Blu-ray Review Three Identical Strangers - Bluray Review (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Sam Posten submitted a new blog post

Three Identical Strangers - Bluray Review

Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

 

[Sam Posten]

NYT article on the follow up to the story:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...cal-strangers-documentary-20180702-story.html

 

[Jake Lipson]

Thanks Sam! I loved this in the theater, where I was lucky enough to see it with a packed house, and you could feel how shocked and enraged the crowd was. I second your recommendation of the film.

However, I'm not sure I would play it more than once or twice, so it's not a priority for me to purchase right now.

 

[Sam Posten]

I can tell you that there are tonnnns of folks hoping this comes to Netflix! I don't buy many documentaries myself, but this is one I am happy to have in my library. I have already shown the Blu to my parents and they were as fascinated as I was!

 

[Jake Lipson]

For me, it also comes down to being released in a very crowded month full of titles I will watch more often. I might consider it down the line, as I would like to see it again, but right now there are too many great titles coming out all at once to get them all right away.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Thanks for the review, Sam.

I had read about this (I think in the NY Times) and might have missed this release if I hadn't seen your review.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Sam Posten]

Aw shucks, thanks! Glad I got it a little exposure!

 

[Jake Lipson]

Also, this isn't the last we've seen of the triplets in theaters, since the documentary is being made into a narrative feature:

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/...-docuemtnary-adapted-feature-film-1202878246/

Sam (and anyone else who's seen it), any ideas who they could cast as the triplets? Unless there happen to be identical triplet actors in the right age range, presumably they'll have to go The Parent Trap route and cast one actor to play opposite two other themselves, so I guess they could go with anyone, depending on whether they want them to resemble the real triplets or not.

 

[Sam Posten]

WOW That's really cool! Steve Shrippa as the modern brothers maybe, and Jesse Eisenberg may be too old now but him with black hair as the college students could work.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Good idea. I especially like the Eisenberg. I wonder if they will split the role as you suggest for different ages, or if they might go with one actor and use a combination of makeup or the digital de-aging Marvel has been fond of to do different time periods.

 

[Sam Posten]

Release day!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I finally pulled the trigger and got a copy of the Blu.

Peg was really intrigued by the premise...so that was the title which shot to the top of our potential viewing stack.

We were both rapt from beginning to end. It might not be the best-organized documentary I've ever seen...but the subject material is compelling. It amazes me that the brothers are not able to force the unredacted release of the material which applies to them considering the great wrong that was done to them. I get the sense that if it were me it would become my life's mission to find out everything they could about their situation and the people that perpetrated this mess on them and their families.

I would strongly advise anyone who views this doc to check out the Q&A session tucked in with the bonus features on the disc. It gives some great supplementary info and a bit of an update on the story (much like that link to the LA Times article which Sam posted near the top of the thread).

One of the things that really struck me was how one of the wives (in the Q&A) commented that its not just the impact of the ruse on the brothers...but the impact on their adopted families, their wives, their children, etc. I am left after watching it wishing that there would be some accountability and responsibility on the part of those involved. The smugness of the La Jolla, CA woman who was an assistant in the study was maddening. And the demeanor of the known researcher (willing to talk) was most aggravating.

Like I said..compelling stuff. What a sad tale.

 

[Sam Posten]

Well said @Mike Frezon - Thanks!

 

[Jake Lipson]

Deadline has a video interview with the director: https://deadline.com/video/three-identical-strangers-tim-wardle-making-of-interview-video/

 

[Sam Posten]

Hey I just heard that CNN is going to show my favorite ever documentary next Sunday night. If you haven’t seen it don’t miss it!

https://www.cnn.com/shows/three-identical-strangers-cnn-film

 

[Jake Lipson]

I was wondering when this would happen. CNN usually gets to broadcast the documentaries their CNN Films branch produces at some point after the theatrical run. Thanks for catching it, Sam. I'll be telling friends to set their DVRs. (It's far easier to get them to do that than to pay up for a rental.)

That's a very crowded night of programming though, since it will be airing at the same time as the SAG Awards on TBS/TNT and Fox's broadcast of Rent Live. Fortunately, CNN appears to be showing the movie twice in a row, so my DVR is going to be able to record everything.

 

[Sam Posten]

That's a very crowded night of programming though, since it will be airing at the same time as the SAG Awards on TBS/TNT and Fox's broadcast of Rent Live.

Welcome but I think you misspelled True Detective =p

 

[Jake Lipson]

True Detective

That too (I don't get HBO.) I was just thinking more in terms of big live events. But I doubt Three Identical Strangers is a huge blockbuster ratings play for CNN anyway, so it should do fine.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Well, the ratings are and it did very well:

https://deadline.com/2019/01/three-...st-watched-cnn-film-premiere-ever-1202543654/

 

[Sam Posten]

That's fantastic news, thanks @Jake Lipson