I have the Oscar-nominated documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and want to watch it before it comes time to settle in to watch West of Memphis, the Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh-produced documentary that also explores investigation surrounding the “West Memphis Three” which Sony Classics will be releasing on December 25 and today released the first official domestic trailer.
The film has been screening at festivals and receiving great buzz as it looks at the new investigation surrounding the “West Memphis Three,” which ultimately broke the case open and led to the freedom of three innocent men: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr.
Here’s the official synopsis:
A new documentary written and directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil) and produced by first-time filmmakers Damien Echols and Lorri Davis, in collaboration with the multiple Academy Award winning team of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, West of Memphis tells the untold story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light: a fight to stop the State of Arkansas from killing an innocent man. Starting with a searing examination of the police investigation into the 1993 murders of three eight-year-old boys in the small town of West Memphis, Arkansas, the film goes on to uncover new evidence surrounding the arrest and conviction of the other three victims of this shocking crime–Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley. All three were teenagers when they became the target of the police investigation; all three went on to lose 18 years of their lives–imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
The Huffington Post has more details regarding the case and its link to the documentary saying:
The new affidavits, which are featured in the documentary film, contain previously unheard evidence from three eyewitnesses about the final hours of the victims’ lives. The evidence allegedly places Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Steven Branch, with the children immediately before they disappeared. The evidence also includes a sworn statement that Hobbs’ nephew, Michael Hobbs Jr., allegedly made, saying his uncle was responsible for the murders of the three children.
Check out the trailer below followed by a clip from the film.
