Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014)

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:

police officer | the grim sleeper | serial killer | inequality | community | 

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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:

Fortællinger om en seriemorder

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

Relevatory film that unfortunately embraces the politically correct narrative

This is a film that is shocking to see because it lays bare the underside of American society that few are willing to countenance. Broomfield speaks with an array of black residents of South L.A., and uncovers a mind-bending culture of violence, anti-social behavior and sexual deviance. If nothing else, this film shows what happens when society and culture descend into a kind of nihilistic madness. Some characters, admirably, maintain a sense of good humor amidst the wasteland.

However, Broomfield resorts to the usual politically correct bromides, allowing members of an activist group an open mic to condemn the police for the killer's actions, with no discussion of how culture and the attitudes of members of the community have contributed to the outrageous crimes that Franklin got away with for so long. This is, at best, a highly simplistic analysis of the situation. One woman discusses, almost proudly, how members of the community refuse to cooperate with the police, and will virtually never report a crime. Franklin's son discusses how his family members largely disowned him for turning in his murderous father. Franklin's friends discuss participating in appalling acts of rape and sexual humiliation against prostitutes. Everyone has a very casual attitude towards morals, behavior, justice, and sometimes human life in general. Broomfield should have explored this in more detail, but instead fails to draw the obvious connection that the police, racism, and "society" cannot exclusively be blamed for these disastrous cultural failings, and thus comes close to embracing the kind of moral relativism and excuse-making that has perhaps been as harmful to the underclass as racism and bad policing may have been in the past.

This is still a film worth seeing, but if only Broomfield could have taken off his ideological blinders and noticed what was happening right in front of him, he could have offered a more sociologically relevant and honest film.