Review in English: Carl Panzram: The Spirit of Hatred and Revenge (2011)

Director: 
John Borowski

Runtime: 80 min

IMDB

Carl Panzram. His very name sends chills down the spine and arouses awe, but it’s just the exterior of this really complex personality, because underneath lies much, much deeper story. The only philosopher among serial killers and the only one who totally honestly and very literately documented his deeds in his autobiography. His famous quotes even made through to Serbia, where at the beginning of Slobodan Sijan’s cult movie "Davitelj protiv davitelja" (Strangler vs. Strangler) from 1984, we can read the legendary "I wish you all had one neck, and I had my hands on it."

We have long waited for this documentary to show up, some of us over 3 years, but it was worth it, because to date we watched only a solid movie Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996), where he was brilliantly played by James Woods, and that’s about it. Documentary, even a TV one, has never been shot.

Therefore, this is literally the premiere, and I am more than thrilled that the most fanatical, and therefore the best true-crime director John Borowski undertook this project, who is mainly known by his masterpiece documentary about Albert Fish. Well, if you watched Albert Fish, this one is seven times stronger, both because of the story itself and because of awesome production and people who take part in the movie, so for example John DiMaggio gives his voice to Panzram in the re-enactment scenes, and there are also standard legends, my favorite Joe Coleman and Katherine Ramsland, whom we know by her excellent articles on the CRIME LIBRARY site.

It wasn't a bit easy to shoot a documentary like this one, 'cause death penalty by hanging was executed over Panzram in 1930, so there are no living witnesses, unless we include archive footage of the then already old ex-prison guard Henry Lesser, without whose dedication Panzram story would never have seen the light of day. Precisely because of that I have to commend meticulously done re-enactment in this movie, which raised the story to a higher level; from those beginnings of Errol Morris in The Thin Blue Line until today, only Borowski managed not to bore us to death with those scenes. Furthermore, selection of the actor who plays Panzram is more than OK, because after all, he was a big, strong man, and not some emaciated James Woods, whom otherwise I really respect as actor.

The story in the movie is biographical, so we follow Panzram from his early childhood until his death, which really was a quest, since all of those facts needed to be researched and explored, so no wonder we had to wait more than 3 years for this movie. Also, very interesting part is where the author shows doubt regarding whether Panzram was really telling the truth when he said he killed 21 person, because there are no evidence of that, all the killings allegedly took place in Africa and similar backwoods, where it was kinda "normal" phenomenon in those days, so it was not recorded nor was any investigation conducted. The only proved murder was his last one, in the prison, which he committed in order to be sentenced to death penalty, which he soon achieved.

The atmosphere in the movie is very dark, and so is the music filled out with truly sinister voice of John DiMaggio. We also get the chance to see original Panzram's letters, which he was passing to the guard, which much later constituted autobiographic book. The prison guard Henry Lasser himself talks about it in a video from '79. There are also testimonies about how, in which ways, and with what tortures, prison service tried to break Panzram, which of course they did not accomplish, and here I will mention Vlado Dapcevic, who also was rarely unbreakable person, completely determined in his attitudes, no matter what they were.

Panzram often spoke of himself as psychopath, who did not feel a shred of remorse for crimes he committed, but on the other hand, his texts were charged with rationalization of his deeds, where we meet extraordinary intelligent man with exquisite talent for writing. After all, his quotes are like Bible to me, and an average low-life serial killer could never come up with something like this, so that Panzram, in my opinion, transcends the classical notion of a serial killer, and becomes a sort of Nietzche's Übermensch, who has violated all human and divine laws, not by accident but with the obvious intent and premeditation, as if he had some message he wanted at any cost to pass on to the world he hated so much and wanted to take revenge upon.

Since I watched 96% of serial killers documentaries, I can assure you that this is by far the best, because most of the others are obscure TV projects, and not only that, this is one of the strongest biographical documentaries, so it can also be considered from that point of view. And I am truly sorry that there are no more independent authors like Borowski in USA, which would cover, for example, stories of Ed Gein, B.T.K., Dennis Nilsen, and perhaps the most interesting person, Jeffrey Dahmer, because non of the above mentioned characters has a proper full-length documentary, and they certainly deserve it, because their stories themselves are remarkable and very important for understanding the serial killer phenomenon.

Therefore, don't be misers, but order this DVD and in that way support independent authors such as Borowski, not to mention what kind of treats are included in SPECIAL FEATURES, such as Deleted Scenes, then the whole 45-minutes interview with the ex-prison guard Henry Lesser, Coleman’s portrait, but in FULL resolution, with all the tiniest details, which up until now we had no chance to see. So, you have my definite recommendation for this documentary of the year!

H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer (2004) - review in english

ACHTUNG : This is my first review in english, and I hope not the last. Big thanks goes to my brother cutter, who helped me translate this practically untranslatable text from serbian to english. So this is like some kind of test, if you understand what I was trying to say that's it. OK ?

Director:

John Borowski

Runtime: 64 min

IMDB

This story might have never been told, if the best true crime documentary director did not accept to fanatically investigate this case in detail, and to make a full length documentary, although there were no living witnesses who would speak on the subject of the first recorded American serial killer, H.H. Holmes. In just a few years, Holmes has been overtaken by Jack The Ripper in UK, but in my personal opinion, their crimes can never be compared, because Jack has never been of any interest to me, for he was never captured in the first place, and a serial killer without a face from my perspective is not a true serial killer at all, because what’s so bizarre when up to this day we don’t know the true background and motives?

Holmes was a highly educated man, a chemist, and he wasn’t killing people in the streets like a bum, instead he built a fancy hotel for the 1893. World Exhibition in Chicago, and we should remember that if it wasn’t for Nikola Tesla and his alternating current, there would be small chance for that manifestation to have so much success and so many guest arrivals from all over the world, which would result in Holmes losing most of his catch.

Naive tourists that once walked in his luxurious hotel would never get out , and since they came from everywhere, no one would know where and how they disappeared. Holmes was a very imaginative person, so he made a labyrinth out of his hotel, with false doors that lead nowhere, rooms that were actually gas chambers, and a bunch of torture chambers, with a variety of sadistic devices.

Of course, there was also the unavoidable basement, where Holmes set up his private crematorium in which he burned the remains of the victims, whereas skeletons would be kept, preserved, and sold to medical schools. Indeed, it would be a shame to see all those skeletons wasted in crematory when he already had an excellent combination to sell them and make good money, therefore he was also a very good businessman and it could even be said that he was a sort of recycler, and principle that nothing should be thrown away, that everything can be used wasn’t employed again until Nazis and World War 2.

Since there are very few archive photos, there is a solid reconstruction of case done through specifically wicked narrator, after whom documentaries of John Borowski are famous, that best captures the time at the end of 19th century. Movie also features the inevitable Harold Schechter, true crime writer without whom there is no serious serial killer documentary, and various other experts and profilers.

Basically, those who liked the way Borowski made a documentary about Albert Fish, will also like his debut work, because Borowski never makes superficial and pathetic, instant TV documentaries. Borowski chose the harder way, and this fanaticism should be given special recognition, because the mere fact that he’s been doing a a documentary about Carl Panzram for about 4 years already, and that it will appear only in late 2011, proves what a remarkable artist he is.

And now as a bonus, my friend, Marko Stevanovic, expert on the occult subjects, wrote a somewhat different text about this film, and something drives me to present it to you here.

On Son of Man’s recommendation I set myself to watch John Borowski’s writing/directorial effort about the life & times of H.H. Holmes. Word that I dread the most regarding a documentary is ‘reenactment’, cancerous growth that permeates most of TV production. Quite unnecessary effort to show a bunch of mundane things connected with certain event, often with dubious help from local acting troupe and/or crew members relatives. So it goes: Ted Bundy starting his car, Ted Bundy going shopping, Ted Bundy lurking… with production values a bit below those soap operas that stretch through decades. Fortunately, Borowski evaded that trap. He did graze it near the end when showing blank faces of cops from that period, but it never caught him. For visuals are atypical, monochromatic, glossy… more to the point, in the beginning focus is on Holmes’ architectural achievements. Portrait that Borowski paints through interviews with a profiler (it’s basic, bland yarn, and he could also work on titling the interviewee – screen goes black and then letters slowly appear) is about completely calculated individual, who, like his Baker Street namesake dedicated a significant portion of life towards perfecting those skills needed later on, who, like Moriarty, built suitable ruse for criminal activity, while his castle was a place that would make Joseph Curwen proud (as well as his bone trade). That being said, many of the faces that slip by have considerable Innsmouth vibe. Borowski obviously invests himself into the story, mostly through rudimentary yet effective narration over photographs and scanned documents gliding over the screen. It’s a good example of how software stereotypes can be thrown out of place. Effort that was made towards obtaining adequate historical build is obvious, as well as atypical aesthetic touch due to usage of basic software functions, and it comes out nicely. I would make a reproach that in the end, author takes his sweet time saying goodbye to HH, which can leave a sore association with aforementioned TV production that strives to gain certain runtime to better fit into predetermined program slot. This work, however, stays far away from it, and it’s well worth a look – especially considering author’s pending documentary on Panzram; from seeing development or stagnation of (not only) visual style, to sheer interest fed by delving into uncharted territory.

To Watch The Movie Click here.