Despite the fact they're one of the most despicable types of human beings on the planet, we still continue to be fascinated by serial killers. We're drawn into their crimes, motivations, and upbringing. Seemingly searching for reason as to why someone who, on the outside, seems to (usually) be an upstanding member of society would do horrendous acts on their fellow man. This morbid curiousity might explain why there's multiple books and films on the subject. It's just too bad most of this ilk fail to give us enough information and/or reasoning to satisfy our imaginations.

Filmmaker John Borowski is obviously one of the many drawn to this subject and his 2004 documentary, H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer, was an extremely well-done mix of fact, stock footage, and reenactments that gave us a good look at a truly depraved individual. So it's really not surprising, then, that Borowski picked an even more messed-up individual for his next effort in the elderly, Depression-era child murderer, Albert Fish.

Captured in 1934 for an eight-year-old missing child case (in which he kidnapped, murdered and ate ten-year-old Grace Budd), Fish seemed to be a normal looking old man in his 60's when, in reality, he was a truly sickening individual who partook in murder, cannibalism, sadomachoism, and self-mutilation - often because he believed such things were written in the Bible. Yet, during his trial for the murder of Budd it was determined he was quite sane which led to him being sent to his death by electric chair.

Borowski's film starts by giving us a brief rundown of the Budd case. This helps set the tone and gives us a good idea of just what sort of person Fish was. From there we're taken, be it briefly, through the earlier years of Fish's life where he first realized that he had an affinity for young children and also for self-abuse. In between this past history, and Borowski's somewhat half-baked reinactments of certain events (including a few unnecessarily dragged out images such as a bottom being repeatedly whipped), there are interviews with Joe Coleman, the owner of an "Odditorium" who owns the infamous letter Fish wrote to Budd's parents as well as painting a Fish portrait and who (at least from the way he comes across) believes he knows all about Fish's psyche. We're also given a tiny bit of insight from Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D, a forensic psychology University professor who also wrote the serial killer study, "The Human Predator".

While it's understandable most of the people involved in the case or Fish's life won't show-up on camera (it was over seventy-years ago and no doubt there's nobody left alive to hear from), I have a feeling Borowski could've had a few more people on hand to talk about his subject. In fact, more insight can be gained from the intereviews that appear in the special features of the DVD than what's been left in the movie. Coleman is particularly eccentric in his words at one time calling Fish an "American shaman" and "dark God" - and while it's good to see someone talk on a subject who isn't a "professional", what he says is, at times, pretty over-the-top.

As with H.H. Holmes, Borowski does make his movie look great. He tints the screen brown during his use of stock footage to make it stand-out, he blends in mock news reports, and he layers a whole slew of imagery on top of each other. He even goes heavy on the religious imagery and overtones, but is oddly restrained in actually showing anything - most of the reenacted footage with the older Fish just has the actor (Oto Brezina) giving lots of reaction shots such as licking his lips during a cannibalistic meal and nodding his head with vigour while writing a naughty letter in reply to a personal ad.

Albert Fish does contain a sensitive subject that may bother some, but for those of us still willing to take a look you'll get a pretty decent effort that overcomes its various, fairly minor, problems to be a mostly watchable time thanks to solid presentation, the late Tony Jay's strong narration, and Borowski's dedication to his subject. (Chris Hartley, 3/27/07)

Directed By: John Borowski.
Written By: John Borowski.

Starring: Oto Brezina, Derek Gaspar, Nathan Hall, Cooney Horvath.

Picture Ratio: Full Frame.

Picture Quality: Considering Borowski's use of stock footage and purposeful "aging" of new footage, it's hard to tell what's intentional and what's a flaw. Generally though it looks pretty good with solid enough clarity and colour.

Extras: There's a nice batch of supplemental material here as we get four trailers, a production still gallery, a live performance by murder-metal band Macabre, a featurette giving us the history of the electric chair, a zoomable version of Coleman's Albert Fish painting, a reading of the actual letters Fish sent to some of his victim's parents, a collection of deleted scenes and moments, and three interesting interviews with Borowski, Nico claux (a French artist who was jailed for performing cannibalism and dubbed the "Vampire of Paris"), and Macabre bandleader Corporate Death (who, interestingly enough, has a painting of Fish he recieved from serial killer John Wayne Gacy).

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