Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)

Welcome to one of my all time favorite films, a 1999 documentary film by Errol Morris about execution technician Fred A. Leuchter.. This documentary is so firmly stuck in my cranium that my first 'In real life' documentary club was this very feature.

Director Errol Morris has never shied away from difficult subjects: Gates of Heaven explores the world of pet cemeteries, and The Thin Blue Line sets out to prove that hitchhiker Randall Adams did not commit a murder. Morris's view is distinctive; he finds the dark humor and oddity in the most solemn of subjects. His controversial documentary Mr. Death, therefore, should not come as a surprise to audiences.

The film begins on a surreal plane, as Fred Leuchter talks about his career as a designer of execution equipment. The son of a prison guard, Leuchter found himself in the execution game when, as an electrical engineer, he offered his services to help fix the electric chair used in North Carolina. His motivation? Humanitarian; previously the device in place would torture the prisoner before killing him. After his success in North Carolina, other states contacted him to help with their execution devices, and Leuchter helped devise lethal-injection devices, gas chambers, and gallows as well.

From here, though, the film takes an even more bizarre twist.

{snip}

One of the things that makes this film so special is that the film has multiple unexpected twists and turns and a central character that is difficult to pin down. It's a film that explores 'faith' in a non-religious context. It has a macabre sense of dead-pan humour (pun intended). It educates on the complexities of the meat and potatoes of state sanctioned murder. It raises the eternal spectre of free speech and it's limits. You are forced to question at what point must an individual utterly ignorant about the consequences of their actions be made responsible for them. And it is difficult to talk about without ruining the experience... so break out the popcorn kiddies, your midday matinee moofie is here!



After your uncomfortable viewing, you may want to peruse some of these articles (Spoilers ahoy!)...

~Fred A. Leuchter wiki entry...
~1990 article in the New York Times...
~A favourable biography of Fred A. Leuchter with links at the bottom to his reports...
~Rebuttal of Leuchter's report...
~A review of the film by a gentleman agreeable with Fred's beliefs...

I'll leave you with Errol Morris's own thoughts on Mr Leuchter

Well, how about this. I hope this is not too smarmy or self-serving. Loving and admiring Fred are two very different things. When I say I love Fred, I love the idea of Fred; I am fascinated by Fred. He has to be the most ingenuous person I have ever come across. Well, either ingenuous or absolutely insane.

For many, many years I have been in search of what I would call the absolutely clueless narrator, the narrator who has absolutely no perspective about himself, whatsoever.

You've all heard about the examined life. Here's an example of a life, which has not been examined at all. That's right, the totally unexamined life.

The Medical Aspects of Nuclear Radiation

Part 1


Part 2


A better quality version of this propaganda film can be downloaded here...

'The Medical Aspects of Nuclear Radiation' - Civil Defense Film on DVD. Enjoy the wonderful vintage animation used to illustrate the manner in which radioactive particles penetrate all manner of objects. Step back in time and gain perspective on how people were instructed to conduct themselves in the event of a nuclear attack. Watch as the use of a geiger counter is demonstrated for the purposes of determining radiation levels. Originally commissioned in 1950 by The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, 'The Medical Aspects of Nuclear Radiation' is an important part of world history. Great for home-schoolers or in the classroom! Arrange a viewing for students and use this film as a tool to begin a discussion regarding these new concerns during the dawn of the nuclear age. Great for the classroom, family gatherings, informal get-togethers or any occassion, The Medical Aspects of Nuclear Radiation on DVD is sure to provide endless hours of viewing pleasure! Enjoy this educational and fascinating documentary film on your DVD player in the comfort of your living room.

Yes, hours of viewing pleasure watching this 20 minute propaganda film. Thank you, Amazon, for that helpful description.

So we are heading into blatant lies and criminal misrepresentations with this U.S. Air Force sponsored documentary from the 1950's. I am thankful that it is a lot more difficult to peddle such misinformation now about topical subjects without creating an enormous public debate.

Still, if you gloss over the fact that this documentary was created to misinform the public about the dangers of nuclear warfare so as to increase the governments chances of reelection whilst building up an Earth annihilating arsenal, then there is plenty of material to laugh at.



Behold as the film explains that radiation only kills 15% of the victims, so why concern yourself with it? You are much more likely to perish from incineration, thermal burns, or being crushed to death in the building you are cowering in. Phew, that's a load off my mind. The film compares radiation sickness to snakebites, and explains that it does not matter if all your hair falls out, you can always wear a toupee. It explains the supposed ease of recovery from radiation poisoning through simple medical procedures, immediately followed up by footage of the destroyed Nagasaki hospitals in the wake of the city's destruction in 1945. There is radiation in the sun and the glowing hand of your wristwatch, and the radiation from nuclear warfare is no different... apparently.

Overall a pretty obvious example of the need to think critically when watching any documentary, whether you agree with it's premise or not. For a great documentary talking about the effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, acquire the HBO film, White light, Black rain.

Possessed

POSSESSED from Martin Hampton on Vimeo.

A shorter documentary this week, looking at the households of four people suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

'POSSESSED' enters the complicated worlds of four hoarders; people whose lives are dominated by their relationship to possessions. The film questions whether hoarding is a symptom of mental illness or a revolt against the material recklessness of consumerism. When does collecting become hoarding and why do possessions exert such an influence on our lives?

Made during a Visual Anthropology Masters at Goldsmiths College London last year. Winner of the Silver Egg at Emir Kusturica's Kustendorf Film Festival, 2008 and Winner at BLIFF 2008, (Banja Luka International Film Festival bliff.net ).

This is a very common and growing problem. If you know anyone who is clearly a hoarder, please try to show them this film. I would be very interested to know how they respond. A feature of the disorder is that people often deny there is a problem. When they finally do realise they are in trouble they tend to think they have a unique problem which leads to a feeling of shame, isolation and despair. It's a very complex problem without a quick fix, but with care and understanding it is possible to get on top of it. I've seen it done.

I find it hard to throw things away, and definitely hoard cd's, clothes and dodgy books, but I also hoard my income for overseas travel so that counters these tendency's a lot. Saying that, the examples shown here are extreme and, apart from the first case, 'Control', destructive and debilitating.

It is strange to see how self aware these individuals are about their hoarding, that they can discuss and acknowledge it and yet there is a mental block that stops them from following thought with action. The reason I admire this film is that it really makes me think about my own mental blocks, all the things I can acknowledge about my own home and yet fail to do anything about. It's nobodies business but my own whether I have half a bookshelf full of VHS tapes but no functioning video tape player. Will I ever buy another player to watch these again? Never. And yet something in my brain will not let me part with the 'David Carradine kung-fu workout' video. The mind is an incredible, enigmatic, thing.

One of the many splendid things about traveling is separating yourself from your possessions for an extended period, living just with the contents of your backpack. Every time I are reminded that what you can live without is virtually limitless, both from the temporary Zen lifestyle, and the lives I witness in countries far less well off than my own. I know all this, and yet when I return the VHS's remain. Will you excuse me please, while I take 'Breakdance USA', the showcase of the newest dance sensation sweeping the world (1983), over the road to the op shop bin...

Cult Killer: The Rick Rodriguez Story

Video taken from this site...

The incredibly sad story of the life of Ricky Rodriguez, heir of the Children of God cult, murderer and suicide victim.

On January 7, 2005, Rick Rodriguez slit the throat of his former nanny and then, on a lonely desert highway, killed himself.

Hours earlier he'd videoed his suicide note, the rambling 60-minute tape giving a remarkable insight into a deeply damaged life. Broadcast for the first time on television, it also lifts the lid on one of the most notorious religious cults to emerge from 1960s American counter-culture.

Aged 29, Rick was heir apparent to one of the most outrageous sects in America. Founded by Rick's adoptive father David Berg, The Family, formerly The Children Of God, promoted a bizarre blend of messianic Christianity and free love.

However, the truth was a sorry tale of physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Raised to be crown prince of the cult, Rick was a guinea pig in his father's quest to break almost every religious and societal taboo. But five years [earlier] the leader-in-waiting broke with the cult, and with other ex-members became a vocal opponent.

Increasingly desperate and angry about his childhood, Rick's thoughts turned to revenge. In his video he loads bullets into his gun while vowing terrible violence on those who abused him, in particular his mother who, after Berg's death, took control of the sect.

Despite the savagery of his end, his friends (including two British members of the cult), family and wife say Rick was no psycho but a gentle and caring person driven to violence by his dark past.

In Cutting Edge, those closest to him recount the story of a man seemingly doomed from childhood.

Be sure to watch this documentary with an old CRT monitor so you wont be so out of pocket when you kick the screen in in frustration.

The suicide note video that Ricky leaves is really the backbone of the documentary. Without it you would still have a horrific story, but the lucid, coherent manner in which Ricky discusses his plan to murder his mother, King Peter, and finally himself, is unbelievably chilling.




The documentary also talks about the Story of Davidito ,the cults 762-page book detailing Ricky's childhood within the Children of God. 2700 copies were printed and distributed to Family Homes around the world. It is worth reading the dislaimer on the hyperlinked page before clicking on any of the pictures.

Finally, although not a believer in fate, the feeling of Ricky being doomed from the moment he was born is palpable. David Berg and Ricky's mother declared him a divine prince from the moment he was born, destined to lead the Children of God through the biblical end-time. The aforementioned book of his life was read around the world. Through no fault of his own, he was seen, and promoted, to be the natural successor to lead the family. After he left the baggage was still with him. Who else would or could bring the Children of God, now lead by his mother, to justice?

An article in the New York Times, talking about the suicide video, said "he said he saw himself as a vigilante avenging children like him and his sisters who had been subject to rapes and beatings." "There's this need that I have," he said. "It's not a want. It's a need for revenge. It's a need for justice, because I can't go on like this." It makes me think of the words of Nobel Prize winning physicist Steven Weinberg, who once said "With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil — that takes religion."

Jon Ronson - The Lizards and the Jews

First up, one of my favorite documentaries, Jon Ronson's look at David Icke's Canadian book tour which does not go according to plan...

Broadcaster and journalist Jon Ronson encounters one of Britain’s most infamous media figures as he continues his search to uncover the truth behind who – or what – is really controlling the world. Tonight Ronson joins David Icke on a lecture tour that takes the ex-sports broadcaster headlong into controversy as his extraordinary views dismay his detractors and inspire his audiences, providing a fascinating insight into extremists – and how the public responds to them.

David Icke was once the most ridiculed man in Britain after declaring on The Terry Wogan Show that he was the Son of God. But he has now resurrected his career and is an internationally successful conspiracy investigator who lectures to packed houses world-wide. His latest theory is that the ruling elite are genetically descended from a race of 12-foot blood-drinking, shape-shifting lizards. But when Icke says lizards does he just actually mean lizards, as he steadfastly maintains? Or does he, as a powerful coalition of prominent Jewish groups claim, mean Jews?

Yes, the monarch of Australia is actually a reptilian humanoid from Alpha Draconis that drinks the blood of babies to change forms! While it is sad that in this modern age thousands of people would mistake ancient myth for reality, this doco shows far more than the ramblings of a crazy prophet. When following him you can almost begin to understand how self validating his belief system has become. Like many faith driven people, he is articulate and charismatic despite of his irrational views. This is a guy you can feel some empathy for.

On the flip side, there are the other conspiracy theorists of this documentary, the Anti-Defamation League. Believing 'lizards' to equal 'Jews' in Icke's philosophy they start a campaign to vilify him and disrupt his book tour as much as possible, even to the extent of physical confrontation.

This leads to the question. Just who is more insane, the man preaching ludicrous conspiracies to the gullible, or the people that feel they have an ethical right to stop him by any means necessary? This is a question I find myself asking a lot in regards to my Atheism. It is a very delicate divide between thinking something to be harmless or harmful, and what kind of action, if any, is appropriate to get your own point of view across. Whenever I find myself about to get confrontational in my beliefs, I think of this documentary.

One other thing that is interesting is Jon joining the ADF for the planning and attempt to disrupt Icke's book signing. It seems so wrong to me, for him to participate in a 'conspiracy' against the conspiracy theorist that is the main focus of the documentary. What do you think, viewers?