Terry's Reviews
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Movie Reviews: |
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H.H. Holmes – America’s First
Serial Killer Waterfront Productions – 2003 Directed by John Borowski |
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| Few people have heard of H.H. Holmes. That is
surprising because Herman Mudgett AKA H.H. Holmes was possibly America’s first serial
killer. H.H. Holmes was a human monster along the lines of Jack the Ripper or even a real
life Hannibal Lector. Residing in Chicago H.H. Holmes owned a huge castle like building that had multiple floors, which he designed for the use of killing and torturing people. He was a doctor by trade but a killer at heart. H.H. Holmes used his castle to rent out rooms to people attending the 1893 Worlds’ Fair in Chicago. Many of these people disappeared without a trace and in all probability; they became unwitting victims in Holmes’ castle. Director John Borowski spent three years putting this film together and his incredible effort shows. Borowski recreates sets to look like the inside of Holmes’s castle, including the sinister basement. His research takes us back to Herman Mudgett’s family’s home in New Hampshire, the court and prison in Philadelphia. Borowski was certainly working on a low budget but his passion for this story overrides any financial limitations. Borowski’s choice to have veteran actor Tony Jay narrate the film is inspired. Some of you will recognize that he is the same man who narrated Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Jay has an unmistakable voice that brings credibility to the film by his voice alone. The music score by Douglas Romayne Stevens is outstanding. Stevens captures a large sounding score that backs the documentary’s historical perspective as well as the seriousness of the subject matter. The DVD comes with some special features worth checking out. The Making of H.H. Holmes moves along at a quick 20 minutes and you’ll appreciate to see how John Borowski went about this labor of love. There are multiple trailers, posters and outtakes from the movie. All and all the package is complete and any fan of true crime, horror or history would find this DVD a pleasure to purchase. |
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