Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)

Directors:

Joe Berlinger
Bruce Sinofsky

Release Date:

10 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Crime

Tagline:

It's frightening to think they did it. It's terrifying to think they didn't.

Plot:

A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.

Plot Keywords:

Dead Children | Justice | Satanism | Murder | Prejudice

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Joe Berlinger	...	Himself (voice)
Bruce Sinofsky	...	Himself (voice)
Jessie Miskelly	...	Himself
Jason Baldwin	...	Himself
Damien Wayne Echols	...	Himself
Christopher Byers	...	Himself (archive footage)
Steven Branch	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Moore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jessie Miskelly Sr.	...	Himself
Pam Echols	...	Herself
Joe Hutchinson	...	Himself
Domini Teer	...	Herself
John Mark Byers	...	Himself
Melissa Byers	...	Herself
Terry Hobbs	...	Himself

Also Known As:

America Undercover: Paradise Lost - The Child Murders at Robin Hood Woods (USA) (series title)
Murder in West Memphis (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

West Memphis, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky spent 79 days over a 10-month period filming in the actual Arkansas locales.

Movie Connections:

Version of Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000) (TV)

Excellent Docudrama, raises many questions!

I found both the original and the sequel (Paradise Lost 2) to be intriging and horrifying at the same time. Both movies lead the viewer to want to conduct their own research in an effort to obtain answers to many unanswered questions (a very dubious and purposeful task set forth by the filmmakers, you are compelled as the veiwer to get right online and find out if any new evidence was ever obtained). Every next scene is a revelation and an enigma at the same time. Did the Bible belting, prescription drug hazed stepfather do it? Did the teens perhaps witness and help? Do you really feel that there is evidence of their innocence or is it just that the investigation and the loss of many key pieces of evidence makes you want them to be free? It seemed to me that the step-father had strange connections with other teens after the murder of his own son. Murderers often repeat and perfect their crimes. You have to watch both movies to get the real jist of why so many citizens are outraged at the investigation and trials of the teens convicted. What both movies seem to lack is a concentration on the victims and their lifestyles, but concentrate heavily on reactions from press and family, law enforcement, the judicial system in West Memphis and the group of people who are to this very day collecting money for the three teens whom they believe to be innocent, but have been convicted(in their beliefs)wrongly. The two movies are definitely a must-see, if for no other reason, to see what goes on with a largely uneducated and opinionated (sans facts and proper investigation) modern day witch trial. The biggest bothersome questions? Why would anyone allow a lie detector test to be taken with a person on anti-depressants? Why hasn't the step father's(look closely at his teeth in the 1st movie) original dental records been compared with bite marks found on the boys? Why haven't the three teens been given lie detector tests and the results made public? Where is the minute physical evidence now? And the biggest question of all, who really murdered Stephen, Michael and Christopher? There's no statute of limitations on murder. Public outcry would bring justice for the three most important people in all of this, the three who were tortured and killed.