Customer Reviews

The Errol Morris DVD Collection (Gates of Heaven/The Thin Blue Line/Vernon, Florida)

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I have waited for these films to finally be released on DVD, and was rewarded with three at once. There's not a lot to say about "Gates of Heaven" or "Vernon, Florida" other than they showcase Morris' curiosity and fascination with finding wonder in the mundane. Morris just plants his camera and listens as people go off on tangents that are seemingly unrelated to the subject of the documentary but are mini-films unto themselves (e.g. the elderly woman in "Gates of Heaven" who briefly touches on the pet cemetary being rlocated and then goes into this long monologue about her grandson, his failed relationships and her heartbreak at his never coming to visit).

"Thin Blue Line" is to documentary what "In Cold Blood" was to non-fiction writing. Morris uses re-enactments along with his interviews to tell the story of a murdered policeman and the man arrested for the crime. Morris' investigative work led to the convicted man's release and the conviction of the real killer.

This is some of the best documentary work ever filmed.

Great documentaries change your views.

In law school, I watched 'The Thin Blue Line' in one of my first classes on capital punishment jurisprudence. It changed my views, as it demonstrates how our justice system can "do it's job" and still get it completely and tragically wrong. Although I am not a fan of Philip Glass, I do have to admit that even the soundtrack urges the viewers contemplation of the material.

I am very much looking forward to the previously unavailable 'Gates of Heaven' (because I am a pet person) and 'Vernon, Florida' (because I escaped from a small Florida town after high school).

Errol Morris has a real knack for getting people to just talk, and talk, and talk for long periods of time. And the things that come out of people's mouths is remarkable. Gates of Heaven is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's funny but also thought provoking in its humor. The Thin Blue Line is quite convincing, and is so convincing that the film helped exonerate a man convicted for murder in Texas. Vernon, FL is interesting, but doesn't quite measure up to the previous two films in my opinion. In any event, this collection is well worth a look.

The person I purchased the tapes for absolutely lived them. The seller was great! I needed the tapes sooner than I could get them with the mailing option so they changed it.

I bought this one having previously viewed "A Thin Blue Line". needless to say I had high hopes. I'm glad I bought it. Awe!! It's cheaper now! BUYBUYBUY

Errol is my favorite documentary filmmaker. Fog of War, Mr. Death, Blue Line, Cheap Fast, Brief History of Time. This guy is the best. period. Blue Line is probably his greatest achievement, so I was also curious to see the other two. I had mixed opinions though.

I started with "Gates of Heaven"; I believe his earliest in the set. I string of endlessly quirky, interesting characters (typical Morris) tells you about their journeys surrounding the pet funeral business. This one put my roommate to sleep and I was a bit turned off by it. I'll probably never view it again unless I get really hooked on docs, but it was rather amazing to see a directors craft begin to get honed.

"Vernon, Florida" was definitely a neat one. It was about the crazy people and crazy critters in the little bumf*ck town of Vernon. Really neat old guys telling odd stories and reminiscing take up the bulk of the film. Sound boring? I assure you it isn't.

"A Thin Blue Line" - One of the most important films ever made. This one actually saved an innocent man from DEATH ROW. 'Nuff said. And well worth the money for the box set alone. I can't believe they throw in the other two for that price, d*mn nice indeed. Can I say d*mn on here? Who cares. At least watch this one before you die.

All in all, Errol's done a lot of other great films not in this small set. There probably is little to no market for box sets of docs, though, so don't expect a bigger one some day. So... support Morris and buy his wonderful wonderfulness!


I apologize for being corny at the end there. That was uncalled for.