First things first: HAPPY 4th OF JULY, Y'ALL!
Okay, now that's out of the way.
This blog receives a ton of hits from people searching for information about the Keddie Murders. Lately that's been because there was a claim that the movie The Strangers was partly inspired by the massacre in Cabin 28, but I think that was a load of bullshit cooked up by some viral marketing idiot.
You can click this link to read the blog entries I've written about Keddie, but my stronger recommendation is for you to visit KeddieMurdersMovie.com and watch Josh Hancock's documentary about this chilling unsolved crime. He's posted it in 6 parts on this page.
I've embedded part 1 above to encourage reader interest, because part 1 hooked me right away, and I know a good deal of the story. This post will be short for now because I'm going back to watch the rest of it.
I'm already wondering why Hancock's documentary hasn't seen wider distribution -- part 1 was professionally-rendered and compelling. The documentarian's art is in letting the subject speak for itself. It's clear to me just 7 minutes in that Josh Hancock knows how to do that.
I will update this post after I finish watching Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders.
UPDATE
Josh Hancock's documentary is stripped-down, straightforward, and it hits home. Make no mistake -- if your interest in true crime documentaries or anything else true crime-related is more towards the macabre, gory end of the spectrum, you will be disappointed by Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders. Actually, if you're that sort of true crime fan (you should see some of the disgusting search strings that somehow bring people here), you can just get the hell off my blog right now.
I digress.
Anyone who appreciates a respectful, measured approach to telling such a terrifying story, a human approach, will be impressed by this documentary. I certainly was.
I truly hope more attention comes to Mr. Hancock's work, as he managed to use minimal resources to create a full, living portrait of the people and the place impacted by this unsolved family murder. Bare-bones as it is, Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders still manages to leave the kind of lasting impression true-crime centric shows with massive budgets (48 Hours, Dateline) strive to make. Those shows go for broke with sonorous voice-overs, graphics and editing. Hancock's cleverness is in his minimalist approach: simple, understated music and well-framed shots of key people in natural light. Sometimes, that's all you need. The story then tells itself.
If the Keddie case is one of those unsolved mysteries that plagues you, this account will leave you truly unsettled, haunted, and perhaps a bit sad. Peaceful pine forests and remote, quiet mountain retreats will never look the same again.
One more plug for the site:
KeddieMurdersMovie.com.
See also:
http://www.youtube.com/user/keddiemurdersmovie.
UPDATE: Josh Hancock notes in the comments left on this entry that there's a new website for this film:
http://www.keddiemurdersfilm.com/
Take a look, and watch the movie. Great work on the site(s) and the film, Josh.
