From my favorite movies..

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In 1993, news of the West Memphis Three Killings swept through the nation and made it's way into the history books. Three eight-year old boys Steve Branch, Michael Moore, Christopher Byers were killed in the woods near a busy truck stop in West Memphis, Arkansas and three teenage boys were then convicted of the murders. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is the conclusion of the Paradise Lost series regarding the West Memphis Three and chronicles their release from jail and what lies ahead for this unsolved murder case.This documentary first points to why Jessie Misskelly, Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols were convicted of these murders. From the ludicrous theories of satanic rituals, their past history including how they liked to wear black and listen to Metallica, the film presents much evidence of how wrong the police were in bringing these boys to trial. Through this evidence, you get a feel for these teenagers and who they are. Baldwin seems to be the quiet guy of the group who wouldn't seem to hurt a fly. Misskelley is the tough guy of the group and Echols is lost in the middle but of course, all were in the same predicament.The documentary also goes into details about Mark Byers, the adoptive father of Byers who we know through neighbors was with the kids before they died and how his DNA was found at the scene of the crime. There were some interesting facts about this suspect but the film includes calls to the police to look into this guy more.Even though it did start to drag a little, the ending of this movie has a feel of watching history. This HBO film release date was postponed two months to show the prison release of the West Memphis Three and it was quite worth it. The ending feels fulfilling, and has a interesting legal side to it.With the beautiful shots of West Memphis, Arkansas, some great Metallica tunes, and a compelling story, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is quite an accomplishment. Some of these facts we could obviously have been found online but this documentary brings so much more depth to this story. Even though we got what we wanted with the release of these innocent men, this investigation is far from over and we have to wonder what more there may be to come for this film series as more facts are known. This third installment leaves the possibility of future movies in this series wide open.

American documentary filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinosfsky's third documentary feature about the The Robin Hood Hills Murders which took place in West Memphis, Arkansas in USA in early May 1993, was preceded by "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills" (1996) and "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations" (2000). It premiered in the Real to Reel section at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in 2011 and is an American production which the directors co-produced with producer and director Jonathan Silberberg.In 1993, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley Jr, 16-year-old Jason Baldwin and 18-year-old Damien Echols were arrested for the murder of three eight-year-old boys named Michael Moore, Steve Branch and Christopher Byers. The killings were initially perceived as some kind of satanic ritual and due to Damien Echols listening to the hard rock band Metallica, dressing in black clothes and being interested in occultism, many of the inhabitants in the populated city in Crittenden county regarded him as a devil worshiper and a ringleader which made him a probable suspect in their eyes. Almost two decades years later these three boys who became known as The West Memphis Three are revisited by the two brave filmmakers who after learning about their case eighteen years earlier decided to make a documentary that would shed light on the city of West Memphis, it's inhabitants, it's law enforcement and how the faith of three young boys who a witness claimed to have seen on that spring day in 1993 with the three victims was sealed by a society who whilst afflicted by a bestial crime, blinded by vengeance and in need of a scapegoat started a witch-hunt.Some justice might exist after all in this "lost paradise" which contains interviews with people from both sides, and that thanks to all those who recognized the obvious miscarriage of justice that Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky managed to document, went out of their way to support Misskelley, Echols and Baldwin, became activists in the name of justice and saved the lives of three young men who in the worst case scenario could have ended up as the three innocent young boys who were deprived of their lives in a very horrific way.This scrutinizing documentary which is as judicial as it is humane, leads this shocking, provocative and heartrending true story which gained worldwide recognition in the late 1990s closer to the truth, and confirms the invaluable importance of critical journalism and documentary filmmaking. A commendable, poignant and to a certain extent liberating non-fictional feature about solidarity, survival and human greatness which shows how much people are willing to do and how far they are willing to go for the sake of someone else.

PARADISE LOST 3 : PURGATORY - 9 out of 10If there is one thing that you should be proud of in Britain it's our justice system. Be thankful that we don't have the clowns in our courts that were involved in the court case that sent The West Memphis three to prison back in 1993 and who still have influence as to the outcome of the lives of these three innocent men. This is the third film of The Paradise Lost documentaries about three men sent to prison for the murder of three 8 year old boys back in 1993. It starts by covering some old ground that we have seen in the first two films then follows the fight to get the men ( they were only teenagers when it happened) freed and even has insight into who possibly could have been the real killer.I have found all three documentaries fascinating but his one has to be the best of the lot. It is still immensely harrowing because it shows very upsetting scenes of crime footage of the dead 8 year old boys ( and i still question why we need to see those pictures ) and because of new DNA techniques it comes some way to helping the three who incarcerated - but not in a way that is satisfactory.It shows up the deep flaws in the American justice system and how blinkered these ageing judges are that have the fate of so many people in their wrinkled little hands.You don't have to have seen the first two films because it quite self explanatory as to what has happened and i recommend that everyone gets to see this fascinated film. I don't think it will be the last either.

The tale of the West Memphis 3 came to an end this past year, and Joe Berlinger's and Bruce Sinofsky's advocacy doc trilogy comes to an end, as well, and quite satisfyingly. Watching this third installment is quite painful, even with the mostly happy ending, because it cuts back and forth between the past and the present, showing us just how long these men spent in jail - literally over half their lives. It's particularly touching to see Damien Echols, the only one of the three who was sentenced to death (a sentence which was never off the table until he was freed), grow from an awkward, certainly skeevy-looking teenager to an intelligent, well-spoken adult. One has to wonder what he would have been like if none of this had ever happened. This doc has a lot to cover (you could probably get the gist of the whole series just by watching this one), and in a way it feels a tad unwieldy and perhaps unfocused. But it still does a great job. I sincerely hope the WM3 can now find some peace.