The alternately enraging and inspiring story of Deborah Peagler—a battered woman and 25-plus-year California prison inmate—is told with integrity and empathy in this documentary by filmmaker Yoav Potash. In early 1980s South Central Los Angeles, Peagler fell for a charismatic young man named Oliver Wilson who wound up not only physically abusing her but also forcing her into prostitution. Fearing for her life, Peagler arranged for some gangland friends to give him a much-needed revenge beating, but the gang members ended up killing Wilson, after which Peagler was charged with having Wilson murdered to get his life insurance policy money. Some 20 years later, two young, untested attorneys learned of potential injustices surrounding Peagler's imprisonment and reopened the case on a pro bono basis. From this point on, Peagler's dedicated legal team experienced a head-spinning baptism into the entrenched corruption in the L.A. county district attorney's office: over the next eight years the two legal eagles would painstakingly uncover more and more astonishing cover-ups, lies, and oversights in what would turn out to be a fraudulent conviction. But it's Peagler's heroic endurance through all the twists and turns of this many-headed hydra of a case—even while she battles lung cancer—that makes this a must-see. DVD extras include an introduction by Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell, extended scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a Sundance Film Festival Q&A. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: this is also available for $95 w/PPR for public libraries, and $295 w/PPR for colleges and universities from Ro*co Films Educational (www.rocoeducational.com).] Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)
Crime After Crime
(2011) 93 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Volume 27, Issue 3
Crime After Crime
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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