Back in 2004 I reviewed a film called “H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer”, and up until now I’ve thought that was the most disturbing movie about a serial killer I had ever seen. I was wrong. Leave it to the keen cinematic eye of filmmaker John Borowski to follow his earlier project up with a lurid new look into the mind of a maniac. His new film brings to life the sick, twisted and sadistic acts of 1930’s child murderer Albert Fish.
I’ve always been fascinated by serial killers. Not in the ‘I wanna be like them’ kind of way, but more the ‘how the heck can any human being do that to another human being’ kind of way. I still don’t understand… and maybe its better I don’t… how anyone can be so cruel and monstrous. And on the case of Albert Fish, and others like him, how they can be so horrible to a child. Watching “Albert Fish”, I could not help but think of my own little girl. She’s only three and I cannot imagine placing her in such a horrific situation.
For those of you who have never heard of Fish, he was arrested back in 1934 for the kidnapping, murder and cannibalism of 10 year old Grace Budd. He was already in his sixties, and the stories that came out of that trial painted a picture of evil that is almost unbelievable to any civilized person. The fact that he had also killed others came to light, though no one knows exactly just how many. Yet throughout his life he came across as a rather innocuous person. Someone you would tip your hat to going down the street and never give him a second thought.
But some of you, regardless of your level of interest in someone like Albert Fish, may be turned off by the fact that it is a documentary. But what sets Borowski’s documentaries apart from, say, something you’d see on the History Channel or Court TV is that the style of the film and attention to detail in the dramatizations are so shocking as to command your attention. We’re not talking some flat video sequences of mannequin looking actors dressed up, but real honest and compelling performances. Even the narration, by Tony Jay (who sadly passed away a few months ago) is delivered as if he is truly interested in sharing the subject with you and not simply reading off of a script.
Fish is portrayed by actor Oto Brezina, whom I’ve never seen before though his resume is quite extensive, and he gives quite the chilling performance. I think the fact that he is a relative unknown helps the credibility of seeing him as Fish. Through his body language and expressions, there is little doubt that a sociopathic individual lurks beneath what appears to be an innocent appearance.
Borowski includes interviews with experts in the film, though some of them seem a little less credible than the actor. Most notably is artist Joe Coleman, an Albert Fish aficionado who managed to get his hands on the original letter that led to his arrest. He comes across as being rather… disturbed… himself going as far as to compare his psyche to Fish’s. But instead of killing, he paints….. riiiiiigghhtt…. Still, Coleman’s appearance in “Albert Fish” is only one of two nitpicks I can find in the film. The other is some of the unusual imagery Borowski uses to give us the ‘impression’ of Fish’s religious delusions. From a filmmaking standpoint, I can see what he was going for, it just didn’t work for me the way I believe he intended.
Beyond that, “Albert Fish” just as powerful and disturbing of a story as “H.H. Holmes” did, and in many ways even more so. The emotions that are elicited run from watching it run the gamut from fascination to revulsion. Personally, watching the movie makes me even more adamant about the use and necessity of the death penalty. Fish was executed for his crimes, but I am reminded how many of todays killers sail through with little more than a slap on the wrist. I’m reminded of the hideous things that are done to children, and where I used to just shake my head in disbelief, it now brings tears to my eyes. When I read about a person like Andrea Yates drowning her 5 children or Dena Schlosser cutting off the arms of her infant daughter, and I understand that these modern monsters should suffer the same fate. Throw out the term Innocent by Reason of Insanity and replace it with Guilty by Reason of Insanity and put these animals down.
Getting back to the subject at hand, what really impresses me about the DVD for “Albert Fish” is that, for an independent release, it has an incredible amount of extra features. Borowoski really went all out and added tons of deleted scenes, extended interviews and a still gallery. You’ll also find a featurette on the history of the electric chair, a much closer look at Joe Coleman’s disturbing portrait of Albert Fish (where you can zoom in to look at the detail) and several of Fish’s letters ready by Harvey Fisher. There’s even a performance by the group Macabre of their song about Fish. This is probably THE definitive look at the life and crimes of Albert Fish.
The part of me that holds a fascination for serial killers really looks forward to any future projects John Borowski has on his docket, yet I would also like to see what kind of film he might make off of the subject. His filmmaking talent is unquestionable and leaves little doubt he has a passion for what he does, so it begs the question, “If not serial killers… what else?”
Directed by: John Borowski
Narrated by: Tony Jay
Starring: Oto Brezina, Derek Gaspar, Nathan Hall, Cooney Horvath
Extras:
INTERVIEWS – Insight into the serial killer culture behind Albert Fish.
Nico Claux – The Vampire of Paris, Cannibal
Macabre – Death Metal Band
John Borowski – Includes behind-the-scenes production footage and more!
OUTTAKES – Due to story flow, some scenes were cut from the final film.
Fritz Haarmann – The Vampire of Hanover
Walter Winchell’s Gossip Column
Roses
Tony Jay reads as Fish
Coleman Interview Outtakes
Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D. Interview Outtakes
THE HISTORY OF THE ELECTRIC CHAIR – Presented by Theodore Bernstein, Ph.D.
TRAILERS – View four Albert Fish trailers.
FISH’S LETTERS ON GRACE BUDD AND BILLY GAFFNEY – Complete letters read by voice-over talent Harvey Fisher.
JOE COLEMAN’S PORTRAIT OF ALBERT FISH – Zoom in on areas of the painting for detail.
MACABRE LIVE PERFORMANCE – Albert Was Worse Than Any Fish In The Sea.
STILL GALLERY – Includes production stills and poster designs.
Specifications: Full Screen
Release Date: 3/27/2007
Region: All Region
MPAA Rating: NR
Website