Thursday Movie Picks-True Crime

We are inundated with true crime on a constant basis with tv shows centering on actual crimes and we lap it up. I have to admit, I do like watching "Forensic Files" and other shows because it involves the human psyche and what makes evil jerks tick. Sometimes, I must turn it off and enjoy something fun or beautiful because it becomes too much. Now, that being said, I do watch movies about true crime and I have chosen 3 that fit the bill. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to find out  what everyone else have chosen. Here are my 3...

1. THE BOSTON STRANGLER-1968

This is a true story based on the actual serial killer that terrorized Boston in the late 60’s. He preyed on elderly women and this film was about trying to capture the killer. The lawman wa played by Henry Fonda and the killer was portrayed by Tony Curtis who gave a stellar performance as a married plumber who killed. It’s done almost like a docudrama and to great effectiveness without showing gore.

2. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN- 2002

This is a more lighthearted film which is based on fact...for the most part. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a young Frank Abignale who has a penchant for fraud at quite the young age. Tom Hanks plays the FBI agent, sans humour, who is hot on his trail for years. You get to see the young Frank deal with the break up of his parents’ marriage and slowly edge into fraud by becoming an airline pilot, a doctor and lawyer. The real Frank even showed up on To Tell The Truth, an old Game Show I loved to watch. This is one film that is a fun watch even though it is about a criminal.

3. SPOTLIGHT-2015

I know, I went with all new movies except the first one which is still a modern one in film land. Anyway, this film is about how the Boston Globe investigated and blew the lid off the child sex abuse and cover-up the priests were doing behind closed church doors. I was taken with the subject since I went to a Catholic school which was hell and, in fact, one priest was having an affair with the mayor of the city, both were tied up, naked, by street hustlers they picked up and both charged with taking money from the bingo my high school had on a regular basis. Oh and my principal, a priest, is now in jail for keeping child porn. Just last night 2 teens were stabbed at my old High School! Oops...I digress, where was I?  Oh yes, This film, although a tough subject, truly sheds light on what was kept hidden for decades and it is powerfully acted. The ending credits left me speechless. It won the Oscar for Best Picture.

I almost went with a couple of classic films but I thought I would go new this time.

Which 3 would you choose.