Product Details

• Actors: Derek Humphry
• Format: Color, Director's Cut, NTSC
• Language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: October 8, 1999
• Run Time: 34 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0963728024
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,988 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Derek Humphry, author of the book Final Exit and founder of the Hemlock Society, an organization that advocates that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering by taking their own lives, hosts this subdued yet inevitably controversial video. Beginning by telling the story of how he helped his first wife to end her own life when her terminal cancer became unbearable, Humphry then moves on to a discussion of the legal ramifications of what he euphemistically terms "self-deliverance." The low-key (and low-budget) presentation, which mostly consists of Humphry delivering a monologue while seated behind a desk in what appears to be his organization's office, then turns to practical advice that many people would consider utterly ghoulish. Make no mistake, this is a tape designed to show people the best way to end their own lives, and watching it can be disturbing, despite Humphry's insistence that he is speaking about very particular circumstances involving the terminally ill (and he stresses that he is not addressing people suffering from mental illness or depression). As unsettling as this all is, anyone seeking out this video for its shock value will be disappointed, as it is, to be honest, utterly clinical and not in any way exciting to watch. Of course, the ethical questions about this entire subject are enormous, as are the legal issues. And while Humphry has the right to present his material, it goes without saying that anyone seriously thinking about such serious matters should be seeking far more wisdom than what could be found on a videotape. --Robert J. McNamara

Mrs. P.W. of Lakeland, Florida
"Truly well done, tastefully presented, very clear."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for those needing advice on self-deliverance, July 30, 2001

By	Story lover - See all my reviews

In this video Derek Humphry presents his material in a tasteful, low-key manner entirely suitable for such a serious subject. The viewer benefits from his long experience in the field, both his firsthand experience and his wide-ranging research. He clearly presents the steps that can be taken by terminally-ill people in desperate need of a hastened death, and for this many will thank him. The benefits of disseminating this information widely must on balance outweigh the risks of it falling into the hands of those for whom it is not intended. It takes great courage and compassion to do what Mr Humphry has done, and this video is a vital contribution adding to his other pivotal works. Until enlightened euthanasia legislation is passed, many of us will rely on this information plus other new developments in the self-deliverance field, when we ourselves are faced with the misery of a terminal condition.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, expert, clear intro to "self deliverance"ÿ, January 11, 2000

By A Customer

Makes clear the many possible medical, social and legal misadventures that have occured and how to avoid them. A French friend wishes there were a French version.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Right to Choose, October 17, 2004

By	Azrael Nightwind "Azrael" - See all my reviews

I see that some people seem to blame the creator of this video for suicides. Not just here, but everywhere. And in general, the creators of all suicide references. I say that whether or not someone read the book or watched the tape, they probably still would have done it. I believe that this contains a wealth of information that can be put to use for practical purposes. The terminally ill, and, in my most humble of opinions, every person alive should have the right to choose to end their own life, if they seriously beleive it necessary. That's why things like this are so useful. If someone I loved were to commit suicide, I'd rather it be done right, with a minimum of pain, than have it done painfully and slowly, without knowledge of other tachniques. Material like this should be more widespread. Then again, I may be biased here, as you are reading a review from someone to which Kevorkian is a hero. If anyone is in chronic pain, with no way out, this is the way to go. I recommend this very highly.