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Reviews
Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret (2013)
Not bad
'Fatal Attraction' is an old story. Few cases have been chronicled, the most well known being Carolyn Warmus in the early 1990's. It too was in the national limelight, she was found guilty of murder, and not one but two movies were made telling the story. But as we know, the Jodi Arias story was more compelling because of the unexpected, lurid details of their deviant personal sanctum. No court case has ever presented to the public what should be rated X. All in all, "Dirty Little Secret" does the best it can do. There were only two people who could tell the real story, but one is dead and the other is a chronic liar. I'm sure there are many who will agree that Jodi Arias is a better actress than the woman who played her in this film. Thus there is no way a film can portray this story with pure accuracy. 'Artistic license' is unavoidable, and why this film struck me as an attempt to stay as close to what the producers knew at the time it was filmed. "Dirty Little Secret" may have its faults, but it's definitely worth seeing.
Class Action (1991)
Insightful
Thanks to the recent legal decision against Toyota and memories of the ill-fated Ford Pinto, it's difficult not to think of "Class Action". Many reviewers like to think that court room dramas can always be better, but if you've ever witnessed real court proceedings then you'll discover they can be immensely boring and why film makers avoid it. What makes "Class Action" so refreshing is the context of the case, which is a bona fide problem considering numerous cars with dangerous design problems, the devious corporate view of profit over loss (including life), which gives the film an underplay of David vs. Goliath, the spicy exchanges in court, the conflict between father and daughter, which is essentially a clash of Right vs. Wrong, and of course first rate performances by the actors. There are a few predictable story lines, but that's to be expected. "Class Action" is altogether a very entertaining and insightful film.
Helter Skelter (1976)
Superb film
Simply said, the 1976 version of "Helter Skelter" is incontestably one of the best docudrama's ever made. Not only does it stick close enough to the book that it renders reading it merely a plus, but the locations, clothes, set design, language, and haunting soundtrack topped off with Steve Railsback portraying Manson is so 'real' that one wonders if newsreels were used to duplicate it all. Railsback particularly was so good that it borders on the surreal. His 'look', hair, tone of voice, body shape, height, even the eerie shine in his eyes - so close to Charlie that when you see Railsback in other roles you probably won't recognize him. But virtually everyone did a terrific job at recreating the characters, such as Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins and Marilyn Burns as Linda Kasabian. So even if this movie is 3 hours long it doesn't matter. It keeps your attention from start to finish. It portrays the impact of such a bizarre murder case better than any movie can possibly do. However, a note of interest is the film gives a better understanding of how Vincent Bugliosi handled such a difficult case. It also gives a much closer look at various conspirators, such as Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten. Just as surprising, much of the dialogue in grand jury, court, and interview scenes are taken directly from official transcripts. Altogether, "Helter Skelter" is the book come to life. It's a frightening but accurate film that captures the story as well as can be done. If you are a movie buff, then this belongs in your collection.
Flashback (1990)
Never assume until you see
During the 80's and 90's home video was an unexpected but explosive new entertainment medium. (Can anyone forget regularly scanning your nearby video store for something new to rent?) It gave writers and producers much more room to produce films that never would have made it to the screen. Production money may have been spare, but sometimes B-level movies are the best of all and "Flashback" applies. It wasn't a trip back in time as the title suggests, it was a look at the Establishment winning the culture war. Yuppies had replaced the Hippies. Perhaps the most poignant line was when the wizened old hippie, Huey (Dennis Hopper), reminds the yuppie FBI agent John Buckner (Keifer Sutherland) that the 1980's (the Reagan Administration) created two classes of people - the Rich and the Poor. More true today than it was then. As the story plays out in a comical and entertaining way - Buckner escorting Huey to jail but unexpectedly fleeing from a murderous small-town sheriff - we learn that maybe Huey wasn't as much a hippie as we thought. And we also learn that Buckner was the son of a hippie commune family and his real name is 'Free'. By the end of the movie Huey finally gets his book published and loves the fame (yet keeps his brazen attitude), and Buckner realizes the hippie liberalists were pretty good after all. He quits the FBI and sets out to re-discover his roots. One downside is watching Free/Buckner ride off into the sunset on a rice-burner bike instead of a Harley, but acceptable considering the movie was to bridge the 60's to the 90's. The other is seeing Huey propound his belief that the 90's would be so radical socially that it would put the 60's to shame. Sad to learn that it would never happen. Altogether, "Flashback" is a first-rate film worth owning, not just seeing. Greats like Dennis Hopper and Keifer Sutherland are at their best, it's a clever story, very entertaining, and thought provoking enough to make you wonder what the heck happened to a once bullish youth not afraid to get nose-to-nose with a Fascist-style government.