Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) (TV)

Directors:

Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Release Date:

12 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

The case of the West Memphis Three, its questionable circumstances and the parties involved are followed up years later.

Plot Keywords:

Evidence | Triple Child Murder | West Memphis Three | Miscarriage Of Justice | West Memphis Arkansas

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win

Cast

Damien Wayne Echols	...	Himself
Melissa Byers	...	Herself (archive footage)
Norris Deajon	...	Himself
Tim Sullivan	...	Himself (archive sound)
Chris Worthington	...	Himself
John Mark Byers	...	Himself
Kathy Bakken	...	Herself
Burk Sauls	...	Himself
Jason Baldwin	...	Himself
Jessie Misskelley	...	Himself (as Jessie Miskelly)
Debra Shue	...	Herself
Grove Pashley	...	Himself
Anna Masek	...	Herself
Ruth Carter	...	Herself
Bill Pritcherson	...	Himself
Gregory Fleming	...	Himself
Marcia Ian	...	Herself
Mara Leveritt	...	Herself
David Burnett	...	Himself
Gary Gitchell	...	Himself
Dan Stidham	...	Himself
Richard J. Ofshe	...	Himself
John N. Fogleman	...	Himself
Jessie Misskelley Sr.	...	Himself
Brent Turvey	...	Himself
Barbara Turvey	...	Herself
John Shaver Jr.	...	Himself
Frank J. Peretti	...	Himself
Michelle Echols	...	Herself
Pam Echols	...	Herself
Gail Grinnell	...	Herself
Scotty Battershell	...	Himself - Polygrapher
Ray Brown	...	Himself - Court TV
Dale W. Griffis	...	Himself
Chris May	...	Himself - Channel 7 (archive footage)
Karen Fuller	...	Herself - Channel 7 (archive footage)
Val P. Price	...	Himself
Harry Mintzer	...	Himself (as Dr. Harry Mintzer)
Gregg Jarrett	...	Himself (archive footage)
Leeza Gibbons	...	Herself (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steven Branch	...	Himself
Christopher Byers	...	Himself
Pam Hobbs	...	Herself
Terry Hobbs	...	Himself
Michael Moore

Directed by
Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Produced by
Nancy Abraham	....	supervising producer
Joe Berlinger	....	producer
Michael Bonfiglio	....	associate producer
Sheila Nevins	....	executive producer
Bruce Sinofsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Metallica

Cinematography by
Robert Richman		(as Bob Richman)

Film Editing by
M. Watanabe Milmore

Makeup Department
Angela Green	....	key makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Loren Eiferman	....	production manager
Bruce Sinofsky	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Philippe Desloovere	....	sound editor (as Philippe 'Des' Desloovere)
Ken Hahn	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Karas	....	sound recordist
Ray Palagy	....	sound editor
Tony Pipitone	....	sound editor
Michael Reilly	....	sound recordist
Randy Ward	....	sound editor
Rick Wessler	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Carrier III	....	aerial photographer
Douglas Cooper	....	additional photography
Philippe Desloovere	....	additional photography (as Philippe 'Des' Desloover)
Randy Drummond	....	additional photography
Nancy Schreiber	....	additional cinematography
Paul Snow	....	assistant camera
Dyanna Taylor	....	additional photography
John Thoma	....	additional photography
David J. Thompson	....	assistant camera
Alex Zakrzewski	....	additional photography

Editorial Department
Paul Collins	....	on-line editor
Allan Rogers	....	film colorist

Music Department
Abigail Kende	....	music clearance

Other crew
Michael Cruickshank	....	production assistant
Richard Hofstetter	....	legal services
Sabrina Padwa	....	legal services
Maura Wogan	....	legal services

Thanks
Cliff Burnstein	....	thanks
Jenny Golden	....	thanks
Cate Latting	....	thanks
Debra MacCulloch	....	thanks
Peter Mensch	....	thanks
Marc Reiter	....	thanks
Dina Tyler	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Creative Thinking International Ltd.
• Hand to Mouth Productions
• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• Creative Thinking International Ltd.

Other Companies

• Sync Sound  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Revelations: Paradise Lost 2" - USA (theatrical title)

Runtime:

Greece:130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Australia:MA

Company:

Creative Thinking International Ltd.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At one point the on-screen date for a trial scene is listed as January of 1993. The murders didn't occur until May of that year.

Movie Connections:

References The Exorcist (1973)

Powerful, but perhaps with too much of an agenda

Generally riveting follow up of the case where three quite possibly innocent young men sit in prison for murdering three children.

Certainly, at least given what the two documentaries show, there is way beyond 'reasonable doubt' that they're responsible. But what was a moderate flaw in the first film becomes worse here; In the same way the prosecution disturbingly made the evidence fit their theory, throwing out, ignoring, or belittling what didn't fit, the film-makers seem to play some of the same game in reverse.

Crucial questions about alibis are never answered, and this sequel spends too much energy trying to pin guilt on Mark Byers, step-father of one of the murdered boys.

Is there some spooky circumstantial evidence that he may have been involved? Absolutely. But proof? The man even voluntarily takes a lie detector test, and passes with flying colors, which the film- makers then dismiss since the man is on various prescription mood altering drugs. But do we ever hear an expert say those drugs might affect the test? No.

More disturbing, the film seems to imply he's guilty because he looks and acts weird, and says confusing and contradictory things, the very sort of 'guilt by odd behavior' association both films attack in relation to the three boys found guilty. The fact that Byers (supposedly) has a brain tumor, and what effect that might have on his outward behavior is never explored at all. And watching this character at such length starts to get dull after a while, as his rants go on and on.

None-the-less, this is still a very interesting film, the most moving sections being those spent with the three now young men in jail for a crime they likely didn't commit. All have grown up a great deal in the 4 years since the last film, and are sad and articulate reminders of how horrifying it can be that people never given the benefit of a fair trial are allowed to sit and rot in prison. And the amazing lack of despair or bitterness they show is a testament to human resilience.