Kids who kill
A couple of weeks back, the Instantman introduced us all to an amazing new film. It seems that his wife, Dr Helen Smith, is a forensic psychologist who is also an expert on youth violence. She has focused her expertise into the documentary SIX, which tells the story of six teenagers who senselessly murdered an entire family on one night in 1997. Based on her previous work (found at ViolentKids.Com), I knew that she would avoid the sensationalism and pat explanations, and do a fine job of explaining why this crime happened. And I was right.
The content of the film was especially fascinating to me. No, it's not related to psychometrics, nor to educational testing - two of my other interests (read:obsessions) are true crime and the gothic/occult subcultures. This means that whenever a crime story makes the news and goth teenagers are involved - and this is happening more and more often - I am fascinated, and I read everything about it that I can. And then I want to write about it, and discuss it, and attempt to figure out why the crimes happened and what the goth subculture had to do with it. I want to get past the surface that the reporters obsess over - the black fingernails, the weird music, the bizarre appearance - and figure out what's really going on in the minds of these kids.
SIX was irresistible to me for those reasons, but I recommend it to anyone - parents, educators, psychologists - with an interest in violent youth and the inability of society to deal with these youth. The film is absolutely amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it's inspired me to start a new blog related to these interests of mine.
So, if you'd like to read my lengthy review of SIX, click here. This review is the first posting on my new blog, Blackened Rainbows. If you'd like to begin by reading the blog description, disclaimer, and a little bit more about how Dr. Smith's incredible film inspired me to put my thoughts "on paper," as it were, click here, and from there you can enter the blog and read the film review, or return to this blog.
Enjoy.