IMDb > Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)

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Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006) -- Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006) -- MovieMaze.de - Trailer (Quicktime)

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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   1,014 votes
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Director:
Writers:
Marcia Smith (story)
Marcia Smith (teleplay)
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Plot:
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch. | add synopsis
Awards:
3 nominations more
User Comments:
powerful more (17 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Rebecca Moore ... Herself
Janet Shular ... Herself
Tim Carter ... Himself
Stanley Clayton ... Himself
Hue Fortson Jr. ... Himself
Garrett Lambrev ... Himself
Claire Janaro ... Herself
Neva Sly Hargrave ... Herself
Deborah Layton ... Herself
Phyllis Wilmore Zimmerman ... Herself
Chuck Wilmore ... Himself
John R. Hall ... Himself
Tim Reiterman ... Himself
June Cordell ... Herself
Eugene Cordell ... Himself
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Additional Details

Runtime:
86 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Soundtrack:
Something Got a Hold on Me more

FAQ

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19 out of 21 people found the following comment useful.
powerful, 4 May 2006
10/10
Author: mattmwagar from United States

I saw this film Tuesday afternoon at the San Francisco International Film Festival and it was amazing. It had a running time of approx. 90 minutes but I'm not really sure because I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. The film unfolds chronologically and covers the formative years of Jim Jones' life and the birth, rise and eventual demise of the People's Temple. The story is told through interviews with the surviving members of the People's Temple, their family members and the survivors of Congressman Leo Ryan's ill-fated trip to Guyana. The director of the film forces us to look at the People's Temple on it's own merits and set aside the preconceived notions we have regarding the "mass suicide" and the tired notion that the members of the church were cult members who enthusiastically drank cyanide laced kool-aid to ascend to heaven. The former members of the church come off as enlightened idealists who were searching for a life with meaning in a society that ignored them because of their poverty or the color of their skin and they found their champion in Jim Jones. This film doesn't ask questions and answer them; it provides you w/ information and you are forced to disseminate it yourself. We get to see Jones for what he was: a father, a political power broker, old time preacher, son of a dysfunctional family, molester, savior, integrationist and killer.The camera doesn't pass judgment on history it just records it. This documentary fills in the gaps of a story that we thought knew. The music, archival photos and film footage used are amazing. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in the subject. The documentary unfolds like a dream and takes you on ride through the history of the People's Temple, it grabs you and doesn't let go.

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can't really forget about this... kyw0277
'UNCENSORED' DEATH TAPE FOR DOWNLOAD OR STREAM jsterling03
Is that true about Ukiah, CA? JaneDoe333
Singer? rblee
I Don't Think I Want To See This Movie D_Burke
Disappointing modsquad
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