Product Details

• Directors: Joseph Strick
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: December 5, 2000
• Run Time: 74 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000051S60
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,653 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This unusual documentary consists mostly of criminals talking openly and apparently honestly about their crimes. The film begins by showing hapless smalltime miscreants, such as a dimwitted woman who talks about how she had enough experience "prostituting" not to have gotten picked up in a police sting operation. Most of the interview subjects are unapologetic, and things become disturbing as muggers talk about their violent rampages and how the feelings of their victims simply never entered their minds. The point is made that crime permeates society, and in a brief break from interviews, surveillance tapes are shown of church elders stealing thousands of dollars while counting money taken in collection plates, and airport baggage handlers rifling through luggage. As the interview material continues, the crimes being confessed become increasingly more serious, and the proceedings take on a much darker tone. A videotaped jailhouse interrogation with an obscenely defiant rapist is a startling and sickening look at someone who can only be described as pathological. In a later segment, the lack of emotion shown by a murderer is equally disturbing. As a relatively unfiltered look at how criminals see themselves, their victims, and their crimes, this is a fascinating, though often troubling piece of work. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Research, Not Entertainment, December 6, 2004

By	Clarice Starling "Vero" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews

You REALLY have to be fascinated by the criminal mind to get anything out of this video. When it is over, you do feel absolutely ill because of the subject. It is really a documentary noting many different types of criminals and crime severity. There is homemade video by criminals, police video from interrogations, descriptions by a narrorator, etc. They try to change up the style to keep your attention. It is DEFINITELY only valuable as a learning tool, not entertainment for a rainy evening at home with the wife.

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This DVD is Criminal, June 4, 2004

By A Customer

Vile, with no redeeming factors. The only good part of this movie was when a cop stated that one of the criminals should be a participant in a police shooting.

Imagine sitting in your living room with several ignorant, egocentric thieves, rapists, prostitutes and murderers. Imagine watching their poorly made home movies with them. Imagine listening to self absorbed, graphic descriptions and rationales for their crimes. Imagine total disgust at the stupid excuses and total lack of remorse in their statements. Interspersed among this is faintly liberal poetry and scenes that try to convince the viewer that the problem is society and not the criminal. That makes this film criminal.

This DVD might be Ok at a price of $10 or so, but at $22 it's a waste of money. It might be good for a kid to watch if he is starting to get involved in petty crime, or to convince you to carry a gun. The one thing that this film does is shatter any illusion that we live in a safe society.