James Ellroy's Feast of Death (2001) User Reviews

Classic Ellroy....

[MarieGabrielle · 8/10 · 4 February 2011]

You could watch this on HBO for a time, and also read the accompanying book he wrote. "Feast of Death" is a documentary/true crime and investigation into what happened to Ellroy's mother, Jean Ellroy, who was murdered around the same time as the occurrence of the infamous Black Dahlia murder.

Having seen some of his work, I was interested in the true story of his mother Helen, a nurse in the 1940's who was also a party girl, found dead in a rather sad situation. It almost gives anyone a loss for words to describe, anyone that is, except Ellroy. He turned the nightmare into his writing career. He was 10 years old at the time of his mothers murder.

In this film he has a dinner with assorted L.A. detectives, a few actors (including Nick Nolte). They discuss the murder cases from the Black Dahlia era, what the Los Angeles area was like, attracting transients, dreamers, alcoholics, addicts and all....an interesting montage created by people who lived in the area.

Ellroy currently hosts "City of Demons: Los Angeles". A true crime hour show on channel ID (Investifgation Discovery). He reviews infamous homicides, the Lana Turner scandal, Marilyn Monroe's death, the Hillside Stranglers. He certainly has a niche here. He is a sardonic character without doubt, and clearly enjoys his place as L.A. crime commentator. He also talks to his alter ego, a American bull terrier named Barko. Well worth watching.

Darkness of Murder Revealed in Ellroy's Feast of Death

[clydus · 7/10 · 26 July 2005]

I've been drawn to this movie in a morbid sort of way. It is disturbing on many levels. Straight out we know that James Ellroy's mother was brutally strangled and the murder will be revisited and this has fashioned him as an authored. He is by the way the author of L.A. Confidential, which was made into a movie. The movie goes deeper than simply examining his mother's murder. It also examines the famous Black Dahlia murder involving Mary Short, which also played a role in Ellroy's becoming a murder mystery writer. Not wanting to be a spoiler here, the movie is more graphic than many horror films in the murders examined and Ellroy's prose is tossed in from time to time, describing why humans kill, makes for a chilling, yet informative kind of viewing. This film is not for squeamish folks. I would not let my children watch it. Some of the stuff was that disturbing. But, like I said, for some reason, like a moth to a flame, I've been drawn to this film over and over again.

The Strange Genius of James Ellroy

[BrandoniusMaximus · 7/10 · 4 November 2003]

This documentary gave a very interesting look at a novelist obsessed with murder, namely unsolved murder. From his own mother's mysterious death to the Famous murder mystery of the Black Dhalia, this film explores different theories on these deaths and others, while giving the viewer an inside look at James Ellroy as a man and a writer. Overall, it was informative and I would recommend it for fans of his novels and adapted films such as L.A. Confidential.

For Ellroy fans only

[fordraff · 25 June 2005]

This 95-minute film shows Ellroy having dinner with a number of men who work for the LAPD homicide squad and with whom he is discussing the Blue Dahlia murder. The film cuts away from the dinner to go elsewhere. For instance, there's a tour of the section of L.A. where the teenaged Ellroy broke into various homes. He'd related this in "My Dark Places," which is pretty much what this film is a version of. Of course, we get the story of his mother's death, which was central to "My Dark Places." There is no doubt that his mother's death was the defining event of his life.

In one segment, we see Ellroy giving a reading at an L.A. bookshop. This was a dismaying sequence because it revealed Ellroy to be a vulgar fellow, someone, apparently, who has lived far too long with his characters and the way they talk and perhaps the way they think. He began his reading session by saying, "Welcome all you perverts, pedophiles, panty sniffers" and continued with other words beginning with p. I could see the dismay on many of the faces in the room. Others warmed to this sort of "humor." He did a long riff on how he detests Clinton and hopes that he outlives Clinton so that he can make Clinton a character in a book and give him his due. Ellroy also detests the Kennedys and makes this clear.

The best part of the film is listening to one of the detectives--a rather attractive, gray-haired man perhaps in his mid-40s--elucidate his theory that an L.A. surgeon was the Blue Dahlia killer. The details the detective used to support his theory impressed me as sound. And Ellroy himself agrees with this detective's theory.

This movie is for Ellroy fans only, and some may be disappointed with the personality Ellroy reveals here. At one point, Nick Nolte enters the private dining room and sits down next to Ellroy. He looks like death warmed over and apologizes for his appearance by saying that he's just had some facial surgery. Nolte was very quiet and took it all in.

In the spotlight: a novelist's obsession.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 18 August 2011]

If you are expecting a documentary that takes you in and out of a grisly underworld of murder in America...false alarm. More or less this is a self instigated "pat-on-the-back" of American crime novelist James Elroy. Author of such top sellers like "L.A. Confidential", "The Black Dahlia", "Hollywood Nocturnes" and "The Cold Six Thousand", Elroy talks about the unsolved murder of his mother and how it has similarities to the infamous 1947 Black Dahlia murder case in Los Angeles. His language is full of expletives, almost to the point of overkill; as he sits in an L.A. restaurant with some of his friends from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and detectives from the LAPD. Featured are visits to former murder scenes; crime scene photos and drive by glimpses of Elroy's childhood homes. The group bandy about thoughts of the very nature of murder, its investigation and how it effects the victim's loved ones. But the conversation is mainly focused on the Black Dahlia murder. Featured among Elroy's friends: Larry Harnisch, Frank Merriman, Bill Stoner, Ray Peavy, Rick Jackson, and Eric Mosher. Actor Nick Nolte drops by; but his presence seems just social. Elroy has a large following and this documentary may just give a glimpse why. Be prepared for some very disturbing photos.

Excellent Film

[ricky-1750 · 10/10 · 15 May 2008]

First, for all the times other reviewers may have seen the film, they have a few errors in their comments. The Black Dahlia victim was Elizabeth Short - not Mary - and as to the scenes in which Mr. Elroy is discussing his work before an audience, I saw no discomfort from the audience as he made his "welcome pedophiles ... " intro. In fact, it is clear from the beginning of the film that Mr. Elroy is a realist, and the reality of life and death, can be a very vulgar sort of thing.

I found this film to be an amazing look at the author and at two murders which affected him profoundly (1) the murder of his mother with whom he had a difficult relationship as a child, and (2) the murder of Elizabeth Short.

For Ellroy, Elizabeth Short becomes something of a stand in for his mother. Growing up, Ellroy comes to think of both women as being "whores" who probably got what they deserved by saying "no" to the wrong john. However, over time, he has come to see that both cases were and are more complex than that, and that neither woman could be tagged with a label like that and left otherwise undiscovered.

Mr. Ellroy's language is admittedly crude, and I would not recommend this film for children. The graphic photographs of Elizabeth Short's badly mutilated body are enough for me to say this film is best left for those with a fair amount of emotional maturity.

In the end, it is a film about a man determined to understand who and what his mother really was, and the mother/son bond that existed so many years ago.

This film has levels in its levels. You could watch it 100 times and get something new out of it each time. I note that some other reviewers made much of Mr. Ellroy's dislike of Kennedy and Clinton, but the important part of that is the why ... because Mr. Ellroy sees both as misogynistic users of women. This is a man who really believes in having a deep lasting commitment to one woman, his wife who he clearly adores. She refers to him as a "feminist" because his female characters are not caricatures, they are full-blown and complex individuals.

That's what I got from this film ... it takes Elizabeth Short and the author's mother from caricatures and makes you want to explore until you find the real person underneath.

I've only read one of Mr. Ellroy's books ("The Black Dahlia"), but I will be buying and reading the rest of them now based on the power of this documentary.

Interesting, But Made Me Lose Respect for Ellroy

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 8 March 2012]

A documentary about James Ellroy and his fascination with unsolved murder cases, especially those of his mother, and the similar, infamous, Black Dahlia murder.

I did not James Ellroy outside of his writing before watching this, and now I think the man comes off as a jerk and very full of himself. I suppose he would have some right to be arrogant, as he is very successful and highly intelligent. But it did not make me want to meet him or give him one cent for his future works.

An exploration of the Black Dahlia murder in this film is mostly just some guys sitting around a table BSing. The same goes for Ellroy's mother (which is not that similar of a crime, really). For me, the highlight was the segment filmed in Wisconsin. I have been to Tomah, so it was not a foreign land being shown and the people certainly looked like Wisconsinites.

This movie floored me...

[xuyewklongxl2-143-750468 · 9/10 · 27 February 2013]

I really like the movie based on it being very true to the people involved! Very real! On that note, it is seriously f-ed up! I am interested in crime and crime history but this takes it to a new level! Crime seriously affected this guy and I really want to know what made his wife who she is! They are a perfect match but that scares me! This movie makes me wonder about EVERY person involved! The cops even more than the writer and his perfect match of a wife! The dinner table discussions make me blush and uncomfortable and I use the c and p words freely and without restraint. That being said, any movie that has this effect on me is intense! Be aware that it is VERY intense!

HARD TO LISTEN TO

[lolly67 · 3/10 · 11 June 2022]

I was ok for about 15 minutes, but after that I could not stand the way Ellroy spoke. If I had seen these before knowing or seeing anything else about him or by him EVER, I would have asked why they were letting him tell his own story. Maybe other people can listen to his narration, but I cannot. He talks the same way, every single time, every single sentence, and to me it is extremely off putting. Could not finish...sort of like the nails and the chalkboard thing.

This movie stinks of self-absorption

[melissa-harris · 5/10 · 16 April 2012]

Perhaps this movie details one man's search for the meaning of death, exploring both his mother's death, as well as few other close-to-home murders, but his likability goes down the drain within 20 minutes of listening to his ego-stroking. On many occasions, James Ellroy comes off sounding like a sex-offender as well as mentally unstable.

Dispute his 'profane' and 'politically incorrect' language, which i excuse as artistic expression, the man really does not have anything worth saying. I found myself scrounging for any kind of meaningful consequence i could tear from this film, but found none.

It is my belief that this movie would be wildly popular with the type of cult following the documentary shows at various book signings and public appearances. Never having read his literature, i cannot comment on the nature of his books (perhaps they are excellent!), but i may suggest that this film is not worth watching unless you hold the man in as much esteem as he seems to hold himself in.

Extremely boring and narcissistic commentary.

[troy-corbin · 2/10 · 13 June 2013]

I've seen very few movies/documentaries that have been this boring along with such big egos who think they know how killers think. It's like sitting drinking at a bar where people are plastered and speaking out of there rear like they know all there could be known.

At one point in the movie the person who lost his Mother by murder when he was 10 years old tries to speak for all surviving people of murdered loved ones; very narrow vision to categorize all people the same. Later in this commentary this person also states that other persons view points are misconceptions; but his views and writings are brilliant master pieces; talk about a huge ego.

I watched this hoping there would be something good at the end (not unlike a bad horror movie); but not to happen.

If you are someone who likes to listen to other peoples narrow opinions without acknowledging persons view points outside of their group; this may be the documentary for you.