West Memphis Three Released

So I just read that the "West Memphis Three" have been released.  If you're not familiar with the story, in 1993 three boys were gruesomely murdered and left in a drainage ditch.  When no better suspects could be found, suspicions fell on three teenage boys, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley who were subsequently convicted of the murders despite shaky evidence and alleged jury tampering.  For more information on the crime and trials see the recent article on their release, the WM3 wikipedia entry or check out the movie Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.

I first heard of the story through the 1996 movie which does a great job of capturing all sides of the story including the fear, outrage and prejudice felt in the small town and the mounting realization that the suspects were being steamrolled.  Paradise Lost was followed by a sequel Paradise Lost 2: Revelations which I have not seen but will soon.

Spurring the release of the WM3 were their mutual guilty pleas to the three murders.  It seems odd that a guilty plea to first degree murder would lead to freedom.  You might think that this would lead to closure for all of the involved parties as well... except the pleas, of the little known "Alford plea" variety, allow the WM3 to maintain their innocence but admit that their was sufficient evidence to convict.  Which is where I get confused; weren't they already convicted of the crimes back in 1993?  The only explanation I have is that the prosecutors perhaps saw a chance to stop fighting the appeals, ease their collective mind of a potential miscarriage of justice, log a conviction and save face by not admitting any wrong-doing.  The WM3 and the victims' families meanwhile are respectively no closer to exonerating themselves or feeling safer that the true perpetrator(s) has been identified and taken off the streets.

My Hip-Hop Movie Mini-Marathon

With Netflix I like to do film-marathons where I watch a handful of movies on a general topic. The last week or two, I watched a few movies about early hip-hop culture. The Freshest Kids is a 2001 documentary about the early days of b-boyin, rap and graffiti art. The story is told through interviews with hip-hop originators and super old film footage from dance battles, playgrounds and clubs.



Wild Style, the only fictional film here, follows real-life graffiti legend, Lee Quinones as Zoro as he tries to validate his art and win the girl. Don't watch this one for its film-making virtues but it is fun trying to name faces and place the sampled dialogues in the songs you've undoubtedly heard before.



I wrapped up the trilogy with Style Wars a PBS documentary from 1982. Style Wars focuses on the graffiti art culture of the time.

Unlike the other two movies though, Style Wars does not glamorize the culture. Interviews with NYC Mayor Hoch, other transit officials and concerned citizens give a fair (if not humorous) view to the other side of the argument. Still the film makers remain sympathetic to the artists.

Negatives from the work of Henry Chalfant, Style Wars co-director

1970's NYC

Mr. Wave, obv!

Way before its time. Can't believe I'd never heard this.

New School. Wait for the kid in orange. You'll never be the same.