H. H. Holmes: Original Evil

I've watched many documentaries on true crime but this documentary was an attempt by a high schoolers videography assignment on Macbeth. It will only take you 2 minutes to realize that since they juxtaposed the description of a murder hotel to the tune of whimsical music. Just aweful.

To call this amateur filmmaking would grossly insult the world's amateur filmmakers. Writer-Director Phillip Gardner's script is convoluted, unattributed and completely incoherent in spots. Misspellings riddle the subtitles. This 70-minute monstrosity is packed with B-roll that has nothing to do with the storyline; public domain silent footage of vaudeville comedy performers, for instance, supposedly posing as the story's principals. Video allegedly representing actual locations is faked - a long cable car sequence in San Francisco which has no relevance to the H. H. Holmes saga whatsoever, just to mention one. This is smoke, mirrors and a bloody melange of tacky reenactment half-dissolves posing as a documentary with poorly-recorded narration. If Holmes was a con artist who exaggerated his murderous exploits, this laughable excuse for insight goes him one better.

I am familiar with HH Holmes story and even I had a hard time following the story in this documentary. Horrible narration and completely unrelated stock video made it hard to follow. Amateur doesn't even begin to describe it.

You can basically follow the entire "documentary" while reading from Wikipedia. Seriously, it almost goes along with it word for word. Total cop out. Obviously no new information. Save some time, just read the website.

Found this atrocity on Hulu. It really allows you to empathize with the victims of H.H. Holmes, as you feel you are being mentally tortured while watching it.