The massacre of 58 people and shooting injuries of hundreds more at an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, is the grim subject of this documentary by former reporter Charlie Minn. Taking a painstakingly thorough approach, Minn reconstructs the shocking events that left thousands fearing for their lives and also spurred acts of heroism, compassion, and self-sacrifice. Drawing on an abundance of video footage shot on smartphones by festivalgoers and others, One October shows how the standing audience initially reacted to the pop-pop-pop of the murderer’s weapons, as he fired away from a 32nd-floor room at the nearby Mandalay Bay resort. Gradually, the images become more horrifying as bodies are scattered on the festival grounds, such as on the scene of a battle. People look for cover and take chances trying to run to cover, while police and concert security attempt to shepherd people to safety. Minn interviews a number of survivors about what they thought and felt and did in that situation, and some remarkable stories emerge. Less positive are the film’s final chapters, which delve into what appears to be a failure by Las Vegas police to respond more quickly to an active shooter despite knowing from hotel security the precise location of the killer’s room. And there is much to suggest that MGM—owner of the Mandalay and the festival grounds—quickly went into bunker mode, obscuring and repressing information that could bring legal exposure. Given MGM’s recent, despicable legal maneuvers to sue victims of the shootings as a preemptive strike against any lawsuit, it’s not surprising to learn of the company’s misdeeds. A powerful recounting of a terrible, tragic event in recent history, this is recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)
One October: A Nightmare in Las Vegas
(2018) 95 min. DVD: $24.99 ($199.99 w/PPR). Dreamscape Media. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 6
One October: A Nightmare in Las Vegas
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