depth study of the reasons for and effects of the rising murder rate in the U.S., the director has chosen to emphasize the violence and the need for gun control to help lower the appalling amount of mayhem that distinguishes the U.S. from its European counterparts." Minnikka raises a good point that the film is more a showcase of violence rather than any actual study of it. Perhaps more interesting is how violent crime today (2016) is actually on a decline from the 1970s and 1980s -- what happened since this film was made to change the trend? The Blu-ray from Severin features new interviews with editor Lee Percy and director Sheldon Renan, and an audio commentary from Renan, who explains in detail his background, his association with the Schrader brothers and the genesis of the film. Who knew that renting the Zapruder film cost an astounding $20,000? Renan, who (rightly) considers Kennedy a "hawk", suggests he is not a believer in the lone gunman theory. While this has no bearing on the film, it is interesting to note because of the central role JFK plays in the narrative.One of the more interesting inclusions on the disc is a brief discussion of "Mondo" films and the place of this movie in that trend. While I would hesitate to put "Killing of America" in the same category as "Mondo Cane" or "Faces of Death", a case can be made for a connection. Not only do each feature real scenes of graphic violence, but "Killing", like "Faces", had its biggest success in Japan. Why Japan? Hopefully the Blu-ray allows "Killing of America" to be properly appreciated in its home country, as it has some shocking lessons to offer.

punishmentpark Even though 'The Killing of America' wants to state a peaceful message, it has a dubious way of getting its point across, lacking logic and thoroughness. Of course, a lot of the statistics may be real, but more than anything else they show (partly) how a 'new' society, after two world wars, is beginning to face its limitations and problems concerning its enormous growth, high speed development and radical cultural changes... and several serial killers portrayed here never even used a gun! But beyond that, restrictions on American gun laws would certainly have mý blessing...Back to 'T.K.o.A.', because beyond its failing as a documentary, it offers an intriguing series of archival footage pertaining to all kinds of 'modern' violence in America, from about the early sixties up to the early eighties. It starts right off the bat with the brutal street killing of a black suspect by some cops, and does not flinch at showing gore or seedy images that many will find offensive - some ninety minutes of assassinations, snipers, riots, war, mass-suicide and serial killers are then still to come...As a documentary: 3 out of 10. As a historic document: 9 out of 10. Which brings it to an average of 6 out of 10, since I find it hard to prioritize in this case...

haildevilman I have the Japanese video. The narration was all in Japanese while all the footage was subtitled. Good thing because I heard the English narrator drove people crazy with his long pauses.America from 1960-1980. Showing everything from police standoffs to assassinations to serial killer trials. Nothing is left out. You suddenly realize a lot more was filmed than they would let you see on the news.The street scenes of L.A. were interesting but the morgue & autopsy scenes were a bit much.Personal favorite scenes? James Hoskins in Cinncinati and Anthony Kiritsis in Indiannapolis. Kiritsis definitely has a commanding presence.