Change Your Image
robtakendall
Reviews
A Certain Kind of Death (2003)
A matter-of-fact documentary about death
I really identified with this documentary because my father died in L.A. County and was cremated. Maybe I have a morbid sense of humor (or maybe I'm just a realist), but when I saw the scene with the industrial blender I was a little surprised at first, then I thought, "Oh my God, Daddy was in a blender!?" and laughed (knowing my father, he also would have thought that amusing - and you'll have to see the movie to know what I'm talking about).
There's an old saying...there are two things you always do alone: you are born alone, and you die alone. This movie focuses on people who really do die alone, and the Los Angeles County Coroner's office staff who have the unfortunate job of disposing of the decedents and their respective property. There seems to be a lot of discussion on this board about the apartment that had to be cleaned out after one man died....the process, at least to me, was interesting to watch. The staff member was very thorough, had a checklist, and made sure that there was a witness (the landlord) to the entire procedure.
The directors did a fine job on this documentary; it was an educational eye-opener. It showed the reality of death, and the professionalism and respect showed by the coroner's staff. I do hope the makers of this documentary will do another one soon.