The Killing of America

1981

1h 30m

Documentary

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Reviews

67%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Filmmaker Sheldon Renan documents the decline of America.

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Emilie Black

Cinema Crazed

Together with writing by Chieko Schrader and Leonard Schrader, the narration brings the point home that violence is more and more present in the United States (and around the world).

Rated: 4/5

Apr 19, 2020

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Charlie Oughton

Starburst

The Killing of America manages to be harrowing today as its stark warnings have gone unheeded. The killers it showcases have gone on to become pop culture and the editing of them alongside scenes of violence truly cuts to the quick.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 12, 2016

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Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

both a patchwork history of America's low points in the 60s & 70s, & an exercise in negative nostalgia - but it is also, maybe more importantly, a troubling account of the beginnings of an American decline that has not been halted in the meantime.

Aug 29, 2016

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Whilst it may not be the sharpest piece of sociological analysis, The Killing Of America has an important point to make about the level of brutality Americans have come to take for granted.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 29, 2016

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Audience Member

Exploitative documentary from 1981. Starting as a high-minded overview of 20th century assassinations, it quickly reveals its true purpose: to string together the most shocking footage of random killings, accompanied by several gratuitously nasty forensic photos of bloody corpses, and disguise the cheapness with a solemn and fatuous narration. What is the point this odd film is failing to make?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

A must see movie! Educate yourself. Mainstream media doesn’t want you to see this movie—that’s why you saw zero press for it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/22/18

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Audience Member

Disturbing but awesome.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

Very interesting early 80's documentary about murder in america. Almost in the faces of death type style this shows actual footage and interviews with coroners and law enforcement officials. Worth a watch if you can find it online or a copy somewhere for cheap.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

The most brutal documentary ever made, it's probably on par with Mondo Cane in terms of uncensored real life brutality. I fucking love it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

A really odd film to work out what exactly the point is. There's no real overriding narrative to speak of so to claim it's a documentary would be generous. It's not glorified violence or overly explicit either though so it would be wrong to lump it in with the 80's trend of 'video nasties'. So what have you got other than a kind of video collection of horrible stuff that's happened in America over the past 50 odd years...OK...do we need that particularly? Probably not, so really however engrossing and compelling some of the clips are, overall the film is a failure and really a waste of everybody's time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Sheldon Renan

Director

Chuck Riley

Narrator

Chieko Schrader

Writer

Leonard Schrader

Writer

Leonard Schrader

Producer

Mataichirô Yamamoto

Producer

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Sheldon Renan documents the decline of America.

Director: Sheldon Renan
Screenwriter: Chieko Schrader, Leonard Schrader
Production Co: Filmlink International, Towa Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2017
Runtime: 1h 30m

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