Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014)

Tales of the Grim Sleeper is a movie starring Nick Broomfield, Lonnie David Franklin Jr., and Donna. Nick Broomfield digs into the case of the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper, who terrorized South Central Los Angeles over a span of twenty-five years.

Directors:

Nick Broomfield, Barney Broomfield (co-director)

Writers:

Nick Broomfield (by), Barney Broomfield (by)

Stars:

Nick Broomfield, Lonnie David Franklin Jr., Donna

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Broomfield	...	Himself, also narrator
Lonnie David Franklin Jr.	...	Himself - 'Grim Sleeper' (as Lonnie Franklin)
Donna	...	Herself, Lonnie Franklin's neighbour
Steve	...	Himself, Lonnie Franklin's friend
Gary	...	Himself, Lonnie Franklin's friend
Richard	...	Himself, Lonnie Franklin's friend
Seymour Amster	...	Himself, Lonnie Franklin's defense attorney
Laverne Peters	...	Herself, mother of murder victim Janecia Peters
Margaret Prescod	...	Herself, founder of Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders
Pam Brooks	...	Herself (as Pamela Brooks)
Diana Ware	...	Herself, stepmother to 1987 murder victim Barbara Ware
Liz	...	Herself, friend of Pamela Brooks
DelaShawn	...	Herself, Chris Franklin's former girlfriend
Jerry	...	Himself, Lonnie Franklin's mechanic
Nana Gyamfi	...	Herself, lawyer, Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders

Storyline

Nick Broomfield digs into the case of the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper, who terrorized South Central Los Angeles over a span of twenty-five years.

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Plot Keywords:

the grim sleeper | serial killer | inequality | community | violence | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2015 (UK)

Also Known As:

Uspiony morderca

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

South Central Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shortlisted for 'Best Documentary Feature' at the 87th Academy Awards.

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Connections

Featured in Docventures: Oikeus (2015)

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Soundtracks

Heat Miser
Written by Andrew Vowles, Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall, Nellee Hooper and Marius De Vries
Performed by Massive Attack

User Reviews

Tales Of The Grim Sleeper

In July 2010, Los Angeles Police arrested a man on suspicion of murder, yet to date he has languished in gaol without being tried. How come? Lonnie Franklin Junior is a suspected serial killer. He is accused of the murder of a woman in August 1985. Victim number 9 - the only known survivor - was shot in November 1988.

It was not until March 2002 that another accredited victim was found. That near fourteen year hiatus led to the perpetrator being dubbed The Grim Sleeper. Although Franklin is charged with only ten murders and one attempted murder, he is suspected of committing many more. The evidence against him, which includes DNA, looks compelling, but at the moment his lawyers are playing what some might consider an obscene game to delay the inevitable. One of their tactics was to challenge the admissibility of a DNA sample as the fruit of the poisonous tree.

This documentary does not deal with the legal case against Franklin so much as the lives of those who knew him. Interviewer Nick Broomfield is shown around the area by a former prostitute, and meets a wide variety of people, including Franklin's son, who unlike his father is not even superficially a nice person.

All but one of Franklin's alleged victims were black, and all were apparently women a long way down the food chain. This and other factors like the failure of the police to warn that a serial killer was at large has led to the usual claims about race.

This is a long documentary, but one you can watch or simply listen to while multitasking. Doubtless there will be others about this case after Franklin's trial and likely conviction. As things stand, that should begin next month, but don't count on it