Michael J. Nagle
This week, HBO premiered a new installment in their documentary series, “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark”. The docu-series is based on the work of writer, Michelle McNamara who tragically died while researching serial murder and rapist, Joseph James DeAngelo. DeAngelo was better known as the Golden State Killer until his identity was discovered and he was subsequently arrested in April 2018. That came a full two years after McNamara died of an accidental overdose.
HBO debuted, “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” in June 2020. The series included footage and references to DeAngelo’s arrest but the story wasn’t as neatly tied up as it is in this “bonus” episode.
Footage of the now aged DeAngelo shows an old man shuffling while walking from the police van into the courthouse to listen to victim statements. His look of bewilderment seems apparent as his mouth hangs open in the middle of his unshaven face. His voice when addressing the court is barely a high-pitched mumble. That footage is followed by security camera footage of DeAngelo’s jail cell. There he meticulously stages his new living quarters by cleaning the floor and climbing on furniture in order to drape cloth over his lights. His chatter while talking to himself is far stronger than his speech in the courtroom. The director intercuts this footage with crime scene video from DeAngelo’s killing spree where cloth is similarly draped over a lamp apparently to mute the lighting decades earlier as well. The editing and juxtaposition is so subtle that is screams loudly to anyone watching who is paying attention. Calling DeAngelo a sociopath almost excuses his rage-induced rape and killing spree. Here it is apparent that he is a calculated and methodical serial killer and manipulator.
Much of “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” is guided by the narration of actress, Amy Ryan. Some footage contains actual audio and video of McNamara. While the docu-series centers around a serial rapist and killer, it also focuses on the impact of the case on the victims still here to tell their stories and also those who lost their lives at the hands of DeAngelo. McNamara herself may be considered among the victims. Her accidental overdose came while she was researching the case for the book on which the docu-series is based. Ryan does an outstanding job speaking for McNamara. Her work here ranges from depicting McNamara’s exhaustion, mania, dry sense of humor and compassion for those affected by the case. McNamara’s widow, comedian Patton Oswalt, helped to complete the book and docu-series but largely remains in the background. Like many of DeAngelo’s surviving victims, Oswalt is a witness to the damage caused. Victims of DeAngelo detail not only the crimes that impacted them but also their struggles and triumphs during their ongoing healing process. No details are spared and nothing is glossed over.
“I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” manages to tell a very complicated story in remarkable detail without getting longwinded. Crime scene footage and photos are shown in abundance and somehow, avoid feeling exploitative. They’re vital ingredients to the stories of those involved. They’re also vital to shedding light on the brutality of DeAngelo. His calculated staging of scenes and efforts to gain control of his victims, neighbors and sentencing endured until the credits roll at the end of this docu-series. One victim crinkles up a sheet of paper while addressing DeAngelo and the court and demonstrates that despite her efforts to smooth that sheet of paper, it is never the same as it was before it was damaged. Her serenity and restraint betray the lifetime of suffering she’s endured since she was assaulted.
Director Elizabeth Wolff does a masterful job at concluding this installment coherently and without sparing details. Liz Garbus deserves equal acknowledgment for directing the six episodes preceding this update.
True crime series are all the rage now and they draw eyeballs in every form of media. HBO manages to rewrite the book in “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” that McNamara herself should have had a bigger hand in completing. Almost 40 years after his last known crime, DeAngelo is no less the rapist and murderer he was after he assaulted his very first victim. His age is merely another disguise he’s using to avoid identification and responsibility. Equally, his victims are as affected today as they were after he scarred them.
Watch “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” on HBO or on HBOMax.
by Emily Nagle
On Monday morning, Steven Spielberg‘s production company Amblin Partners partnered with Netflix to produce several films each year.
Confirmed in a press release on Netflix’s website, the new multiyear deal will result in several feature films produced by Amblin each year, expanding the streaming service’s already broad movie catalogue – prior to the agreement, Netflix was already expected to release 60 films in 2021.
In a statement, Steven Spielberg, chairman of Amblin, recalled: “From the minute Ted and I started discussing a partnership, it was abundantly clear that we had an amazing opportunity to tell new stories together and reach audiences in new ways.”
Unlike their competitors in the streaming wars like Disney and WarnerMedia, Netflix has mostly steered away from acquiring other companies, instead focusing on attracting individual talent to their content. Given Spielberg’s extensive filmography that includes blockbusters “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial“, “Raiders of the Lost Ark“, and “Jurassic Park“, and that Netflix has expressed interest in bringing their films to the big screen, this new partnership has potential to attract even more big names to future projects.
by Emily Nagle
The latest installment in the family-friendly monster movie franchise “Hotel Transylvania”, “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” has had its release date appropriately shifted from July 23 to October 1.
The delay will allow the movie to kick off spooky season, premiering only a few weeks before Halloween. In what has been confirmed to be the final “Hotel Transylvania” film, Drac (Brian Hull) and the other monsters return in an all-new adventure when Van Helsing’s (Jim Gaffigan) latest invention changes all of them into humans, and Mavis’ (Selena Gomez) human husband Johnny (Andy Samberg) gets turned into a monster. Now, they have to work together to reverse the transformation before they get stuck in their forms.
“Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” will serve as a sequel to the third film in the series, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” (2018). While the 2018 film was the most financially successful out of the entire series, it was also the worst received by critics, who found the storytelling to not be as strong as the earlier films.
by Emily Nagle
The show about nothing is leaving Hulu this month. One of the most-watched sitcoms of all time, “Seinfeld” will be migrating to Netflix as a result of a deal made in September 2019.
What’s so special about this deal? With this agreement, Netflix has global streaming rights to the show, and for the first time ever, all 180 episodes of the 90s sitcom will be available to stream in 4K.
“Seinfeld is the television comedy that all television comedy is measured against,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer announced, welcoming the show to their platform. “It is as fresh and funny as ever and will be available to the world in 4K for the first time. We can’t wait to welcome Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer to their new global home on Netflix!”
Prior to this, Hulu had purchased the streaming rights to “Seinfeld” in April 2015, with the show arriving on their platform two months later. After choosing not to renew the licensing agreement after its expiration this month, Hulu passed the torch to Netflix, sharing the news in an emotional tweet.
If Hulu customers want to watch (or re-watch) the series, they have until June 23. After that, it’s not quite known when “Seinfeld” will premiere on Netflix, so the show could possibly be unavailable on streaming everywhere, at least for a little while.
by Emily Nagle
Fox Entertainment has become one of the latest companies to hop onboard the NFT bandwagon.
Along with their animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, which is best known for producing “Bob’s Burgers”, Fox designated $100 million toward creating Blockchain Creative Labs, a company that will work closely with content creators to sell digital assets, including NFTs. Scott Greenberg, the co-founder and CEO of Bento Box Entertainment, will serve as the CEO of Blockchain.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique pieces of digital content. Anything digital can be an NFT, including music, videos, or art. They have been rising in popularity recently, with some NFTs selling for thousands (including a Logan Paul Pokémon card that went for $17,000).
In a statement, Charlie Collier, CEO of Fox Entertainment announced of the new company, “The emergence of blockchain technology has given birth to a new marketplace that is a natural extension of Bento Box’s talents — one that allows the team to support, elevate and reward innovators and artists in new and creatively exciting ways. Our new company, Blockchain Creative Labs, also under Scott and Bento Box, will help shape and grow the fast-evolving world of creatively-led digital goods and tokens.”
The Los Angeles-based company already has their first client: Dan Harmon. The mind behind “Community” and “Rick and Morty” recently announced his newest animated series, “Krapopolis”. Set in ancient Greece, it will follow a crew of humans, gods, and monsters as they attempt to “run one of the world’s first cities without killing each other.”
Although the premiere date for “Krapopolis” isn’t until next year, Blockchain is already planning out the unique digital marketplace for the series that will be chock-full of unique digital assets available for purchase by fans, including animated GIFs, art, and short videos. This strategy is bound to keep fans engaged, in addition to attracting new viewers to the show.
Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” sits at No. 1 for the third weekend in a row after raking in 11.6 M, for a running total gross of $108.9M
Warner Bros.’ “In the Heights” came in 2nd with $11.4M, after raking in $2.9M on sunday. With a lineup of stellar movies lined up to hit theaters this summer, it will be hard for Warners to hold screens on “In the Heights” after this weekend’s weak performance. “Those Who Wish Me Dead” made $2.8M this weekend. Originally playing in 3,188 theaters, the film lost 1,574 theaters in its third weekend of play and another 1,057 theaters this week.
- A Quiet Place Part II – $11,650,000 ($108,990,215 total gross)
- In the Heights – $11,405,000 (Premiere)
- Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – $10,400,000 (Permiere)
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – $10,020,000 ($43,800,000 total gross)
- Cruella – $6,740,054 ($56,000,000 total gross)
Also new to theaters this weekend, the live-action/animated adventure “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” premiered at third place raking $10.4 million from 3,346 venues. “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do it,” fell to No. 4 with $10 million in its second week from 3,237 venues. That brings its gross domestic total to $43.7 million.
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