Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation (2007)

Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation (2007) ** (out of 4)Extremely disappointing documentary from John Borowski who had previously made H.H. HOLMES: AMERICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER. This one here takes a look at Albert Fish, a now notorious killer who not only brutally murdered people but he also ate them. This is part documentary, part re-enacted drama but neither one really works and they certainly don't work together. I was really disappointed with this film because of its extremely slow-pacing, which just kept it from having a very good flow. What really hurt the film is the fact that the narration is way too dramatic for its own good and there's just not too much life to the picture.There are some some very good moments scattered throughout including a confession that is read, which just shows how crazy and downright creepy this guy was. The film like to go for some shock value as there are well detailed accounts of the cannibalism and the violence towards children.

The story is so horrifying and gruesome, even by today's standards, that the director's attempts at dramatization add nothing and are more of a distraction. Multiple shots of roasting meat in the shape of ass? Really? And too much time is spent with two dubious "experts," one of whom proudly describes how he acquired Fish's confession letter in an act of larceny (anyone send a copy of this film to the cops in Westchester County?) and who creepily asserts that Fish MUST have loved Grace Buddd in order to do what he did to her. Huh? Anyone want to go dig around in THIS guy's backyard? And all of the religious motivation nonsense is completely at odds with what we know about sexual homicide. It's all about a toxic mix of extreme self absorption and the desire to control others with a nice positive feedback of orgasm. That's it folks. No religious motive here. The religious stuff may have helped him rationalize what he did and certainly sweetened the filth aspect for this guy, but that's probably it. Read Schecter's Deranged instead for a good Fish account.

Albert Fish, like H.H. Holmes before him, was a serial killer before serial killers were commonplace names like Ted Bundy and the Son of Sam. Even as one of the first known serial killers in America, Fish was one of the most disgusting, perverted, and vicious murderers in history. He was a vile, sadistic, and despicable child murderer & cannibal and I would be hard pressed to find many more humans to be more disgusting in this world's history.However, this review is not for the horrible man that was Albert Fish, but for the documentary, 'Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation.' Before viewing, one should realize what this documentary is about. I do not believe this film's main goal was to be informative. Much of the film was about the 'shock' of the events of Albert Fish's life and crimes. Information was regularly repeated, but in just more dramatic ways. The film itself was compiled well, however. The dramatizations are well done, the structure of the film flows well, and the narration is fantastic.If you're unfamiliar with the life of Albert Fish and looking for basic information with flair, this documentary is for you. However, if you already have done your research on the monster that is Albert Fish, watch this film for nothing more than seeing what you already know exhibited in new ways.Final Verdict: 7/10.-AP3-

First off, I was expecting a different type of film with ALBERT FISH than what I got. For some reason, I was under the impression that the film would be a "dramatization" of Fish's life, but instead got a pretty straight-forward documentary. As far as documentaries go, it holds up pretty well, but I didn't really get a lot from this film that I didn't already know about Fish already.ALBERT FISH chronicles the life and crimes of the sexually-deviant serial-killer of the same name. We are given some background on his upbringing and some by-the-book details of some of the crimes that Fish admitted to when he was finally caught and imprisoned.This documentary is relatively interesting and the facts are handled well - I just found that the information that was provided was much the same as any information that could be gleaned by reading any material about Fish. I didn't really learn anything new or find this particular docu to be very enlightening or provide any new insights to the man or his actions. Worth a look to docu-enthusiasts, or to anyone who may be interested in Albert Fish but doesn't know any details about him. Those that are already familiar with Fish and his actions will probably not gain a whole lot from this one...6.5/10