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Review of I Love You, Now Die

Review Of I Love You, Now Die written and directed by Erin Lee Carr
Rating *****

This two-part HBO documentary looks at the manslaughter case against Michelle Carter, the seventeen-year-old accused of encouraging her boyfriend to commit suicide through text messages.

The first part concerns the prosecution’s case against Michelle. Prosecutors painted Michelle as a lonely teenager desperate for attention. In their version of events, Michelle encouraged her boyfriend, Conrad Roy, to commit suicide solely as a way to gain sympathy as the grieving ex-girlfriend. Ex-schoolmates and other acquaintances testified as to how Michelle seemed to relish her newfound attention. The lynchpin of their case was the idea that Michelle, at one point, told Conrad to get back in his truck after Conrad expressed doubts about going through with it. That’s the story told in the media and drummed up by people like Nancy Grace.

You may have a completely different opinion of the case after watching the defense side of the story. Several key facts changed my opinion about Michelle’s complicity. For one, both Conrad and Michelle were on psychiatric drugs. One well-known side-effect of these types of medicines is suicidal tendencies. Conrad had expressed suicidal thoughts to Michelle previously, and she had tried to talk him out of it. Conrad also had a failed suicide attempt months before the incident in question. It was his actions alone that caused his death. In Michelle’s mind, she was acting to comfort him not encourage him.

An element to the case new to me was the connection that Michelle had with popular culture, particular the TV show Glee and the film The Fault In Our Stars. Both shows had storylines dealing with young deaths. Michelle connected with the female characters.

Another important detail involved the relationship between Michelle and Conrad. They had only met in person five times. Their relationship existed mostly through text messages and phone calls. There is doubt as to whether or not they ever had sex together. There is also a question as to Michelle’s sexuality.

The judge hearing her case convicted Michelle of manslaughter based almost entirely on her telling Conrad to get back in the truck. Conrad killed himself by carbon monoxide poising. One problem, though, is that there wasn’t any direct evidence that she even made that comment. Most people assumed that she did it through a text message. No such text message exists. Instead, Michelle made that statement in a text message to a friend after the fact.

Conrad and Michelle spoke on the phone before and during his suicide attempt. So it is entirely possible that she did tell him to get back in the truck. But is that enough to convict someone of manslaughter? Say you drive up to someone who is about to jump off a bridge. Let’s say that you call the guy a loser and tell him that the world would be a better place if he went ahead and jumped. Are you guilty of manslaughter if he jumps and kills himself? What if you made the same comments in a text message?

After hearing both sides of the story and reviewing all of the evidence, I believe Michelle’s conviction was a miscarriage of justice that has now set a dangerous precedent. Say you have a couple involved in a bitter divorce. The husband or the wife sends a text message to the other person telling them that they wish they would go kill themselves. Is that person then guilty of manslaughter if the husband or wife follows through?

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Heartbreak and outrage: A review of the Netflix Docuseries The Confesstion Tapes Season Two and Exhibt A

There’s something about wrongful conviction stories that always draw me in. I can’t stop thinking about these people, most of whom are still behind bars. Fiction can’t do that. No matter how good the story or the writing, you know that it was all made up. For the wrongfully convicted, their stories drag on, and those responsible are seldom held accountable.

There are two documentary series streaming on Netflix that tell one heartbreaking story of injustice after another. I urge you to watch each one. You’ll be thinking about these people long after hearing their stories.

I’ll start with season two of The Confession Tapes. You can read my review of season one and the True East episode on this site. Season two is only four episodes long, but each packs a punch. As the title of this series suggests, each story involves a confession (or false confession). The filmmakers don’t prejudge the merits of any particular case. They lay out the facts and let the viewer decide.

The first episode, Gaslight, tells the story of a man accused of murdering a teenage girl. One of the star witnesses claims to have seen the suspect driving his truck with a woman passenger with jet black hair hunched over in the passenger seat around the time of the girl’s disappearance. The problem is that the girl had blond hair. What the witness saw was a knapsack slung over the passenger seat. That fact does not dissuade the prosecutor or the detectives.

The Joyride episode is one that will keep you up at night. One, because of how the police zeroed in on the wrong suspects, and two because of how the real killers were a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. There is some real detective work that leads to the actual murderers. But the tunnel vision of the lead detective, even after his theory of the case gets blown to pieces, is astonishing.

The Angelika Graswald story I’ve written about before. I still believe that the defense lawyer made a mistake having her take a plea. There is no way the state could have proven their case. It all falls apart on close examination.

The last story, Marching Orders, is one that I’m not sure I’ll ever forget. What the FBI did to this individual is reprehensible. The fact that they held a press conference to tell everyone how they helped prevent a terrorist attack should make everyone outraged. The FBI took an innocent Muslim man and sentenced him to twenty-four-years in prison on the pretense that they were preventing a terrorist attack before it happened. Forget the fact that they did everything in their power to entrap him and get him to make incriminating statements that weren’t a confession to anything. And for them to get in front of cameras to tell everyone what a great job they did pisses me off. I’m glad that these men are now facing the criticism that surely is coming their way. They deserve to take this man’s place. Let them lose their freedom for twenty-four years.

Next up is Exhibit A. This four-episode series tells stories of wrongful convictions that are the result of questionable forensics.

The first episode tells the story of a man convicted based on video forensics. Wait? How can someone be wrongfully convicted when there is video evidence? This case is an example of how detectives can fall into the trap of trying to get the evidence to fit their theory even when the evidence is screaming that they have the wrong man.

If the Blood Spatter episode doesn’t make you outraged, then nothing will. A couple of cold case detectives looking to prove their worth try to solve a cold case involving the murder of a man nearly thirty years prior. They send off the nightgown of the man’s wife to have it forensically examined. The person examining the nightgown uses a high powered microscope to go every square inch of the garment. He concludes that the nightgown is covered in microscopic blood spatter only visible under a microscope. The detectives waste little time arresting the wife and putting her on trial. Later, additional testing reveals that only one small spec tests positive for blood. Whew! Glad they caught that before they went to trial and tried to convict an innocent person. Oh, wait. They didn’t drop the case. Even though their whole theory of the murder was that blood spatter on the nightgown was evidence that the wife was close to her husband when he was shot, and now that evidence no longer exists, they still go through with their cockamamie prosecution. They didn’t even prove that the spec of blood belonged to the husband. And then a scientific review panel doesn’t question the evidence because of that one microscopic spec of blood. What is wrong with these people? Use your common sense. There was ample evidence pointing elsewhere. Why destroy a woman’s life over your disproven hunch?

Next, there is the Cadaver Dog story. I’m not sure of the man with the cadaver dogs is the same man that aided in the Madaleine McCain case, but I did recognize some video from that documentary. The cadaver dog evidence in that case was flawed as well. Should we be putting people into prison when the only evidence against them is the bark of a dog?

The last episode involves touch DNA. Everyone knows that DNA evidence is rock solid, right? Guess again. This story involves politics, money, and the fraudulent use of DNA data. It’s the only story of all the ones covered in this review, that ends better than where it started.

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What happened to Madeleine McCann?

Review of The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann Directed by Chris Smith, Executive Producer Emma Cooper
Rating *****

Eight part Netflix documentary series

As a fan of documentary series, I was quick to put the Madeleine McCann docuseries into my watch list. But then I sat on it for a while. After all, I already know that Madeleine is still missing. There is no conclusion. Don’t let that knowledge sway you from watching this fascinating series.

This eight-part Netflix documentary series hits on numerous topics with Madeleine’s disappearance and her parent’s efforts to find her always at the center. What starts out as a case of a missing child, evolves over time into one misstep after another.

Madeleine disappeared in May of 2007. Just about anyone who follows world events knows parts of the story. It’s widely known that the parents became prime suspects at one point. What isn’t as widely known is how inept the initial investigation was. Chief detective Gonçalo Amaral is a model of incompetence. First, he goes after a Portuguese citizen who lived nearby and showed more interest in Madeleine’s disappearance than seemed warranted, according to members of the press who pointed him out. Once Gonçalo had his suspect in his sights, he began an all-out assault against this man. When the man wouldn’t confess, he used the media to put pressure on him.

Next Gonçalo goes after the parents because of some inconsistencies in their statements and some questionable evidence derived from two dogs. The basic theory is that Madeleine was drugged by her parents to get her to go to sleep and that she died as a result of an apparent overdose. The parents then concocted the kidnapping story to cover up their negligence. If you want to see how investigators can develop tunnel vision and then manipulate evidence to fit their theory, this case is example one. When the people with the McCann’s party dispute the investigator’s version of events, Gonçalo concludes that they are all lying. When DNA evidence clears the parents of any involvement, Gonçalo claims that the results were manipulated.

Other topics that are covered include false confessions, child pornography rings, fraudulent investigative agencies, social media’s impact on driving public perception, mistaken identity, and media bias.

A lot of money was spent on efforts to locate Madeleine. There were several different hotlines setup looking for leads. But I don’t remember seeing anything regarding a reward. Seems to me that a reward would have been a logical first step.

Madeleine may still be missing, but she has not been forgotten.

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Two nonfiction film quicktakes

I have two really good nonfiction films to recommend. First up is Apollo 11.
Apollo 11 directed by Todd Douglas Miller.
Rating *****

Back in 1994 while working on the interactive CD-ROM Apollo XIII: A Week to Remember, I had the chance to fly to Houston where I interviewed four Apollo 13 flight controllers. I conducted the videotaped interviews in the original mission control. One of the controllers I interviewed was Gene Kranz. In putting together the CD-ROM, we were able to access a treasure trove of audio, images, and video to aid in telling our story. Best of all, we paid either very little or nothing for the material thanks to NASA public affairs.

Director Todd Miller did the same thing and ended up with a ninety-three-minute documentary made up solely of archival footage hidden away in NASA’s vaults. The end result is a compelling look at one of our most noteworthy historical achievements.

This film shows the importance of editing. There are no talking heads. There is no voice over. The whole film simply takes the available footage shot during this time period and pieces it together to tell the Apollo 11 story from the viewpoint of those who were there. No tricks. No special effects. Just skillful editing of existing footage.

We are fast approaching the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 space flight. I encourage you to see this film with your kids or grandkids. Let them experience the thrill of space flight as it actually happened. The real thing is so much better than Hollywood’s version as told in the film First Man.

Hotel Mumbai written by John Collee and Anthony Maras. Directed by Anthony Maras
Rating *****

I read a review of this movie by a critic who complained that there wasn’t enough character development. That’s nuts. You have two hours to tell a story that took place over several days and involved the murder of hundreds of innocent people. Do you really want to waste thirty minutes to more fully develop a few characters? That would require a documentary or drama series. This film does an excellent job of putting the viewer right in the crosshairs of those ten terrorists as they went about their murderous rampage.

This film kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The acting was superb. The editing was spot on as the story unfolded from the initial attacks to the serene scene at the hotel before the terrorists arrived.

The last time I saw a film this intense was the film Aliens. This was at the same level of heart-pounding intensity.

What happened in Mumbai could happen anywhere. It already has. You don’t have to have superheroes and Road-Runner like killings every few seconds to tell a compelling story. The real thing is much more powerful.

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Review of The Devil We Know

Directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Jeremy Seifert
Rating *****

Last December I reviewed the excellent book Toms River about the damage caused by the decades-long dumping of chemical pollutants into the waters and land surrounding a rural New Jersey community. As disturbing as that story was, the dumping occurred years ago and only affected people living nearby. What if I told you that you have a better than 99% chance of having the chemical at the center of this story in your blood? I’m guessing that that fact might get your attention.

The Devil We Know tells the shocking story of how DuPont and 3M spread a toxic chemical known as C8 to an unsuspecting worldwide customer base. If you or your parents ever used any product with Teflon, you have been exposed. If you or your parents ever used a product that used Scotchgard, you have been exposed. The same is true for waterproof clothing, microwave popcorn bags, and hundreds of other products.

So what is this mysterious chemical? It’s a man-made chemical that has an amazing ability to repel liquids. It was the chemical that allowed for the creation of the Teflon non-stick pan. It is also the chemical that researches discovered early on led to tumors and other birth defects in lab mice, dogs, and primates. Only when birth defects started showing up in the babies of women employees did DuPont prohibit them from working with C8.

Just how dangerous is this chemical? One day while the plant in Parkersburg, WV was making C8 and venting toxic gasses into the atmosphere, a flock of birds flying overhead were killed instantly when they flew through the toxic plume. Did DuPont immediately cease operations and warn the public? Hell no. They started looking into ways to cover-up what they knew was a dangerous product.

The hubris which DuPont displayed in dismissing the dangers will make you want to physically attack the dozens of company officials who were forced into revealing their complicity through depositions.

So where was the EPA? If you really want to see what can happen when you have an industry-centric EPA leadership, I encourage you to watch this film. Not only did the EPA not stop DuPont and 3M, but they also spead falsehoods about the dangers under the direction of DuPont. How is that possible? It’s possible when industry and EPA officials become intertwined. When you hear about current roll-backs of regulations put in place to protect our land, water, and air, using the argument that these regulations stymie growth, this film shows the real repercussions of those industry favorable decisions.

The Devil We Know is available on Netflix. This is another must-see documentary.

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Two must see Netflix documentaries

Abducted in Plain Sight directed by Skye Borgman
Rating *****

Let me warn you up front. This documentary is going to make you outraged. You will be outraged by the actions of the parents. You will be outraged by the way the perpetrator managed to continue his twisted actions with impunity.

Abducted in plain sight tells the story of a kidnapping. The perpetrator of the crime is a family friend. He is also a pedophile. The object of his obsession is Jan, the Broberg’s twelve-year-old daughter.

Bob Broberg and his wife Mary Ann meet Robert Berchtold through their church. Berchtold wastes little time weasling his way into the Broberg’s life, gaining their trust and the admiration of his target, Jan.

The fact that a twelve-year-year-old girl is kidnapped and sexually assaulted is disturbing by itself, but all that follows this deprived act is even more disturbing. Try not yelling at the screen when you see how the parents choose self-preservation over the safety of their child and other potential victims. I give them credit for coming forward and sharing their story. They freely admit their complicity, ignorance, and infidelities. But that doesn’t excuse their complete lack of common sense.

This story will make you reflect on more recent headlines involving sexual assault, infidelity, and abduction.

Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened Directed by Chris Smith
Rating *****

Ja Rule and Billy McFarland

A few years ago there was a story of a high school football player who staged a college signing. He had himself videotaped signing the document that would send him off to play football at a prestigious college football program. It was all a lie. He hadn’t been signed to any college. He had envisioned that moment so intently for so long that he couldn’t give up on the fantasy. So he created it. The man at the center of this story, Billy McFarland, is like that high school kid.

Billy McFarland fancied himself a successful startup genius. He was full of ideas. He managed to con investors into believing his pipe dreams. He surrounded himself with the trappings of success. When his first venture managed to have some level of success, he decided to start another company. The company he founded, Fyre, was set up as a way for the average consumer to book celebrities. You want Taylor Swift to play at your daughter’s birthday party, this app was your answer.

To build visibility for his new company, Billy decided to put on a music festival on a deserted island in the Bahamas. He shot a slick video using supermodels and then used social media to advertise the event. He enlisted the help of celebrities and other influencers to help spread the news. The video and the social media campaign was widly successful. But Billy and the team he assembled didn’t know anything about putting on a music festival.

As the scope of the undertaking begins to take shape, the lack of honesty and outright fraud escalates. Early on in the planning phase, a suggestion is made that might have allowed them to pull the whole thing off. Why not book a cruise ship? If you could find a way to shuttle the concert goers from the ship to the island, you could solve most of your infrastructure problems. Billy’s response was to fire the person who made the suggestion.

From that point on, Billy and his team of neophytes stumble from one miscalculation to the next. By the day of the festival, nothing is in place. Small dome tents sold as luxury villas are made mostly inhabitable after a heavy rainstorm. Angry festival attendees start voicing their frustration on social media. The festival collapses before it even begins. Everyone involved loses money: investors, festival attendees, workers, rental car agencies, employees. For Billy, it’s all about his image. He has zero empathy for the countless people he scams in his efforts to promote his self-interests.

The FBI gets involved. One of Billy’s partners is rapper Ja Rule. When the whole thing collapses, Ja Rule claims that there was no fraud. He admits only to false advertising. Sorry Ja Rule, fales advertising is fraud. Billy is eventually sentenced to prison.