I first learned about the West Memphis 3 watching a Johnny Depp interview on David Letterman. In1993, three 8-year-old boys disappeared from the streets of West Memphis, Ark. The story of the West Memphis Three traces back to 1993, set in the city of West Memphis, Arkansas. It's terrifying to know how badly the justice system can fail somebody. An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three. I'm a 23 year old girl, living in Toronto. "[8], Film critic Philip French of The Observer called West of Memphis "riveting", and a "shocking indictment of the American criminal justice system and a tribute to the dedication of selfless civil rights lawyers and their supporters from all over the world". Plan a day trip or a weekend getaway, and escape from your city to discover nearby places. Add the first question. West of Memphis is certainly worth seeing if you’ve followed the case given the new material, it just lacks the intriguing ambiguity that made the Paradise Lost series so fascinating. he story of the Memphis 3 is eye opening, and disturbing. I'm not normally very big on documentaries, but I think this is an important film to watch purely because it's a crime and trial that shouldn't be forgotten. When these crimes were committed, I was in kindergarten likely learning how to read. I realized after the film, if it wasn't for Depp I'd never even know about the West Memphis 3, and that made me realize how much the media and publicity truly helped their case. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime. West of Memphis Written by Michael Moore, Christopher Byers, and Stephen Branch were killed in May of 1993 in the wooded area of Robin Hood Hills in West Memphis. Stuff like this shouldn't happen, but yet it does. The State of Arkansas is proactively responding to the outbreak of COVID-19. The film explains how Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin each served 18 years in prison for the murders, which prosecutors claimed were part of a satanic ritual. West of Memphis is an examination of a failure of justice in Arkansas. Yes, I think we do. An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three. Title: "[3], Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, "2013 WGA Awards: The Complete List Of Winners", "Film review: West of Memphis - Amy Berg's documentary about Arkansas child murders (15)", The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three, Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_of_Memphis&oldid=1001821299, Documentary films about miscarriage of justice in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 January 2021, at 14:35. Three young men spent 18 years in prison, one under a death sentence, for a horrifying triple murder they clearly did not commit. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? I'm a huge fan of his work, and I had the opportunity to see him discuss a film, so of course I was getting the tickets. 71 of 104 people found this review helpful. For most of my life, I had no idea who or what the West Memphis 3 were. Find somewhere new and interesting to explore that's only a few hours drive from your hometown. That changed on May 5, 1993, when three second-grade boys were reported missing. West of Memphis is an examination of a failure of justice in Arkansas. ... West of Memphis goes after another possible suspect, Terry Hobbs, who was stepfather to one of the victims and who has denied any involvement. Director Amy Berg, wrote Morgenstern, "has a dramatist's eye for what was irretrievably lost — the innocent lives of the children, plus 18 years of three other innocent lives. It's a film that I sincerely believe everyone needs to see simply so they can be aware of how cruel the justice system really can be. West of Memphis premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2012, at the Deauville American Film Festival on September 2, 2012, and at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. That fact alone is just plain wrong. And it gives that epic an ending that's happy, sad, inspiring, infuriating, right and terribly wrong, all … The case of the West Memphis Three, its questionable circumstances and the parties involved are followed up years later. A further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence. If you've watched all three of the HBO "Paradise Lost" documentaries concerning the "West Memphis 3, Robin Hood Hills child murders" this documentary will serve as both a summary and add-on. West of Memphis is an examination of a failure of justice in Arkansas. The West Memphis I-40 Mega site is a certified Entergy Select Site. An examination into the cold case of the Iowa boy, Johnny Gosch, who disappeared on his paper route 30 years earlier. The result is a scalding indictment of prejudicial mindsets along with the inept or even purposeful mishandlings of justice that can result from them. The initial case through incarceration is screened early on and moved aside quickly as we start to get into the aftershocks of what just happened. West of Memphis is a 2012 New Zealand-American documentary film directed and co-written by Amy J. Berg, produced by Peter Jackson and Damien Echols, and released in the US by Sony Pictures Classics to critical acclaim. The 'West Memphis Three' were exonerated following the advent of improved DNA technology (West Memphis Police Department) John Mark Byers, who was suspected in the deaths of three West Memphis children in 1993, died in a car crash earlier this week, officials in Tennessee revealed on Friday, June 19. I hadn't actually heard about the case again until TIFF announced the final films in its 2012 program. The Official trailer for 'West of Memphis' in HD.Subscribe to ENTV!http://bit.ly/yVtOkS The crimes they were charged with were absolutely horrendous, and they were suspects purely because they fit a stereotype. And she saw, equally well, what was there to be gained: dramatic new insights into an inexorable progression from random arrests through groundless supposition, fevered conjecture and flagrant perjury to official disgrace in a supposedly airtight case. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Directed by Amy Berg. The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Since the 1996 release of the HBO Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, supporters protested the innocence of the West Memphis Three. With Jason Baldwin, Damien Wayne Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Michael Baden. Located across from Memphis, on the west bank of the Mississippi River, West Memphis shares many problems with its more famous neighbor. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The men garnered national attention due to a series of documentaries and books that questioned their convictions as well as the vocal support of numerous celebrities. A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son. Though it treads on similar ground as the laudable Paradise Lost series, West of Memphis is a superb overview of the case, and a captivating account of the latest developments. Investigators quickly seize three teen suspects they... See full summary ». I was intrigued, looked up the case, became slightly disturbed, and unfortunately, forgot about it for a while. In doing so, the film reframes the story's terrible darkness, even if it can't give us the closure we hunger for. Now I'll be honest, it may be slightly sad or pathetic, but Johnny Depp was the main reason I decided to see West of Memphis. It artfully sketches out the events for anyone who's coming in cold, but basically, its strategy is to take what we already know and go deeper. [7], Writing in The Wall Street Journal, film critic Joe Morgenstern described West of Memphis as "a devastating account of police incompetence, civic hysteria and prosecutorial behavior that was totally at odds with a vastly persuasive body of evidence uncovered in a privately funded investigation". West of Memphis tells a true story that the world needs to hear. The documentary "West of Memphis" is the fourth film about one of the most heinous cases of wrongful conviction in American judicial history. [5] Much like the Paradise Lost films, West of Memphis chronicles the history of the imprisoned men all the way up to the eventual release through interviews conducted with lawyers, judges, journalists, family members, witnesses, and the West Memphis Three themselves. Rated R for disturbing violent content and some language, when asked why he was drawn to the West Memphis 3 case, The Case Against Adnan Syed Review: An Engrossing Doc that Brings Serial to Life, Full Trailer for The Case Against Adnan Syed, Interview: Documentary Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield Shares The Story Behind ‘Generation Wealth’, Critics' Choice 2013: Nominated Movies & TV. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Right on the border of Tennessee, West Memphis was a bible belt city unaccustomed to much publicity. I barely knew a thing about them before I walked into the screening, but coming out, I was glad I blindly followed Depp towards it. West of Memphis sounded familiar, and low and behold, it had been the topic of the discussion in that said interview. This documentary explores the depth behind the case of a woman whose vehicle collision killed numerous people, including herself. 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