H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer

Rating:
Summary: great watching!!
Review: I've long been reading anything I could find about this phenomenal case, first hearing of it in Schecter's book, "Depraved", "Devil in the White City", and Rick Geary's illustrated comic, among other things, and this movie is a must for anyone who is, like myself, transfixed by the idea that such depravity could flourish amid what should have been the safety of such a populated area. An astounding read, and now to have it put in film version is a delight. The story is told impeccably, and shown with visuals of the places that I wished I could see when I read about it. I've also long looked for the books by Holmes himself, a man of great audacity, and the detective who hunted him down, Frank Geyer, and now to know I can get them through you, I will be placing my order. i'm so looking forward to seeing the albert fish dvd that is in the works.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Disappointing
Review: After I read Erik Larson's wonderful book "The Devil in the White City" I was fascinated by the brief glimpses at Holmes' story. But this documentary was a phenomenal disappointment. The production is amateurish at best, complete with needlessly corny reenactments worthy of "Mondo Carne." With such a wealth of fascinating information available (court transcripts, etc) do we really need filler footage of some faceless actress wandering down dark hallways acting frightened? This man killed countless people and yet the producers of this documentary thought so little of their audience that they hired a narrator who sounds as if he is the chief ride operator of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Truly disappointing. Perhaps someone will make an interesting documentary of Holmes. This most certainly isn't it.

Rating:
Summary: Good movie about a creapy guy.
Review: After reading the Devil in the White City, I could not wait to buy this DVD, once I heard of it. The score and the narration are excellent. I liked the mix of still shots and reenactments. I do wonder if there is only one photograph of HH Holmes in existence because Mr. Borowski uses one picture (the cover shot) dozens of times.

Rating:
Summary: Why is he not more well known?!?!
Review: H.H. Holmes was, as said in this this excellent documentary, a monster! His crimes were incredible even to this day, but few people know of him. That will change soon! This movie is great. Done with care, professionalism and respect for the material. Several techniques, montages, reinactments, interviews, etc., were used to bring this story to light. The decision to film in Black & White was good, IMO. It gave the production a sense of being in another time long ago.

This independent production rivals the documentaries found on A&E and the Discovery Channel, to name a couple. It could only have been better had old H.H. been there himself!

To those involved . . . please do the Albert Fish story!

Rating:
Summary: ORDINARY DOCUMENMTARY ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY ARCHFIEND
Review: He was born Herman Mudgett, but he's know as the diabolical archfiend H. H. HOLMES: AMERICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER.

This depraved doctor was a bigamist, swindler, horse thief and all round psychopath who built a castle like house in Chicago and lured visitors of the 1893 Chicago World's fair to their death.

He soaked the bodies in vats of acid and sold their skeletons to medical schools.

This somewhat unimaginative documentary recounts the life and times of this inhuman beast. The recreations are lame but the eerie narration by Tony Jay is superb. Extras include outtakes, making of, posters etc. For more on Holmes, see Erik Larson's book "The Devil in the White City."





Rating:
Summary: WHAT THE PITEZEL DESCENDENTS THINK...
Review: I am one of Benjamin's great-grandaughters (baby Wharton was my g-pa) and my family waited 2 years for John's film. To state we were all very pleased, would be a gross understatement! John has told the story in a way that greatly exceeded our expectations, it was definitely worth the wait. The research he did is an accomplishment in itself, and John just could not have presented the story better, I often felt like I was "back in time" while watching, because of his meticulous eye for detail. The film flowed so well, better than most "major motion pictures" playing these days, and stuck to the facts of the story, which shows me just what a master John is in the art of film making, and in staying true to making a documentary. I know the story backwards & forward and yet, I was literally on the edge of my seat watching the film! And what can I say about Tony Jay? He was the ulimate choice for narration, and brought so much to the story, we can't thank him enough for his contributions. I really liked (& wasn't expecting!) seeing Harold presenting his thoughts & research, and Tom Cronin's insight gave additional "food for thought". The "making of" portion of the DVD was very interesting & equally enjoyable, it simply could not have been done any better. We greatly appreciate the time & effort John put into this production, he's earned my utmost respect & admiration. These events were such a source of shame for our family for so many, many years, John's shown the truth, bringing light to a very dark time in our family history, which we can now be proud of.

I look forward to seeing John's other productions, as he is a true artist, anyone would be proud to have him tell their "story", it is a priviledge to have had him tell "our story".


Rating:
Summary: An Unbelievable tale!
Review: Large headlines splash over newspapers around the country. The Chicago Fire! Then after in 1893 the Chicago WORLD's FAIR!! With the entire nation turning their eyes towards Illinois... somehow, one of the most dangerous men to ever live quietly fell through the cracks of history. Ted Bundy, The Boston Strangler, Jeffry Dahlmer even Charles Manson have placed their bloody fingerprints in our history never to be forgotten. But H.H. Holmes was the first & quite possibly the worst of them all. This DVD is a tale of true terror. Its not a "Gore-Fest" but a shocking documentory that holds NOTHING back. It pulls you back over 100 years to dwell in an enlightened age that had yet to give a name to the kind of fiend Holmes was. "Serial-killer".
Any discription of this movie seems to end up sounding like a bad 1950's horror flick. But I promise, you'll stay frozen and captured by this film as you remember this is a TRUE story!
Thank you waterfront productions 100% INDEPENDENT FILM!!! I feel honored to have the a "Death certificate" copy. #858 of the first 1000!!!!

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Film!!
Review: This is the best documentary about a Serial Killer that I have ever seen! The director blends live action, special effects, interviews, and an excellent audio track in a way that makes other "mainstream" film makers look like amateurs. A must have at any price!!

Rating:
Summary: GHASTLY BEYOND BELIEF
Review: We know the stories of Dahmer, Gacy, Speck, Lucas, Gein...but little known is the story of Herman Mudgett, aka Dr. H.H. Holmes. This documentary is based on Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and documents one of the most chilling cases of serial murder in U.S. history.

Expertly written and narrated, H.H. Holmes America's First Serial Killer takes us through nearly every step of the life of Holmes. From his humble beginnings, until his eventual capture. Through memoir readings, newspaper clippings, forgotten photos and interviews with proclaimed experts, we're given a slick and professional insight into the world of Holmes. A bit of a background would be nice, eh? Well, Holmes was a medical college graduate, who opened up a virtual hotel of horrors just a hop skip and a jump from the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago.

Through meticulous planning, Holmes orchestrated a labyrinth of a building to be constructed that only he would know every nook and cranny of. Filled with rooms designed for the sole purpose of frightening, disturbing torture sessions, Holmes would lure people to check in, but they would never check out. Disposing of the bodies, Holmes would polish and sell their skeletons to local medical schools.

AS an avid watcher of channels like the History channel and others, I've often wondered why this grisly chapter in history has rarely been covered.

I've heard death counts range anywhere from a couple of dozen to several dozen. In truth, I'm not sure anyone truly knows the total as many of these victims could have been vagrants or other street people whose disappearance may not be noticed or reported.




Rating:
Summary: A Murderous Masterpiece
Review: With overtones of Murnau's Nosferatu, this documentary/film about the life and crimes of HH Holmes is one not to be missed. It is a highly polished independant production that rivals the big studios. Borowski has done his research and takes the viewer on a journey into the dark annals of Chicago in the late-nineteenth century.

The eerie black and white re-enactments brings the case to life, with the suspense of the old monster films of the turn of the century. The haunting voice-over by esteemed actor Tony Jay gives the film it's final touch.

I look forward to future projects by John Borowski.

Amanda Howard
Author, River of Blood: Serial Killers and Their Victims.