Description
Erik Larson’s bestselling book The Devil in the White City introduced America to one of the most horrific but little-known episodes in our nation’s criminal history. When the shocking exploits of the mysterious Dr. H. H. Holmes became known, U.S. tabloids dubbed him the American Jack the Ripper. H.H. HOLMES: AMERICA’S FIRST SERIAL KILLER is the first film to tell the entire true story of this grisly episode. H.H. HOLMES: AMERICA’S FIRST SERIAL KILLER focuses on Holmes’ entire life of crime and villainy, from childhood to his death sentence and ultimate execution. Original photographs and newspaper reports of the period create a chilling authenticity, while actor Tony Jay (Time Bandits, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) provides spooky, insightful narration to enliven the proceedings.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 25 reviews)

great read but better dvd.

if you view the dvd then you should first read "depraved" by harold schechter. it gives more detail and will make the dvd more intense and alot
more interesting for those who are interested in true crime.
September 25, 2008

Devil in the White City - H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer

I read the book The Devil in the White City and loved the book so much I was looking for more. This is a great documentary.
August 31, 2008

Chicago's Very Own

I first became interested in the life of serial killer H.H. Holmes ten years ago when I read "Depraved" by Harold Schechter. He was an incredibly complex man who perfected the art of manipulation and deception and his lust for blood far surpassed that of his English rival Jack The Ripper. This documentary by John Borowski is a must have for those who are fascinated by and would like to learn more about the now infamous "Torture Doctor". I also highly recommend this movie for fans of "Devil In The White City" as it provides invaluable insight into the man who had just as much drive and ambition to destroy as the architects of Chicago's World's Fair had to create.

This film examines the life of Holmes from the start of his life as an abused and tormented child straight through his college years where he pursued his interest in anatomy to his life as a ruthless killer. John Borowski pays fine attention to every detail to make this film seem as real as possible and to help expose the madness that was Holmes' world. His passion for film making as well as the film's subject is apparent from the opening sequence. The narration by the late, great Tony Jay is haunting and the interviews with the before mention Harold Schechter and other experts in the fields of criminology and forensics are compelling and well produced.

All in all, this is a wonderful documentary about a murderous mastermind who held America in a state of shock and fear in the late 1800's. The story of Holmes' life is well presented, the direction is superb, and this film makes a great addition to a serial killer "fan's" collection (as well as a great stocking stuffer for the kiddies come December!)

An awesome piece of independent film making.
July 16, 2008

Didn't communicate the sense of horror it should have

When I first came to this page to write a review for this documentary, I thought I was in the wrong place. It had a four-star rating overall, and many five-star ratings. Yet when my roommate and I watched it the other night, we could barely contain our laughter at how corny the information in the documentary was presented.

The documentary didn't have much of a budget, but low-budget films need not appear cheap. This did. It re-used and overused the same photographs of Holmes, Chicago, his "castle of horror", to the point where I was wondering why it wasn't simply a radio show. I kept wondering to myself: What was the director trying to show me? They filmed a few dramatizations, and they couldn't have appeared hokier if they had tried. A woman holding a candle in a nightgown, walking around the only hallway they used to depict the inside of the "castle of horror", looking disoriented. It was just weird. I certainly didn't get a sense of the horror and terror I think I should have felt.

One of the three experts used in the film ended half of his clauses and 3/4 of his sentences with question marks, and that should have been dealt with. It's extremely annoying to listen to someone talk who makes statements sound like questions, and it should never happen in a documentary. It wouldn't have cost an extra dime for Borowski to have given the expert a few tips.

To be fair, this documentary did put a face on Holmes and his victims. Holmes wasn't a pleasant fellow. He did some pretty gruesome things. Or maybe he didn't.

After being led through gruesome tales (and re-led and re-led), evidence of a torture dungeon in the large "castle" Holmes built in Englewood to further his career as a sociopathic killing machine, we're left with a final thought: that Holmes, who at first admitted to several murders, recanted before he died, claiming to have killed only two people. And we'll never know the truth, because it happened too long ago, and just before better technology (like fingerprinting) was used to solve crimes.

One problem I had with the DVD is that it contained neither captions nor subtitles, and I continue to be amazed at the amount of media produced with little or no thought given to the needs of the hearing impaired. This is my own personal crusade, as I'm hearing impaired, and find captions or subtitles helpful. Without them, I need to use these: TV Ears. They work extremely well, so I understood everything that was said, but like most hearing impaired people, would rather leave my hearing aid in so that the rest of the world doesn't disappear when I take it out to use the TV Ears. (This problem has nothing to do with how I rated the documentary.)

If you've nothing better to do for an hour, this isn't objectionable, but it's not entertaining, and is too often annoying.
February 05, 2008

HH Holmes

I enjoyed this Video, but I thought it skimmed over alot of points and events. The Beast of Chicago is a better version of this story.
September 24, 2007

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The Chicago World's Fair of 1893: A Photographic Record (Dover Architectural Series)
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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
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Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago (Pocket Star Books True Crime)
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