Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)

Nick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row.

Directors:

Nick Broomfield, Joan Churchill

Stars:

Aileen Wuornos, Nick Broomfield, Terry Humphreys-Slay

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aileen Wuornos	...	Herself
Nick Broomfield	...	Himself
Terry Humphreys-Slay	...	Herself - Her Father was Killed by Wuornos (archive footage)
Leitha Prather	...	Herself - Victim's Sister (archive footage) (as Leitha Prater)
Shirley Humphreys	...	Herself - Victim's Widow (archive footage)
Joe Hobson	...	Himself - Wuornos' Attorney
Steve Glazer	...	Himself - Wuornos' Former Attorney
Arlene Pralle	...	Herself - Wuornos' Adoptive Mother (archive footage)
Dawn Botkins	...	Herself - Wuornos' Best Friend
Tyria Moore	...	Herself - Wuornos' Former Lover (archive footage)
Uriel Blount	...	Herself (archive footage) (as Judge Muriel Blount)
Danny Caldwell	...	Himself - Wuornos' Childhood Friend / Witness
Jerry Moss	...	Himself - Wuornos' Childhood Friend / Witness
Michelle Chauvin	...	Herself - Wuornos' Childhood Friend / Witness
Jeb Bush	...	Himself - Governor of Florida (archive footage)

Storyline

This documentary looks at Aileen Wuornos convicted of killing 7 men while working as a prostitute in Florida. This is actually the second Wuornos documentary made by this group the first being Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992). With her execution now on the horizon Nick Broomfield returns to Florida to complete the story. Her argument has always been that the killings were in self-defense but she eventually pleaded no contest or guilty to most of the murders. Broomfield was able to film several interviews which reveals her state of mind and puts into question her mental competence.

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Plot Keywords:

death penalty | lawyer | court | prison | interview | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, including violent and sexual dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

director's official website - film info

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 2003 (UK)

Also Known As:

Aileen: Bir Seri Katilin Yaşamı ve Ölümü

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,158, 11 January 2004

Gross USA:

$97,362

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$97,362

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lafayette Films, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Quotes

Nick Broomfield: You killed seven men...
Aileen Wuornos: Yeah, I sure did!

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Connections

Follows Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)

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Soundtracks

Carnival
Performed by Natalie Merchant
Written by Natalie Merchant
(c) 1995 Indian Love Bride
Licensed by kind permission of Elektra Entertainment Group
A division of Warner Communications INC.

User Reviews

Michael Moore Would Learn Something From This Documentary

This is a documentary dealing with the appeal of Aileen Wuornos murder convictions . Don't worry I have no idea who she was either and it's only when I'm told that Charlize Theron played her in MONSTER that I discovered who she was . Try asking someone who Aileen Wuornos was and they'll give a similar blank response , and it's only with the words " Charlize Theron - Monster " that their memory will be jogged . Somewhat sad that an acting performance is better known than a series of real life crimes

Nick Broomfield's documentary is black comedy of the highest order , he's worth a myriad of Michael Moores' and lets the facts speak for themselves . Wuornos employed " Dr Legal " at her original trial , a man , or rather spaced out hippy , with no legal experience and no office who attended court after smoking as many as seven joints . I can respect Dr Legal as a toker but how on Earth was someone like that able to defend someone on multiple murder charges ? We're later shown someone claiming being gay is a very modern invention :

" Where were the gays years ago ? "

" In the closet ? "

" No there weren't any gays years ago , they didn't exist back then . Were there any gays when you were at school ? "

" I went to a British public school . We invented it along with the Greeks "

Broomfield is very much anti death penalty and he's also very much against the cheque book circus that surrounded the case , but perhaps the beauty of this documentary is that despite being biased Broomfield doesn't feel the need to twist facts into lies or treat the audience as retarded schoolchildren , if you agree with the death penalty this documentary won't change your mind but does raise serious questions about the American legal system