An American Crime

[e0y2e3]

Finally sat down and watched this last night after having it on my list for a couple of years.

Uhm, wow (in a good, bad and horrified way all at the same time).

It is the true story of the Shirley Likens murder in Indian back in 1965 and is based around the actual testimony in the court. That said, they removed a lot of the torture this girl was actually forced to go through and painted some of the pictures (Paula especially) in a good light when they were actually among the most evil. The story was changed for the worse, but it is still powerfully told and if not for manipulating the truth I would have bit hook line and sinker.

Also, the acting by Ellen Page (abused/killed girl) and Catherine Keener (abusive woman watching the two little girls) is second to none. Both are outstanding and make the movie worth watching alone.

A worthy movie that is certainly worth seeing at some point, however, not for children. The violence is shown in a less than graphic way but you still feel Shirley's pain, which makes it watchable.

The true story in a not bad to read fashion:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/young/likens/1.html

[hermanfontenot]

Knowing what I know about the case, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a movie about it. I've read a lot of true crime, it's one of my hobbies, but the Sylvia Likens thing was just about the worst I've come across.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I've been pimping that movie for quite awhile. It's far and away Ellen Page's best work. You should really watch Funny Games, it's sick, twisted, and has one of the coldest endings to a movie i've ever seen.

Knowing what I know about the case, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a movie about it. I've read a lot of true crime, it's one of my hobbies, but the Sylvia Likens thing was just about the worst I've come across.

Yeah, I love true crime myself. You ever read about Albert Fish or Ed Gein? Those guys were fucked up beyond most people's understanding.

[e0y2e3]

Yeah, I also have Funny Games sitting on the DVR, have for awhile.

It's after Assault in the Ring and a rewatching of The Virgin Suicides (the book is better, but I will still watch or read any story by Jeffrey Eugenides... Middlesex being one of my favorite fiction books) on my list right now.

Supposedly a movie called The Girl Next Door is fiction but based on this story and is not nearly as kind with the gore and torture.... making this look like a fairy tale. Needless to say I think I will pass on that one.

[e0y2e3]

And yeah, Page is better and much more real in this than Hard Candy, her other real serious/dark film I have seen.

Hard Candy boasts one of the most bad ass trailors in recent memory, but the movie was just okay.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I think you'll like it. The director went with a smart original movie over a visceral gorefest.

[e0y2e3]

I think you'll like it. The director went with a smart original movie over a visceral gorefest.

To be fair the Austrians went with a smart original movie then we knocked it off.

I'd love for us to knock off high tension and fix the effing end of what is otherwise the most enjoyable mindless horror/tension flick of the aughts thus far.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I think you'll like it. The director went with a smart original movie over a visceral gorefest.

To be fair the Austrians went with a smart original movie then we knocked it off.

I'd love for us to knock off high tension and fix the effing end of what is otherwise the most enjoyable mindless horror/tension flick of the aughts thus far.

It's directed by the same guy that did the original. He just went with well known American actors, the remake is almost shot for shot of the original.

High Tension's ending SUCKED, it made no sense. It felt like Aja just put a stupid twist in there for the sake of having one. I gotta say, i've never seen a guy get killed with a piece of furniture before that.

[jack_tors]

Finally sat down and watched this last night after having it on my list for a couple of years.

Uhm, wow (in a good, bad and horrified way all at the same time).

It is the true story of the Shirley Likens murder in Indian back in 1965 and is based around the actual testimony in the court. That said, they removed a lot of the torture this girl was actually forced to go through and painted some of the pictures (Paula especially) in a good light when they were actually among the most evil. The story was changed for the worse, but it is still powerfully told and if not for manipulating the truth I would have bit hook line and sinker.

Also, the acting by Ellen Page (abused/killed girl) and Catherine Keener (abusive woman watching the two little girls) is second to none. Both are outstanding and make the movie worth watching alone.

A worthy movie that is certainly worth seeing at some point, however, not for children. The violence is shown in a less than graphic way but you still feel Shirley's pain, which makes it watchable.

The true story in a not bad to read fashion:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/young/likens/1.html

Good call on this flick. Watched it tonight and found it to be a very good movie (and quite disturbing). I would have enjoyed it more had I not known that the majority of the horrible acts were actually performed on a human being. The acts were so brutal that I am left speechless.