OJ: Made in America (Ezra Edelman)

[Watashi]

[Lazlo]

This could technically get moved to the 2016 movie thread. It premiered at Sundance and ran for a week in NY and LA to qualify for Oscars.

I'm through part three and it's mesmerizing. As a sports documentary producer I'm in awe of what they've done here.

[Watashi]

Why was this moved? It premiered at Sundance.

[Lazlo]

Why was this moved? It premiered at Sundance.

And played in a limited theatrical run in May.

Finished this today. Magnificent, frustrating, so so much to unpack.

[number8]

Why was this moved? It premiered at Sundance.

It's not the first TV show to premiere at Sundance or get a theatrical release (see: Top of the Lake). I moved it because it's a 30 for 30 series. But I can move it back if that doesn't seem right.

[Lazlo]

It's not the first TV show to premiere at Sundance or get a theatrical release (see: Top of the Lake). I moved it because it's a 30 for 30 series. But I can move it back if that doesn't seem right.

It's going to be pushed for Oscars. I think it's more similar to the case of Going Clear than Top of the Lake. I don't think Top of the Lake played in movie theaters outside of a couple of festivals. I feel like many people will be including Made in America in year-end movie lists in a way that gives it the feel that it should be in the movies section rather than TV.

But your argument is sound too. It was always produced with the main goal of showing it on TV rather than theatrically, though I read an interview with Edelman where he said they put no thought into commercial break placement. But I for one will be considering it as a movie.

[Watashi]

I considered it in the same mold as The Dekalog or Shoah.

[Winston*]

Why does it matter?

I'm 3 hours in. This is outstanding.

[amberlita]

Why does it matter?

I'm 3 hours in. This is outstanding.

Agreed. As someone who was only about 13 when this shit went down, I had no real concept of why people would be shocked about this guy OJ, no concept of the media's influence, and certainly no appreciation of the racial backdrop. While I had some understanding of this since then, it's the first time I think this story has been given its due contectualization and proper weight to the circumstances.

[Ezee E]

Finished part 2. Just moved it to the 2016 movie thread as requested.

Looking forward to finishing this over the weekend. Pretty damn good.

[Pop Trash]

This is the best film about race in America I've seen since Do the Right Thing. Instant classic.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, after watching Part III, I get why there was so much about the background of Los Angeles as a whole in Part I. It's pretty fascinating.

Also, quite hilarious when one of the lawyers talks about if OJ Simpson had a Latin Juri, that they'd have had Mariachi bands out front and a Piñata on top of the staircase. He says it with such amusement of looking back at what happened, that it had me rolling.

[Mal]

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I was only 10 when the verdict came in and I had no idea the extent of the LA police corruption, the domestic abuse, etc. and had never bothered to research it either. Instant classic, and this could have even been longer. Never a dull moment and never a moment wasted. Eagerly anticipating what Ezra Edelman does next (apparently a film about Richard Jewel? interesting).

[Idioteque Stalker]

Instant classic, and this could have even been longer.

Agreed on both points. I was scared of the length going in, but I wouldn't have cared if it were two or three hours longer. Could've had more on Nicole Brown Simpson, Ronald Goldman, Alan Dershowitz... When the filmmaking is this good I'm down for whatever.

[Ezee E]

As a kid, I remember being so annoyed by Fred Goldman's mustache and came up with a conspiracy that Kato Kaelin helped out.