Now on Blu-ray: THE KILLING OF AMERICA Exposes A Murderous Culture

I have a pretty strong stomach, but The Killing of America is one of the most gut-wrenching films I've ever seen. This documentary, a collaboration between director Sheldon Renan and producers Leonard Schrader and Yamamoto Mata is a disturbing look at America's past, present, and future and how history has shaped one of the most violent countries in the world.

The Killing of America was completed in 1981, long after the Mondo movie boom of the late '60s - early '70s had died out. It was released quietly to one New York cinema the next year and quickly recalled. It did, however, enjoy a full release in Japan, largely due to the insistence of producer Yamamoto Mata in a wildly different version to the one shown briefly in the US.

The film depicts all manner of real life situations, from suicide by cop to mass killings, to dissections of some of the most famous spree killers and serial murderers in our nation's long and bloody history. The footage is all real, and a lot of it is really tough to handle. However, it's an important document and time capsule for Americans to remember that all of the violence we see today unfolding around the world and on our own home turf is not a new phenomena, we've been at it for decades and we are showing no signs of stopping.

When the film was in production, director Sheldon Renan was mostly known for his clip shows, cinema experiences in which he would gather different tidbits from here and there to create a cohesive whole. With The Killing of America, the producers wanted to expose Americans to the kinds of events that would frequently get swept under the rug as well as highlighting some of the more headline grabbing entries.

Probably the most gripping entry in the film is that of Tony Kiritsis, a mild-mannered man who one day takes a bank loan officer hostage at the end of the barrel of his shotgun. The gun, which was affixed by a wire around the bank officers neck and attached at the other end to Kiritsis' trigger finger, was a horrifying way to punish the bank for refusing Kiritsis a loan. Kiritsis marched the money man through the streets for hours, eventually making his way back to his own home where he held court with a cadre of journalists for three days before setting the man free. And he did all with a surprising air of calmness.

Also included in the documentary are explorations of the crimes and exploits of serial killers like Ted Bundy and Edmund Kemper, as well as famous assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy complete with interviews. There is also interview footage with the Boston Strangler, Elmer Wayne Henley, and many, many more. Most of the footage is archival and not specific to this documentary, but there was an interview conducted with The Co-Ed Killer, Ed Kemper specifically for this doc and it is gripping.

On a personal note, a lot of the footage originates from California and that makes it a bit more personal to me. The town where I went to high school was also the home of the California Medical Facility (CMF), where many of those deemed too sick or depraved for a regular prison were sent. Among the famous CMF inmates who make appearances in this film are Kemper, Sirhan Sirhan, and Charles Manson, but there are plenty more. I spent my high school years knowing that across the street from my baseball field there was nothing but a few acres of grass and some barbed wire between me and madmen. Quite a thing to think about when you're facing down a fastball.

The Killing of America is the kind of film that fits today's world just as well as it fit the world of 36 years ago. While many seem to insist that there has been an increase of crazy mass violence over the last twenty years since the Columbine shootings, The Killing of America shows that the capacity for mass violence was always there. It's not easy to watch, but I do think it is important to watch.

The Disc

Severin Films brings The Killing of America to US home video for the first time in this exceptional Blu-ray release. Since the film is largely a compilation of news footage from over the years, the quality of the video is all over the place, but that's how it's supposed to be. It's really difficult to give a single grade for video presentation, but this disc seems to recreate everything very faithfully.

One of the most intriguing things about this release is the fact that Severin have not only included the US version of the film that hasn't been seen in years, but also the Japanese cut which includes twenty something minutes of extra footage. The differences in the versions are huge, and make for a fascinating comparison. First of all, there is an extra ten minute prologue on the Japanese version that talks up the greatness of the US, which seems to have been added to make sure that the Japanese producers weren't slagging on the US. Then there are numerous alternate takes, added "FBI training footage" that looks like a first person shooter video game, an extended exploration of the JFK assassination, and lots of other smaller changes. It's a completely different, and frequently factually dubious (if the subtitles from the Japanese narration is to be believed) experience.

Also included on the disc is an audio commentary with Renan who is infinitely reverential to his producers, frequently calling The Killing of America Leonard Schrader's film. There is also an on camera interview with Renan which is great to see, he is a great personality and his stories and anecdotes are fascinating. There is also an interview with editor Lee Percy about just how much of the film is his work, since the film is essentially one big clip show. And finally an interview with mondo movie expert Nick Pinkerton who places The Killing of America in its proper context as a film far and away above the dismal likes of Faces of Death, to which comparison is inevitable.

This is one of my favorite discs of 2016. The Killing of America is engrossing and savage, but never more than real life and that's what makes it so crucial. Highly recommended.