Documentary Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)

---

Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a
Prison Murder (2002)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 5/20

5/20: Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a Prison Murder is a weird short documentary about a convicted murderer who killed a black prisoner in 1994 while serving time.

That being said, why is it important for me to know? Must they show the murder on video for all the public to see while his family is out there? Who's this guy: Troy Kell? People think he's intelligent. Uh, no...that's why he's in prison for life.

After finishing the documentary, which was made in 2002 and it's now 2020, I guessed Troy Kell got executed. Well, to my surprise, he's still sitting on death row. What gives? The criminal justice system in Utah must be broken. Since 1999, only one person has been executed there, and that's it. So, what's the point of death penalty in Utah? Either it means what it means or everybody can stop the pointless charade by leaving the option off the table during the penalty phase.

All in all, prisoners have a perverse idea of what "respect" means; once they're locked up and the key is thrown away forever, who cares about them?

---