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Jenn and Joe began November by unpacking the horrific Jonestown massacre of 1978 and Ti West’s mumblegore recreation The Sacrament. Now we’re headed to Waco, TX for a similarly upsetting story. On February 28, 1993, the US Atf raided Mount Carmel, home of David Koresh and his group of bible students who would come to be known as the Branch Davidians.

Attempting to serve a search warrant for illegal firearms, the doomed raid led to a 51 day standoff that would eventually take the lives of 82 people—28 of them children. Many of us remember watching the compound burn on national TV and the resulting backlash against the government agency responsible for the doomed mission. But what about the years leading up to this violent event? How did we go from a small group of dedicated believers to stalled negotiations and families trapped inside a blazing building?

In the newest episode of Bloody FM...

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“The Menendez Brothers” documentary debuted as Netflix’s most-watched movie of the week in the aftermath of Ryan Murphy’s explosive TV dramatization of the case.

Alejandro Hartmann’s documentary, which is produced by Campfire Studios and features new interviews with the Menendez brothers and the prosecutors, scored the top spot on the English films list during the week of Oct. 7 with 22.7 million views. Viewership for “The Menendez Brothers” doc nearly doubled that of “The Predator,” which took second place with 12.9 million views, and more than doubled that of “Lonely Planet” as the Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth-led romcom took the No. 3 slot with 11 million views.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” was the No. 4 most-watched English film of the week with 10.4 million views, while “It’s What’s Inside” took...

Outer Banks returned with a bang.

The YA mystery drama series returned for its fourth season on Netflix and immediately topped the streamer’s TV ratings charts.

The first part of season four, which launched on October 10, drew 15.5M views. It comes as fans of the show, which stars Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Carlacia Grant, and Drew Starkey, descended on Charleston, where the series is filmed to celebrate its premiere.

Part two of season four will launch on November 7.

Buzzy rom-com series Nobody Wants This, which stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, stayed strong in its second full week on the streamer. The series drew 9.6M viewers.

It comes after Deadline broke the news that the series was returning for a second season.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was in third with 8.7M views in its fourth week on the list. The...

Erik Menendez admits there was a mountain of evidence against him the night of the murders. The Beverly Hills police received a frantic 911 call from Lyle Menendez on August 20,1989, claiming that his parents had been murdered. Lyle and his brother Erik claimed to have been at the movies while their parents were shot and killed in their TV room by intruders.

Erik Menendez – New Revelations About That Night

Erik, who is now featured with his brother in the Netflix Series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Erik suggests that he and his brother should have been arrested immediately that night.

The brothers have once again gained national recognition through the series published by Ryan Murphy. In the series, the motives behind the crimes were explored.

Menendez details the evidence that should have led to their arrests. Erik and Lyle remain incarcerated at California’s Donovan Correctional Facility.

Erik reflects...

On the night of August 20, 1989, Beverly Hills police responded to a frantic 911 call from Lyle Menendez, who claimed that his parents had been murdered.

Officers arrived at the family home to find the bloodied bodies of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their TV room, reportedly shot by intruders while their sons were away at the movies.

However, new revelations from Erik Menendez, now featured in a Netflix documentary, suggest that he and his brother should have been immediate suspects.

The brothers have regained the nation’s attention after Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

The dramatized version of their infamous murder of their parents explored the motives behind the crime.

Since the release, celebrities such as Kim Kardashian have called for their release.

Erik Menendez details evidence that should have led to his arrest

In The Menendez Brothers documentary, streaming on Netflix, Erik Menendez recounts his...

Netflix has a reputation for producing outstanding documentaries on a wide variety of topics, including many wildly popular true crime titles.

On Oct. 7, Netflix added The Menendez Brothers, a new true crime documentary series about Lyle and Erik Menendez. The Menendez brothers' story was also the subject of the second season of Netflix's Monster series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan premiered on Netflix on Sept. 19.

We shared the list of the best true crime documentaries worth watching on Netflix this month.

The Menendez Brothers

The recent series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has brought the brothers back into the headlines. While that series is a dramatization of events that took place almost 30 years ago, The Menendez Brothers is a two-hour documentary feature.

The film includes interviews with Erik and Lyle Menendez from prison. The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents,...

When Court TV began re-airing the first trial of Erik and Lyle Menendez during the pandemic, an entirely new generation became aware of the 1990s murder case that was a media sensation years before they were born.

The Beverly Hills brothers were 18 and 21, respectively, when they shot and killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. Their initial 1993 trial, where they were tried jointly and with separate juries, ended in a hung jury. The female jurors sided with their self-defense argument, that both boys had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused by their father since they were children and that, with their mother in the know, they feared for their lives; but the male jurors did not.

“The first trial was a hung jury. It was not something that a jury of their peers was able to convict them on, and it was almost retried for a whole new generation...

The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, have been at the center of one of America’s most infamous criminal cases for over three decades. In August 1989, they brutally murdered their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, a crime that sparked intense media scrutiny. Now, 35 years later, Netflix has released a compelling new documentary titled The Menendez Brothers, directed by Alejandro Hartmann. This account delves deep into the brothers’ lives, their trials, and the lingering questions surrounding their actions. In comparison to the recent Ryan Murphy Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story the documentary takes a sympathetic approach to the brother’s trails.

Here are 5 shocking revelations from the documentary that shed new light on the case.

1. Critical oversight by the police

One of the most startling revelations in the documentary is the Menendez brothers’ admission that they had “no alibi” at the time of their parents’ murders.

Hazel Thornton, a former juror in the first Menendez brothers’ trial, has voiced her belief that sexism and homophobia led to a flawed 1994 verdict.

Thornton, who served on the jury found Erik and Lyle Menendez guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

She explained in a recent interview with TMZ that male jurors resisted the brothers’ claims of sexual abuse by their father, José Menendez, and felt societal pressure to adopt a “macho” stance.

Thornton highlighted that homophobia was a key issue during the trial, noting that the prosecution suggested family tensions arose from Erik’s alleged homosexuality​.

The hit series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story controversially explored the rumor that the brothers had an incestual relationship.

She further emphasized that even beyond allegations of sexual abuse, over 50 witnesses detailed other forms of abuse the brothers suffered.

Juror believes Menendez trial would receive a different outcome today

While a second trial...

The Menendez Brothers documentary features a collection of interviews with various individuals tied to the case, such as jurors, family members, and the brothers themselves.

The 2024 documentary puts the spotlight on the two brothers as they give their side of the story about what happened in the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Directed by Alejandro Hartmann, The Menendez Brothers premiered on Netflix on October 7.

Read full article on The Direct.

On Aug. 20, 1989, 19-year-old Lyle Menendez made a frantic call to Beverly Hills police. “Somebody shot my parents,” he screamed into the receiver. When police responded to the residence, they found a grisly scene: entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Mary Louise “Kitty” shot dead by multiple shotgun blasts. The couple’s sons, Lyle and Erik, were first consoled by officers, who treated the pair as grieving orphans. But in the months to come, the Menedez brothers’ actions set them on a collision course with the law for the murder...

Spoiler Alert !!!Spoilers for the Netflix documentary The Menendez Brothers

After bashing Ryan Murphy’s take on their story in Netflix’s Monsters, Erik and Lyle Menendez opened up about their case in the streamer’s new documentary, The Menendez Brothers. The documentary was based on over 20 hours of phone interview recordings with the brothers, who collaborated with Alejandro Hartmann to tell their side of the story.

A file photo of Erik and Lyle Menendez included in the documentary The Menendez Brothers | Credits: Netflix

Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for brutally murdering their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. The brothers do admit to the cold-blooded murders but they also want to tell the world that they are not the monsters as portrayed in the media. The Menendez Brothers brings out several details about the brothers, all of which seem to fight for their cause.

Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who are responsible for the 1989 murder of their parents, Kitty and José Menendez, told their story together for the first time in nearly 30 years in a new Netflix documentary released Monday.

The brutal murder took place in the family’s Beverly Hills home. The boys stormed into their house with shotguns firing several shots at both of their parents. While an elaborate shopping spree that followed the murders led the public to believe they did it for their inheritence, the boys claimed that the violence came from a darker place.

Both Erik and Lyle testified that their father emotionally and sexually abused them for years, which they say led them to kill them both for their own safety.

After a hung jury that resulted in a mistrial, the brothers were convicted of murder in the first degree and were sentenced to life in prison...

Update 10/8/24: This post has been updated with details from Netflix’s “The Menendez Brothers” and Peacock’s “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.”

It’s been over 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez shot and killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home, but the brothers’ story continues to develop.

The murders initially shocked the country and the world, as did the boys’ claims of abuse and multiple trials. Two recent Netflix titles Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan‘s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” released September 19, and Alejandro Hartmann’s “The Menendez Brothers” documentary, released on October 7.

Hollywood loves a little dramatic embellishment, especially with true crime. Since the Menendez brothers’ first trial was broadcast on Court TV in the 1990s, even the fictionalized version uses verbatim testimony and reenactment of specific moments. There’s only so much actual fact checking that can occur when it comes to the Menendez brothers,...

The shocking story of Erik and Lyle Menendez still captivates decades later. In 1989, the brothers gunned down their parents in their lavish Beverly Hills home, shaking the nation. At trial, they cited years of sexual abuse, claiming their father’s threats drove them to believe killing was their only escape.

Netflix sheds new light on this tragic saga. The Menendez Brothers documentary marks the first time Erik and Lyle have spoken together about that fateful night. Director Alejandro Hartmann met with them in prison, inviting viewers into their cells to hear haunting reflections of their childhood wounds and the events that changed their lives forever.

Hartmann also polls others intertwined in this epic drama. We hear clips and commentary from attorneys who fought this high-profile battle in the courtroom, jurors who judged the brothers’ fates, and journalists who documented every explosive twist under the media microscope. He even includes rarely...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “The Menendez Brothers,” now streaming on Netflix.

Weeks after the smash hit Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” debuted, the streamer has released a new feature-length documentary on the brothers, crime and trial that shocked the world.

“The Menendez Brothers,” directed by Alejandro Hartmann, recounts the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez by telling the story of their sons, Lyle and Erik. The brothers spoke with the filmmakers from prison, and numerous other family members and people who appeared in the trial also participated in the doc.

The biggest moments and revelations from the documentary are detailed below.

*Hearing the actual 911 call — The real-life source material from the investigation and the trial — including the initial 911 call, crime scene photos, interrogation tapes, and video and courtroom footage — is essential for people now obsessed with the case, as well as showing the...

With Netflix still experiencing a staggering response to “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” the streamer dropped another title on the same subject: “The Menendez Brothers,” a documentary directed by Alejandro Hartmann and featuring exclusive interviews with Lyle and Erik from prison.

Viewers familiar with the life and trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez will hear familiar recollections of old headlines; about the night they murdered their parents in 1989, the spending spree they went on before getting arrested, the dual trial and hung juries, and the allegations of abuse in their home. Hartmann and his team collected over 20 hours of interviews with the Menendez brothers while they serve life sentences in federal prison, as well as new interviews with family members, reporters, jury members, and lead prosecutor on the first trials, Pam Bozanich.

And though the documentary feature doesn’t contain jaw-dropping revelations, it adds dimension to the brothers...

It has been a little over thirty years since the retrial convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez. In the sensational trial, the siblings, who were convicted of parricide, were sentenced to life in prison. According to the new Netflix documentary, The Menendez Brothers, they deserve to be released from jail.

The film offers very little reasoning as to why the brothers deserve this sentence for murdering their parents. The main point is that they point to the mistrial, where evidence of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of José and Kitty Menendez was not allowed during the prosecution’s second attempt.

The filmmakers want to put the parents on trial, not the assailants. This is fine, only if you offer the same type of microscope on those convicted of the crime as well.

The Menendez Brothers (2024) | Image via Netflix Related “We know you’re on Diddy’s list”:...

In the United States of America, one of the biggest news stories of the 1990s was the Menendez brothers’ trial and conviction for the murder of their parents. But in Argentina, where documentary filmmaker Alejandro Hartmann grew up, it was a blip on the cultural radar — he has only a vague memory of hearing about the case on a trip to the US.

“In 1991, I lived for almost a year in the US, and somebody talked to me about the case,” Hartmann tells Tudum. “I didn’t really pay attention because I came back to Argentina at the end of that year. And then in Argentina, it wasn’t big. It had small coverage by the media.”

That lack of familiarity with the original reporting of the case made Hartmann the perfect choice to direct The Menendez Brothers, a new documentary that takes a fresh look at the trial that...

When Erik and Lyle Menendez were found guilty of the brutal murder of their parents, the world was watching. The family was a Beverly Hills fixture that became a tabloid sensation: Gallons of ink were spilled and hours of television commentary aired discussing the brothers’ crimes. Now you can hear the story in their own words.

In a new documentary, The Menendez Brothers, director Alejandro Hartmann pores over decades of material surrounding the crime and the subsequent trial. What emerges may not answer the many questions that still surround the case, but it does offer another perspective — that of the brothers themselves, provided in all-new audio interviews.

You can watch a trailer for the documentary above, and read on for more information about The Menendez Brothers.

In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal...

True crime has an obligation to justify itself. With “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” Netflix not only fails to meet that requirement, but misses the mark so spectacularly that it ranks among Ryan Murphy’s most tasteless projects. That’s saying something against Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan’s “Dahmer,” another installment in the “Monster” anthology littered with tone-deaf creative decisions.

Controversy is a troubling if time-honored tradition for Murphy, one that dates back to the school shooting arc in his Fox teen musical “Glee.” Speaking on stage at the show’s New York premiere, Murphy and Brennan said the well-known 1989 case was worth reexamination.

“This season is about abuse,” Murphy said. “Who is believed, who’s not believed.”

Brennan added, “We finally have a vernacular to think about and discuss sex abuse and mental health that did not exist at the time.”

It’s true that our...

Erik and Lyle Menendez are getting their own non-“Monsters” platform on Netflix.

Continuing a recent trend for true-crime series, Netflix will soon debut a documentary on the Menendez brothers to accompany their fictionalized Ryan Murphy series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which was released last week. The documentary, titled “The Menendez Brothers” and directed by Alejandro Hartmann, will be released on October 7.

Hartmann’s doc aims to offer “another perspective” on the infamous case. We got the trailer today — watch it below.

This one-two combination of a scripted series and then a documentary mirrors the strategy Peacock has employed with its “Dr. Death” seasons. NBCUniversal’s Peacock also recently released a series of Scott Peterson interviews from prison, which followed Netflix’s “American Murder: Laci Peterson.”

The first season of “Monsters,” centered on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, was a massive viewership success for Netflix. It is currently...

Erik and Lyle Menéndez phone in from Donovan Correctional Facility in the official trailer for Netflix’s The Menéndez Brothers. Streaming Oct. 7, the documentary features new interviews with the brothers as they reflect on the murder of their parents nearly three decades ago and the sensationalized trial that followed.

“Everyone asks why we killed our parents,” Erik says in the trailer. “Maybe now people can understand the truth.” The documentary from director Alejandro Hartmann puts first-hand accounts from the Menéndez brothers in conversation with commentary from prosecutor Pamela Bozanich, their cousin Diane Vander Molen,...

30 years after being convicted for the murder of their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez are speaking out in a new Netflix documentary.

“The Menendez Brothers,” which will premiere Oct. 7, will offer new insight and a fresh perspective on one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century, featuring extensive audio interviews with the pair, as well as lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it, jurors, family and other informed observers.

“What happened that night is very well known but so much hasn’t been told,” Erik says in a trailer released on Monday. “We looked like the perfect family. But behind the walls, something very wrong was happening.”

The project, which comes from Campfire Studios, is directed by Alejandro Hartmann and executive produced by Ross Girard and Mark McCune. Diane Sloane, Gina Scarlata, Cecilia Salguero, Will Mavronicolas and Jp Quicquaro serve as co-executive producers, while...

The Menendez brothers are now getting the documentary treatment on Netflix, with the news coming as their story is currently streaming in scripted form on the streamer.

On Monday, Netflix announced a new documentary titled The Menendez Brothers will hit the streamer on Oct. 7. The project, directed by Argentinian director Alejandro Hartmann (Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?, The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar) will “offer new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know,” per Netflix.

Here is the description: “In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation. Through extensive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik, lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it,...

Erik and Lyle Menendez speak out for the first time in decades in the official trailer for “The Menendez Brothers,” a new documentary feature streaming on Netflix in October. The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty, in 1996 in a trial that captivated the nation and which is currently the subject of Netflix’s narrative series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

“Everyone asks why we killed our parents,” Lyle says in an audio interview from prison. “Maybe now people can understand the truth.”

“What happened that night is very well known but so much hasn’t been told,” adds Erik. “We were not the ones who told the story about our lives. Two kids don’t commit this crime for money.”

The official synopsis for “The Menendez Brothers” documentary from Netflix reads: “In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents...

Fall is officially here, and we’re all about embracing those cozy vibes! Imagine yourself wrapped up in your favorite blanket, a steaming cup of tea or cocoa in hand, and the flicker of your TV screen as you dive into an engrossing documentary binge. There’s really no better way to spend those crisp fall evenings, right?

Well, Netflix is making sure your autumn viewing lineup is stacked with fresh documentaries to keep you entertained. Whether you're a true crime junkie or a fan of celebrity insights, Netflix has something for everyone this season. Get ready for the chilling and infamous story of The Menendez Brothers, a case that has intrigued the nation for decades. Or, if you’re looking for something a bit more inspirational, Martha Stewart herself is ready to invite you into her world with an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at her life and career.

And that’s just the beginning!

Exclusive: Former NBCUniversal executive John Pollak and actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama have launched Allied Management Group, which focuses on partnering with, collaborating, and representing new and existing Latino voices across traditional and digital media. Pollak and Valderrama are co-founders and co-owners of L.A.-based Amg.

After two decades in the entertainment business as both a global distribution head and producer, Pollak will oversee day-to-day operations.

Clients include Dhana Media, the company led by producers Mari Urdaneta and Liliana Moyano who are behind Amazon’s scripted series Maradona: Blessed Dream and Univision’s The Jenni Rivera Story, Tuti Loor, showrunner of CNN’s Searching for Mexico with Eva Longoria, and L Word writer Maria Renee Prudencio.

Valderrama is the latest actor to make the move into management; last year, Kenan Thompson launched Artists for Artists and formed a joint venture with McKeon/Myones Entertainment.

“Latino talent has traditionally...

Photo: ‘The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar’ ‘The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar’, also known as ‘El fotógrafo y el cartero: el crimen de Cabezas’, is a new true crime documentary on Netflix. The film is directed by Argentinian director, Alejandro Hartmann who has directed other Netflix true-crime series such as, ‘Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?’ The documentary essentially examines the death of a photojournalist, José Luis Cabezas. His death was a mystery but the case was a groundbreaking moment in Argentinian history as the event unveiled the truth within the works of the government and politicians. Related Video: Full Commentary on 'Top Gun: Maverick': Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller Related video: 'Top Gun: Maverick' Full Premiere Reactions: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller Related video: Evolution: Every Tom Cruise Role From 1981 to 2021, All Performances Exceptionally Poignant A Brief Overview of the Case...

Diego Maradona, hailed as one the best soccer players ever, will be the subject of a new docuseries from Sofia Vergara’s Latin World Entertainment and Dhana Media.

Maradona, who died of a heart attack in November, has been the subject of numerous docs and scripted projects — though this series touts an exclusive archive, and testimony from the celebrated and controversial athlete’s family.

“One thing is what the press and people say, and quite another is what we lived up close. We always stayed on the sidelines of what was said. In his life, my brother had to defend himself from infinite, unfounded slander. But now that he’s not here, it is our duty to clear up falsehoods and leave his memory in peace,” said Elsa “Lili” Maradona, Diego’s sister.

Alejandro Hartmann (Netflix’s “Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?”) will direct using access to delicate information related to Maradona’s family matters,...

Produced and showrun by Vanessa Ragone, an Oscar-winner for “The Secret of Her Eyes,” the Argentinian true crime miniseries dives deep into the still ongoing case of the murder of María Marta García Belsunce. “Carmel, Who Killed Maria Marta?” was released on Netflix reigniting the public’s attention and curiosity.

What was deemed an accident quickly transformed into a five-gunshot murder which has piqued the fascination of the country over the last two decades. An Agatha Christies-style murder mystery enclosed into the safe and sterilized environment of the Carmel country club.

Directed by Alejandro Hartmann, the miniseries tackles the titanic task of organizing the hundreds of hours of archive material alongside lengthy interviews with the key characters to give the audience a birds-eye view of the event. The more detailed and meticulous the series gets, the more intricate and perplexing the case becomes, leaving the viewers with just enough to make up their own minds.