Content warning: This article discusses topics that may be triggering to some readers, including stalking, grooming, and sexual assault.
"Baby Reindeer" is the latest Netflix phenomenon, the must-see limited series that people can't stop talking about. Starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd and based on his award-winning play of the same name, "Baby Reindeer" is a dramatized look at real events Gadd endured when he was stalked by a woman he refers to as "Martha," and how his prior, unresolved history with sexual assault directly influenced how he responded to the situation. Given that Gadd is essentially reliving his trauma, "Baby Reindeer" differs from the majority of "based on true events" adaptations in that the person telling the story was actually there. There's no mystery to solve because the show's survivor is the one shaping the narrative.
But despite Gadd's tireless attempts to keep the identities of his abuser, his stalker,...
"Baby Reindeer" is the latest Netflix phenomenon, the must-see limited series that people can't stop talking about. Starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd and based on his award-winning play of the same name, "Baby Reindeer" is a dramatized look at real events Gadd endured when he was stalked by a woman he refers to as "Martha," and how his prior, unresolved history with sexual assault directly influenced how he responded to the situation. Given that Gadd is essentially reliving his trauma, "Baby Reindeer" differs from the majority of "based on true events" adaptations in that the person telling the story was actually there. There's no mystery to solve because the show's survivor is the one shaping the narrative.
But despite Gadd's tireless attempts to keep the identities of his abuser, his stalker,...
- 4/24/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
The breadth of Netflix’s catalog of true-crime docuseries is deep and wide, with truly something for everyone—or at least some type of murder for everyone. The best documentaries reveal the truth about more than just their primary subjects, and the 20 true-crime series here expose the rot at the core of many of our venerated institutions.
These shows shine a light on our flawed jury and appeals processes, with a recurring theme of corruption highlighted in patterns of forced confessions, police negligence, and prosecutors withholding exculpatory evidence. Of course, while all of them attempt to locate some semblance of “the truth,” not all of them provide a truly complete or objective picture. But that doesn’t make them any less compelling or, in some cases, downright infuriating.
Editor’s Note: This entry was originally published on September 28, 2021.
20. The Pharmacist
What starts out as a familiar true-crime tale about a...
These shows shine a light on our flawed jury and appeals processes, with a recurring theme of corruption highlighted in patterns of forced confessions, police negligence, and prosecutors withholding exculpatory evidence. Of course, while all of them attempt to locate some semblance of “the truth,” not all of them provide a truly complete or objective picture. But that doesn’t make them any less compelling or, in some cases, downright infuriating.
Editor’s Note: This entry was originally published on September 28, 2021.
20. The Pharmacist
What starts out as a familiar true-crime tale about a...
- 4/15/2024
- by Sal Cinquemani
- Slant Magazine
Joe Berlinger’s hit Netflix “Crime Scene” franchise has expanded to Germany. “Crime Scene Berlin: Nightlife Killer” marks the first international local market produced version of the true crime doc series, which is being released globally on April 3.
“Nightlife Killer” is a German language docuseries that was produced in Berlin and managed by Netflix Germany. Berlinger served as an executive producer on the three-part series that reconstructs the case of several mysterious murders in Berlin’s nightlife that became nationally known as the “Coma Killer” in 2012. Like the three previous U.S. versions of the franchise, “Night Life Killer” explores not just a story of crime but how the geography and social values of the crime scene location contributed to the crime itself.
“We were looking for a crime story in a location whose history and social values contributed to the crime,” Berlinger says, who is in year four of a multi-year deal with Netflix.
“Nightlife Killer” is a German language docuseries that was produced in Berlin and managed by Netflix Germany. Berlinger served as an executive producer on the three-part series that reconstructs the case of several mysterious murders in Berlin’s nightlife that became nationally known as the “Coma Killer” in 2012. Like the three previous U.S. versions of the franchise, “Night Life Killer” explores not just a story of crime but how the geography and social values of the crime scene location contributed to the crime itself.
“We were looking for a crime story in a location whose history and social values contributed to the crime,” Berlinger says, who is in year four of a multi-year deal with Netflix.
- 4/3/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
A skid row hotel best known for its grisly Netflix true crime examination of a young woman’s mysterious death is now for sale.
The Cecil Hotel was the subject of an episode in the the 2021 Netflix series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. The story examined Elisa Lam, a Canadian student who went missing in the hotel under mysterious circumstances before later being discovered drowned in a rooftop water tank.
The Cecil Hotel was transformed in recent years into a privately funded supportive-housing complex for the formerly homeless. A new owner would be required to take over the 99-year ground lease, which allows its long-term use and development.
No price has been set for the hotel, but the property’s land and improvements were assessed at $31 million in 2023.
The building opened in the 1920s as a luxury hotel, but quickly became something less as the scene of several murders,...
The Cecil Hotel was the subject of an episode in the the 2021 Netflix series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. The story examined Elisa Lam, a Canadian student who went missing in the hotel under mysterious circumstances before later being discovered drowned in a rooftop water tank.
The Cecil Hotel was transformed in recent years into a privately funded supportive-housing complex for the formerly homeless. A new owner would be required to take over the 99-year ground lease, which allows its long-term use and development.
No price has been set for the hotel, but the property’s land and improvements were assessed at $31 million in 2023.
The building opened in the 1920s as a luxury hotel, but quickly became something less as the scene of several murders,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Get ready for a spine-chilling journey into the heart of darkness with “Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room” Season 3’s latest episode titled “Cecil Hotel.” Set your alarms for 10:01 Pm on Wednesday, February 14th, as Zak Bagans and the crew peel back the layers of one of Los Angeles’ most infamous haunts.
In this gripping installment, viewers are granted unprecedented access as the team delves deep into the mysteries surrounding the Cecil Hotel, including the tragic death of Elisa Lam. With their expertise and state-of-the-art equipment, Zak and the guys aim to uncover the truth behind the unsettling events that have plagued the hotel for decades.
From eerie encounters to unexplained phenomena, “Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room” promises to deliver an unforgettable night of thrills and chills. Join Zak and the crew as they confront the unknown and attempt to unravel the dark secrets lurking within the walls of the Cecil Hotel.
In this gripping installment, viewers are granted unprecedented access as the team delves deep into the mysteries surrounding the Cecil Hotel, including the tragic death of Elisa Lam. With their expertise and state-of-the-art equipment, Zak and the guys aim to uncover the truth behind the unsettling events that have plagued the hotel for decades.
From eerie encounters to unexplained phenomena, “Ghost Adventures: Screaming Room” promises to deliver an unforgettable night of thrills and chills. Join Zak and the crew as they confront the unknown and attempt to unravel the dark secrets lurking within the walls of the Cecil Hotel.
- 2/7/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: In 2013, 21-year-old Chinese-Canadian tourist Elisa Lam was found dead in a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Her disappearance and death was a mystery that made international news, though it later came out — once all the facts were in — that she had, in all probability, accidentally drowned while experiencing a bipolar episode.
In the meantime, compounded by a viral video with the last known footage of Lam, demonstrating erratic behavior on the hotel elevator, the case became an internet phenomenon. The first season of shows and podcasts like "True Detective" and "Serial" was just over the horizon in 2014, and this one,...
The Series: "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: In 2013, 21-year-old Chinese-Canadian tourist Elisa Lam was found dead in a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Her disappearance and death was a mystery that made international news, though it later came out — once all the facts were in — that she had, in all probability, accidentally drowned while experiencing a bipolar episode.
In the meantime, compounded by a viral video with the last known footage of Lam, demonstrating erratic behavior on the hotel elevator, the case became an internet phenomenon. The first season of shows and podcasts like "True Detective" and "Serial" was just over the horizon in 2014, and this one,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
The first trailer for “Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields,” a new true crime docuseries coming to Netflix this month, has been released.
The miniseries is the third in a series of “Crime Scene” documentaries for the streamer, which explore murder cases in different parts of the United States. Last year saw the series debut with two installments: “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” which focused on the 2013 death of Elisa Lam at the titular Los Angeles hotel, and “The Times Square Killer,” which profiled serial killer Richard Cottingham.
“The Texas Killing Fields” turns its attention to a patch of land along the interstate between Houston and Galveston that gained its gruesome nickname for the number of dead bodies that have been discovered there. From 1971 to 2006, 30 dead people were found in the area, the majority of whom were young women, and very few of their murders have been solved.
The...
The miniseries is the third in a series of “Crime Scene” documentaries for the streamer, which explore murder cases in different parts of the United States. Last year saw the series debut with two installments: “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” which focused on the 2013 death of Elisa Lam at the titular Los Angeles hotel, and “The Times Square Killer,” which profiled serial killer Richard Cottingham.
“The Texas Killing Fields” turns its attention to a patch of land along the interstate between Houston and Galveston that gained its gruesome nickname for the number of dead bodies that have been discovered there. From 1971 to 2006, 30 dead people were found in the area, the majority of whom were young women, and very few of their murders have been solved.
The...
- 11/9/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
A new episode of the Paranormal Network video series Hunting the Haunted has just arrived online, and in this one the show’s hosts venture into the world of true crime as they investigate the vanishing at the Cecil Hotel! A young woman named Elisa Lam went missing while staying at the Cecil (which is located in Los Angeles) back in 2013. The situation became more troubling when security camera footage revealed the moments before she vanished… and it got even worse from there. To find out all about it and the Cecil Hotel’s odd history, check out the video embedded above.
Hunting the Haunted is a monthly exploration of
alleged paranormal activity hosted by investigators and researchers Jason Hewlett and Peter Renn. The two combine their knowledge of hauntings and paranormal investigation to well known, and lesser known, reports of people, places and things that are haunted. The show...
Hunting the Haunted is a monthly exploration of
alleged paranormal activity hosted by investigators and researchers Jason Hewlett and Peter Renn. The two combine their knowledge of hauntings and paranormal investigation to well known, and lesser known, reports of people, places and things that are haunted. The show...
- 9/26/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A motion by city officials for Los Angeles to enter into a master lease with the Skid Row-adjacent Cecil Hotel for a permanent housing program to address homelessness on Thursday advanced in the Homeless and Poverty Committee.
The hotel, a historic building which has attracted public fascination for its sordid past, has been the inspiration for a number of film and TV productions. American Horror Story: Hotel, Season 5 of the FX anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, was based in part on the Cecil Hotel. The building was also the subject of the 2021 Netflix documentary series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which explored the 2013 death of 21-year-old Canadian student found in the property’s water tank. In 2017, Investigation Discovery did a three-episode crime series called Horror at the Cecil Hotel.
The property was converted into an affordable housing complex last December, but six months later,...
The hotel, a historic building which has attracted public fascination for its sordid past, has been the inspiration for a number of film and TV productions. American Horror Story: Hotel, Season 5 of the FX anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, was based in part on the Cecil Hotel. The building was also the subject of the 2021 Netflix documentary series Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which explored the 2013 death of 21-year-old Canadian student found in the property’s water tank. In 2017, Investigation Discovery did a three-episode crime series called Horror at the Cecil Hotel.
The property was converted into an affordable housing complex last December, but six months later,...
- 8/13/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Cameras are rolling in Winnipeg on supernatural horror feature Elevator Game, with a new director onboard. Production began this month with Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) replaced Michael Goi on the film, which is based on the online phenomenon of the same name.
Fearworks Production is producing in association with Amp, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Head Gear Films and Metrol Technology. It’s being produced with the participation of Manitoba Film & Music and producers are Ed Elbert (Anna And The King) and Stefan Brunner (Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance) for Fearworks and James Norrie for Amp.
Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had played ‘The Elevator Game’ — a ritual conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring warnings, he resolves to follow and find her.
Fearworks Production is producing in association with Amp, Buffalo Gal Pictures, Head Gear Films and Metrol Technology. It’s being produced with the participation of Manitoba Film & Music and producers are Ed Elbert (Anna And The King) and Stefan Brunner (Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance) for Fearworks and James Norrie for Amp.
Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had played ‘The Elevator Game’ — a ritual conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring warnings, he resolves to follow and find her.
- 6/9/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Victoria Vertuga, Felisha Michelle Cacho, Thomas Hobson, Maya Zapata, Susan Louise O’Connor | Written by Victoria Vertuga, Eric Williford | Directed by Victoria Vertuga
Lexi opens with the standard card telling us where the footage we’re about to see came from followed by a montage of views from security cameras. Then a desperate looking woman appears followed by the film’s title card, there are no credits. It’s an effective and attention-grabbing opening.
More of a mockumentary than a found footage film, although it does incorporate plenty of it, Lexi is an investigation into the strange events surrounding the disappearance of social media influencer “Laughing Lexi” aka Alexandria Mancini.
Starting with her friend Mel (Felisha Michelle Cacho; Treason) filing a missing persons report, director Victoria Vertuga and co-writer Eric Williford examine the last six months of her life looking for clues to what might have happened. We get a...
Lexi opens with the standard card telling us where the footage we’re about to see came from followed by a montage of views from security cameras. Then a desperate looking woman appears followed by the film’s title card, there are no credits. It’s an effective and attention-grabbing opening.
More of a mockumentary than a found footage film, although it does incorporate plenty of it, Lexi is an investigation into the strange events surrounding the disappearance of social media influencer “Laughing Lexi” aka Alexandria Mancini.
Starting with her friend Mel (Felisha Michelle Cacho; Treason) filing a missing persons report, director Victoria Vertuga and co-writer Eric Williford examine the last six months of her life looking for clues to what might have happened. We get a...
- 2/24/2022
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
The second season of Joe Berlinger’s “Crime Scene” docuseries for Netflix, premiering Dec. 29, centers on the so-called Times Square Torso Ripper.
“Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer” will focus on how the danger and depravity of New York’s Times Square in the late 1970s and early 1980s allowed serial killer Richard Cottingham to commit heinous acts of murder for 13 years. Cottingham, along with Times Square and New York’s self-proclaimed porno king, Martin “Marty” Hodas, are all key characters in Season 2, which is split into three parts.
The first season of Berlinger’s series, “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” launched in February and explored the real-life mysterious disappearance, subsequent death and conspiracy theories surrounding tourist Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Netflix says 45 million households checked out Season 1 in the first four weeks of its debut. The streamer subsequently renewed the docuseries for three more seasons.
“Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer” will focus on how the danger and depravity of New York’s Times Square in the late 1970s and early 1980s allowed serial killer Richard Cottingham to commit heinous acts of murder for 13 years. Cottingham, along with Times Square and New York’s self-proclaimed porno king, Martin “Marty” Hodas, are all key characters in Season 2, which is split into three parts.
The first season of Berlinger’s series, “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” launched in February and explored the real-life mysterious disappearance, subsequent death and conspiracy theories surrounding tourist Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Netflix says 45 million households checked out Season 1 in the first four weeks of its debut. The streamer subsequently renewed the docuseries for three more seasons.
- 12/28/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
It seems as though Netflix is doubling down on its investment in the true crime mania with another season of Crime Scene, this time set in New York City. If you don’t recall, the first season focused on the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles and the unsolved disappearance of Elisa Lam, a young woman who stayed in the hotel…...
- 12/15/2021
- by Gabrielle Sanchez
- avclub.com
"The whole world is attracted to Times Square, but in the late 70s, Times Square was considered an atrocity."
Last year, Joe Berlinger's "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" anthology docuseries, focused on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam, got the eyes of 45 million households watching on Netflix in its first month. As such, the streaming giant renewed the "Crime Scene" series for three more seasons, and next up is a trip to the other side of the United States to chronicle a predatory killer in New York's...
The post Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer Trailer: The Netflix True Crime Series Goes Back to the New York of the '70s and '80s appeared first on /Film.
Last year, Joe Berlinger's "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" anthology docuseries, focused on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam, got the eyes of 45 million households watching on Netflix in its first month. As such, the streaming giant renewed the "Crime Scene" series for three more seasons, and next up is a trip to the other side of the United States to chronicle a predatory killer in New York's...
The post Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer Trailer: The Netflix True Crime Series Goes Back to the New York of the '70s and '80s appeared first on /Film.
- 12/15/2021
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Kevin Bacon is getting a mentor in Psych vet Corbin Bernsen, who will recur during Season 3 of Showtime’s City on a Hill, our sister site Deadline reports.
Bernsen will play Sinclair Dryden, a former FBI agent and mentor to Bacon’s character Jackie. He is described as an old money Beacon Hill socialite who hides a darker disposition underneath his charm. Bernsen most recently appeared on The Resident and is slated to reprise his role as Arnie Becker in ABC’s L.A. Law revival pilot.
More from TVLineCan Supergirl Spin Off Lena? Is Liv Wise to 'Rollisi'? Did Legacies Forget Marcel?...
Bernsen will play Sinclair Dryden, a former FBI agent and mentor to Bacon’s character Jackie. He is described as an old money Beacon Hill socialite who hides a darker disposition underneath his charm. Bernsen most recently appeared on The Resident and is slated to reprise his role as Arnie Becker in ABC’s L.A. Law revival pilot.
More from TVLineCan Supergirl Spin Off Lena? Is Liv Wise to 'Rollisi'? Did Legacies Forget Marcel?...
- 11/12/2021
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
The countdown has begun. Netflix just dropped the news that Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer will stream on Dec. 29. On Dec. 29, the team behind Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel is back on the streamer for a season two. Filmmaker Joe Berlinger will explore the depravity of New York City's dangerous Times Square neighborhood in the '70s and '80s. The dodgy setting made it possible for one man to commit unthinkable acts. Earlier this year, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award–winning documentary maker's wildly popular Crime Scene had 45 million households tuning in to get to the bottom of Canadian student Elisa Lam's disappearance from a seedy Los Angeles...
- 11/12/2021
- E! Online
Netflix renewed the “Crime Scene” docuseries from Joe Berlinger for three more seasons, with the second season set to center on “The Times Square Killer” and premiere on Dec. 29.
“Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer” will look at the danger and depravity of the titular part of New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s and how that made it possible for one man to torture and murder sex workers in that area. The episodes will look at his crimes, but also the social and systemic forces that allowed what he did to go unnoticed or uncared about for so long.
“We always saw potential for Crime Scene to be an ongoing series about how certain locations became accomplices to crimes that took place there. Now, as part of our deepening creative partnership with Joe and on the heels of the high interest in season one, we are...
“Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer” will look at the danger and depravity of the titular part of New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s and how that made it possible for one man to torture and murder sex workers in that area. The episodes will look at his crimes, but also the social and systemic forces that allowed what he did to go unnoticed or uncared about for so long.
“We always saw potential for Crime Scene to be an ongoing series about how certain locations became accomplices to crimes that took place there. Now, as part of our deepening creative partnership with Joe and on the heels of the high interest in season one, we are...
- 11/12/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
This Evil review contains spoilers.
Evil Season 2 Episode 4
Evil season 2, episode 4, “E Is for Elevator,” stops between floors to squeeze in an urban legend. The team is called in on a job outside their scope, an internet game. It has no demonic ties except for a pentagram drawn on the floor of a player. With that as the only spiritual tie, David Acosta (Mike Colter) goes off to contemplate the mysteries of his superiors’ faith in Leland Townshend (Michael Emerson), while Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) go pushing buttons.
The family who calls in the team admits there is no satanic connection, but the police have already written them off, and tagged their son a runaway. The whole thing would have been passed on if it weren’t for the game. This gives the episode a pass for an all-ages admission, and lets the children play.
Evil Season 2 Episode 4
Evil season 2, episode 4, “E Is for Elevator,” stops between floors to squeeze in an urban legend. The team is called in on a job outside their scope, an internet game. It has no demonic ties except for a pentagram drawn on the floor of a player. With that as the only spiritual tie, David Acosta (Mike Colter) goes off to contemplate the mysteries of his superiors’ faith in Leland Townshend (Michael Emerson), while Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) go pushing buttons.
The family who calls in the team admits there is no satanic connection, but the police have already written them off, and tagged their son a runaway. The whole thing would have been passed on if it weren’t for the game. This gives the episode a pass for an all-ages admission, and lets the children play.
- 7/11/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Six years ago, “The Jinx,” HBO’s six-part series about murder suspect and real estate heir Robert Durst, reinvigorated the long-form docuseries format.
A mad rush by premium cablers and streamers to come up with the next “Jinx” followed, with Netflix’s 10-part “Making a Murderer” later that year and ESPN’s format busting “O.J.: Made in America” in 2016 further whetting the appetite for long-form docuseries.
But in the last few years docuseries have become noticeably bloated, so much so that according to several veteran docu producers, major platforms such as HBO, Netflix and Amazon are seeking shorter series or the traditional 90-minute, one-off documentary.
While the explosion of docuseries may have initially garnered subscribers for streamers, viewer data structures and algorithms have convinced doc buyers that more is not necessarily better.
“It seems clear that the data is telling these buyers that there are certain types of projects that...
A mad rush by premium cablers and streamers to come up with the next “Jinx” followed, with Netflix’s 10-part “Making a Murderer” later that year and ESPN’s format busting “O.J.: Made in America” in 2016 further whetting the appetite for long-form docuseries.
But in the last few years docuseries have become noticeably bloated, so much so that according to several veteran docu producers, major platforms such as HBO, Netflix and Amazon are seeking shorter series or the traditional 90-minute, one-off documentary.
While the explosion of docuseries may have initially garnered subscribers for streamers, viewer data structures and algorithms have convinced doc buyers that more is not necessarily better.
“It seems clear that the data is telling these buyers that there are certain types of projects that...
- 7/1/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel revisits the 2013 death of Canadian student Elisa Lam at the infamous downtown L.A. hotel, highlighting how the story shed light on the rise of online sleuthing and cyberbullying, the hotel’s notorious history, the current state of L.A.’s Skid Row and the stigmatization of mental health. Director Joe Berlinger discusses the challenges he faced while completing the series and why he didn’t want to simply make a “spooky, haunted-house tale.”
What was the impetus for this project?
When that elevator footage [of Lam at ...
What was the impetus for this project?
When that elevator footage [of Lam at ...
- 6/11/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel revisits the 2013 death of Canadian student Elisa Lam at the infamous downtown L.A. hotel, highlighting how the story shed light on the rise of online sleuthing and cyberbullying, the hotel’s notorious history, the current state of L.A.’s Skid Row and the stigmatization of mental health. Director Joe Berlinger discusses the challenges he faced while completing the series and why he didn’t want to simply make a “spooky, haunted-house tale.”
What was the impetus for this project?
When that elevator footage [of Lam at ...
What was the impetus for this project?
When that elevator footage [of Lam at ...
- 6/11/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Exclusive: Amp International has closed a raft of virtual EFM pre-sales on The Elevator Game, the supernatural horror from filmmaker Michael Goi (American Horror Story).
Capelight Pictures beat out competition to land German-speaking Europe; Paradise acquired Cis and the Baltics in another territory that saw multiple offers; Sun Distribution snapped up Latin America, Spain and Portugal; and Scanbox took Scandinavia.
Other deals include Kino Swiat in Poland, Front Row Entertainment in The Middle East, MovieCloud in Taiwan, Mockingbird in Vietnam and Sahamongkol in Thailand. Negotiations are continuing in most other territories.
Based on the eponymous online phenomenon, the project will follow Dale, a socially awkward teenager who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had just played The Elevator Game. The ritual is conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring the many online warnings,...
Capelight Pictures beat out competition to land German-speaking Europe; Paradise acquired Cis and the Baltics in another territory that saw multiple offers; Sun Distribution snapped up Latin America, Spain and Portugal; and Scanbox took Scandinavia.
Other deals include Kino Swiat in Poland, Front Row Entertainment in The Middle East, MovieCloud in Taiwan, Mockingbird in Vietnam and Sahamongkol in Thailand. Negotiations are continuing in most other territories.
Based on the eponymous online phenomenon, the project will follow Dale, a socially awkward teenager who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had just played The Elevator Game. The ritual is conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring the many online warnings,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
If you watch enough true crime documentaries on streaming platforms, you start to notice a template emerging. There are the moodily lit reenactments, complete with perky voiceovers from the victim’s diary or blog, written during happier times. There are the journalists and “experts” on the case (more often than not, YouTubers or message board posters) offering their own versions of what may have occurred, with little to no evidence to back it up. And there are the red herrings, the tantalizing alternative theories or explanations of the case spliced...
- 2/25/2021
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
A message for conspiracy theorists. In an exclusive chat with E! News, Amy Price, who is the former general manager of the Cecil Hotel, sounded off on claims that she and her staff tampered with the viral security footage. For those unfamiliar with Netflix's latest true crime docu-series, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel unpacks the dark history of the Downtown Los Angeles hotel, including the 2013 disappearance and death of Elisa Lam. As detailed in the series, Price gave the police elevator footage, which featured Lam acting strangely. Price recalled to E! News, "First of all, I provided the footage. When it was presented to me…it's bizarre." And she wasn't...
- 2/13/2021
- E! Online
Cecil Hotel’s nefarious past is back in the spotlight thanks to Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary, “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel”. The four-part series directed by Joe Berlinger explores how the notorious Los Angeles establishment became associated with suicide and murder through the lens of guest Elisa Lam’s disappearance and mysterious death in 2013. Amy Price, the...
- 2/12/2021
- by Aynslee Darmon
- ET Canada
Image Source: Getty / David McNew
Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel revisits the case of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian student who was found dead in the Cecil Hotel's water tank on Feb. 19, 2013. The series unpacks the story by detailing the chilling coincidences associated with her disappearance, offering theories as to what may have happened to her, and analyzing a troubling elevator video, but it completely glosses over the real history of Skid Row, or, as Detective Jim McSorely irresponsibly calls it, "a free-for-all, where people are allowed to sleep on the streets, buy drugs, sell their bodies."
The area surrounding the Cecil Hotel is called Skid Row, which is a 56-block area in downtown Los Angeles that's existed for over 100 years. It's one of the poorest areas in the world, and approximately 8,000 to 10,000 individuals currently reside there. "Almost all of our homeless services are located in this one area,...
Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel revisits the case of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian student who was found dead in the Cecil Hotel's water tank on Feb. 19, 2013. The series unpacks the story by detailing the chilling coincidences associated with her disappearance, offering theories as to what may have happened to her, and analyzing a troubling elevator video, but it completely glosses over the real history of Skid Row, or, as Detective Jim McSorely irresponsibly calls it, "a free-for-all, where people are allowed to sleep on the streets, buy drugs, sell their bodies."
The area surrounding the Cecil Hotel is called Skid Row, which is a 56-block area in downtown Los Angeles that's existed for over 100 years. It's one of the poorest areas in the world, and approximately 8,000 to 10,000 individuals currently reside there. "Almost all of our homeless services are located in this one area,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Elisa Lam's 2013 death at the Cecil Hotel has been marked by strange coincidences and conspiracy theories. The bizarre elevator video of her and the way that she was found in the hotel water tank only contributed to the mystery of her passing. To add to the enigma, most of the world singularly knew her voice from her Tumblr account nouvelle-nouveau. Netflix's docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel takes snippets from Lam's personal blog to establish the story around her death. While it no longer features new posts, Lam's Tumblr account is still up, and you can still sift through its archive.
The 21-year-old Canadian student wrote on her blog prolifically, so it became a valuable source for investigators and web sleuths alike. Crime Scene uses the Tumblr account not only to fill out the timeline of Lam's disappearance case, but also to reconstruct her voice and personality.
The 21-year-old Canadian student wrote on her blog prolifically, so it became a valuable source for investigators and web sleuths alike. Crime Scene uses the Tumblr account not only to fill out the timeline of Lam's disappearance case, but also to reconstruct her voice and personality.
- 2/11/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel unpacks the tragic case of Elisa Lam, a young traveler who was found in the water tank of the Cecil Hotel in 2013. Her cause of death was officially listed as an accidental drowning with her bipolar disorder as a significant factor. However, the strange details around her case attracted amateur detectives who contested this ruling. Before her body was found, police released security footage of her behaving oddly in the hotel elevator. Unsurprisingly, web sleuths picked apart the video to formulate speculations about foul play. One of the oddest theories to emerge was that Lam was playing The Elevator Game, a routine reminiscent of Bloody Mary. If you're unfamiliar with this game, keep reading ahead to find out what it's all about - it's pretty creepy stuff.
If you've lurked around the conspiracy theory and urban legend niches of YouTube and Reddit,...
If you've lurked around the conspiracy theory and urban legend niches of YouTube and Reddit,...
- 2/11/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
The first thing I thought when I heard the title of the latest true crime documentary to arrive on Netflix, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel was “please be the Elisa Lam case! Please be the Elisa Lam case!”. The second thing I thought was “My God, you utter monster, that was a young woman’s life”.
It’s a conflict that most true crime fans juggle with constantly. We are fascinated by these cases but we know the importance of questioning our motives, of keeping the victims as people front and centre and of trying to remember that this is real life and not just something here for our entertainment.
Joe Berlinger’s excellent documentary does a fine job of reinforcing this message, presenting Lam’s disappearance and the fallout surrounding it in the most down to earth and least sensationalist way possible. Talking heads include the...
It’s a conflict that most true crime fans juggle with constantly. We are fascinated by these cases but we know the importance of questioning our motives, of keeping the victims as people front and centre and of trying to remember that this is real life and not just something here for our entertainment.
Joe Berlinger’s excellent documentary does a fine job of reinforcing this message, presenting Lam’s disappearance and the fallout surrounding it in the most down to earth and least sensationalist way possible. Talking heads include the...
- 2/11/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t watched “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.”)
“Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” delves into the mysterious death of Elisa Lam at the infamous hotel, and director Joe Berlinger said it was important for him to debunk the conspiracy theories surrounding her death out of respect for the victim.
“You need to be a good steward when telling someone’s tragedy — the past tellings of this story have hid behind the evil presence and phenomenon and that’s extremely disrespectful to the victim, to dismiss her tragedy as the ghost/haunted house story,” Berlinger told TheWrap.
Lam was a 21-year-old student visiting Los Angeles when she stayed at the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles in 2013. However, one day she disappeared without a trace, and 19 days later, she was found floating naked in a water...
“Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” delves into the mysterious death of Elisa Lam at the infamous hotel, and director Joe Berlinger said it was important for him to debunk the conspiracy theories surrounding her death out of respect for the victim.
“You need to be a good steward when telling someone’s tragedy — the past tellings of this story have hid behind the evil presence and phenomenon and that’s extremely disrespectful to the victim, to dismiss her tragedy as the ghost/haunted house story,” Berlinger told TheWrap.
Lam was a 21-year-old student visiting Los Angeles when she stayed at the notorious Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles in 2013. However, one day she disappeared without a trace, and 19 days later, she was found floating naked in a water...
- 2/10/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The Cecil Hotel has been haunted by a dark history of grisly crimes and murders. Focused on the disappearance of Elisa Lam, Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel also dives deep into the Cecil's disturbing history of serial killers. Episode three of the docuseries unpacks the terrifying case of the serial killer Jack Unterweger, who resided at the hotel during the Summer of 1991. Just years after Richard Ramirez terrified Los Angeles as the Night Stalker, Unterweger made his way into the hotel to study the nearby red-light district. Soon after Unterweger's arrival, sex workers started dying. So, who exactly was Jack Unterweger? To those who first met him in Los Angeles, he was simply an Austrian journalist on assignment.
Johann "Jack" Unterweger had a history. In 1974, he abducted and murdered 18-year-old Margret Schafer, claiming to see his mother's face in Schafer when he strangled her with her own bra.
Johann "Jack" Unterweger had a history. In 1974, he abducted and murdered 18-year-old Margret Schafer, claiming to see his mother's face in Schafer when he strangled her with her own bra.
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” streaming now on Netflix.
From his “Paradise Lost” trilogy that began in 1996 to his 2009 documentary “Crude” that looked at the pollution of the Amazon, documentarian Joe Berlinger has spent a lot of time in his career and his personal philanthropy exposing false narratives and telling stories of wrongful convictions. But, he has also been interested in exploring how geography can impact criminal behaviors, such as in “Paradise Lost,” 2014’s “Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger” and 2019’s Netflix docuseries “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.” Now, he has teamed back up with the streamer for “Crime Scene,” a true crime docuseries that allows him to dig deeper into these elements than ever before.
The first season of “Crime Scene” is subtitled “The Vanishing at the Cecil...
From his “Paradise Lost” trilogy that began in 1996 to his 2009 documentary “Crude” that looked at the pollution of the Amazon, documentarian Joe Berlinger has spent a lot of time in his career and his personal philanthropy exposing false narratives and telling stories of wrongful convictions. But, he has also been interested in exploring how geography can impact criminal behaviors, such as in “Paradise Lost,” 2014’s “Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger” and 2019’s Netflix docuseries “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.” Now, he has teamed back up with the streamer for “Crime Scene,” a true crime docuseries that allows him to dig deeper into these elements than ever before.
The first season of “Crime Scene” is subtitled “The Vanishing at the Cecil...
- 2/10/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
The black metal musician Morbid unexpectedly found himself in the middle of the tragic and bizarre Elisa Lam case when people started lurking around his YouTube channel. Web sleuths found a video of Morbid, whose real name is Pablo Vergara, at the Cecil Hotel a year before Elisa Lam's death. In Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, we hear from Vergara in episodes three and four as he unpacks how the unofficial internet true-crime investigation caught him off guard and put him through a personal whirlwind. So how did Vergara fit into the story? Here's how the case unfolded for him.
Morbid's channel, now defunct, displayed an obsession with violence and death. Crime Scene sifts through some of his past footage that seemed to have connections with Lam. Vergara had a video where he performed with pictures of Ted Bundy and the Black Dahlia in the background.
Morbid's channel, now defunct, displayed an obsession with violence and death. Crime Scene sifts through some of his past footage that seemed to have connections with Lam. Vergara had a video where he performed with pictures of Ted Bundy and the Black Dahlia in the background.
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Dubbed creepy nicknames such as "Hotel Death" and "The Suicide," the Cecil Hotel harbors a dark history as a hotbed for death, suicide, and murder. A magnet for crime, it was formerly home to serial killers such as Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger. In 2013, its notoriety hit off once more when 21-year-old Canadian traveler Elisa Lam was found dead in the hotel's water tank days after police released a chilling video of her in an elevator.
Lam's story is now the focus of Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which interviews experts and hotel workers to clarify the context around her case. But this docuseries isn't the first time we've seen the Cecil or Lam's story referenced on the small screen. Back in 2015, the Cecil actually inspired Ryan Murphy to create American Horror Story: Hotel, which focuses on the disturbing events at the fictional Hotel Cortez.
Lam's story is now the focus of Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, which interviews experts and hotel workers to clarify the context around her case. But this docuseries isn't the first time we've seen the Cecil or Lam's story referenced on the small screen. Back in 2015, the Cecil actually inspired Ryan Murphy to create American Horror Story: Hotel, which focuses on the disturbing events at the fictional Hotel Cortez.
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
To say that the last available footage of Elisa Lam is odd is an understatement. How the 21-year-old Canadian student ended up dead in a rooftop water tank at the infamous Cecil Hotel immediately created a frenzy on the Internet. Around the time of her mysterious 2013 death, the only piece of evidence widely available was a four-minute security video of Lam acting oddly in an elevator. The clip quickly fueled conspiracy theories and rumors of foul play, which are explored in Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. While the case has an official finding of an "accidental drowning," people have treated it like an unsolved mystery.
After Lam went missing on Jan. 31, 2013, detectives discovered a surveillance clip of her on one of the elevators. Let's review what actually happens in the bizarre video. When Lam enters the elevator, she presses down on a column of buttons and moves to a corner.
After Lam went missing on Jan. 31, 2013, detectives discovered a surveillance clip of her on one of the elevators. Let's review what actually happens in the bizarre video. When Lam enters the elevator, she presses down on a column of buttons and moves to a corner.
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel explores the strange and tragic case of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian traveler who was found dead in the Cecil Hotel's water tank in early 2013. Lam's death, officially ruled an accidental drowning, was met with sensational speculation because of the Cecil's gruesome history. Given that the Cecil has been riddled with death and crime, many web sleuths were convinced by theories of ghosts and foul play. Episode two of Crime Scene especially unpacks how the hotel's dark past marred its reputation. Over the years, the Cecil has earned unsavory nicknames such as "Hotel Death" and "The Suicide." Management even rebranded part of the Cecil as a trendy youth hostel called "Stay on Main" to distance away from its unsettling background.
So, what were the unspeakable crimes at the Cecil? Whether or not the Cecil is haunted by ghosts, it has...
So, what were the unspeakable crimes at the Cecil? Whether or not the Cecil is haunted by ghosts, it has...
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
The bizarre circumstances around Elisa Lam's 2013 death have drawn much attention to her case. As they were presented, the facts did little to provide definitive answers and raised more questions about possible criminal activities. The investigation around Lam's disappearance was sometimes muddled because of miscommunications between police and the media, preconceived notions about the Cecil Hotel, and bizarre speculations from conspiracy theorists.
Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel aims to provide a thorough look at Lam's case and the context of her death through interviews with experts, in addition to hotel staff members and guests. So what really happened during the 21-year-old Canadian student's travels? Ahead, we've put together a timeline of Elisa Lam's disappearance and death to straighten out the facts.
Jan. 28: Lam checks into the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Traveling through California, she resided in the hostel-style part of the...
Netflix's Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel aims to provide a thorough look at Lam's case and the context of her death through interviews with experts, in addition to hotel staff members and guests. So what really happened during the 21-year-old Canadian student's travels? Ahead, we've put together a timeline of Elisa Lam's disappearance and death to straighten out the facts.
Jan. 28: Lam checks into the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Traveling through California, she resided in the hostel-style part of the...
- 2/10/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t seen Netflix’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.”)
Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old student visiting Los Angeles for the first time when she mysteriously disappeared in 2013, and was found in a water tank of the Cecil Hotel in Downtown L.A. 19 days later.
Police later said there was no evidence of trauma and her death was accidental, even if the exact circumstances leading to her demise remain unknown. Nonetheless, theories on why Lam vanished and how she died have circled ever since. Some blame hotel guests and staff, other suggest she was hunted and murdered, and still others say she was playing a Korean game that took on a tragic dimension. That all might be because the hotel in question has been linked to several notable murders and suicides over its 94-year history.
Joe Berlinger’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel...
Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old student visiting Los Angeles for the first time when she mysteriously disappeared in 2013, and was found in a water tank of the Cecil Hotel in Downtown L.A. 19 days later.
Police later said there was no evidence of trauma and her death was accidental, even if the exact circumstances leading to her demise remain unknown. Nonetheless, theories on why Lam vanished and how she died have circled ever since. Some blame hotel guests and staff, other suggest she was hunted and murdered, and still others say she was playing a Korean game that took on a tragic dimension. That all might be because the hotel in question has been linked to several notable murders and suicides over its 94-year history.
Joe Berlinger’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel...
- 2/10/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t seen Netflix’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.”)
Netflix’s documentary “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” goes live on the streaming service Wednesday, and while the series focuses mostly on the Elisa Lam case, the Cecil Hotel is a Los Angeles landmark that has a haunted history dating back to the 1930s.
The 21-year-old student Elisa Lam, the subject of the Netflix series, is now the Cecil Hotel’s most famous lodger. Lam was found floating dead and naked in the hotel’s water tower on the roof in February 2013 after a brief stay. The last recorded moments of Lam’s life were captured by a now-famous elevator security camera video, which shows Lam frantically pressing all the door buttons and apparently speaking to someone out of view.
Lam’s case is still cold — a killer was never identified,...
Netflix’s documentary “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” goes live on the streaming service Wednesday, and while the series focuses mostly on the Elisa Lam case, the Cecil Hotel is a Los Angeles landmark that has a haunted history dating back to the 1930s.
The 21-year-old student Elisa Lam, the subject of the Netflix series, is now the Cecil Hotel’s most famous lodger. Lam was found floating dead and naked in the hotel’s water tower on the roof in February 2013 after a brief stay. The last recorded moments of Lam’s life were captured by a now-famous elevator security camera video, which shows Lam frantically pressing all the door buttons and apparently speaking to someone out of view.
Lam’s case is still cold — a killer was never identified,...
- 2/10/2021
- by Samson Amore and Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Netflix documentary Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel explores the strange case of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian woman who disappeared in January 2013 while she was staying at the Cecil Hotel in downtown LA. It’s a very famous case with many theories posited across the internet, which captured people’s imaginations after some very odd footage of Lam was released by the LAPD, hoping to find out what happened to her. More than two weeks after Elisa was last seen her body was discovered in a water tank on top of the hotel, after guests at the hotel reported a drop in pressure and discoloration of the water.
Was she murdered? Was it suicide? Was it an accident? Or could it even have been something supernatural? This four part docuseries from Joe Berlinger, who made the excellent documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, delves...
Was she murdered? Was it suicide? Was it an accident? Or could it even have been something supernatural? This four part docuseries from Joe Berlinger, who made the excellent documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, delves...
- 2/10/2021
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
In its fourth and final episode, “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” finally gets to its point.
After three episodes of unpacking the mysterious disappearance of Elisa Lam, the infamous Cecil Hotel in which she was last seen, the fraught history of downtown Los Angeles, and even several truly confusing “web sleuth” theories about what might have happened, the new Netflix series reaches a perhaps unsatisfying conclusion: that the simplest explanation is almost definitely the right one. This hour not only addresses all the reasons why this particular case got so much attention, but why that attention complicated everything about it beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. It’s surprisingly self-aware, and occasionally very smart about the intersections of local history, public interest and the infinite possibilities of the internet’s involvement.
So it’s really too bad that it takes three full episodes of melodrama and rampant conspiracy...
After three episodes of unpacking the mysterious disappearance of Elisa Lam, the infamous Cecil Hotel in which she was last seen, the fraught history of downtown Los Angeles, and even several truly confusing “web sleuth” theories about what might have happened, the new Netflix series reaches a perhaps unsatisfying conclusion: that the simplest explanation is almost definitely the right one. This hour not only addresses all the reasons why this particular case got so much attention, but why that attention complicated everything about it beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. It’s surprisingly self-aware, and occasionally very smart about the intersections of local history, public interest and the infinite possibilities of the internet’s involvement.
So it’s really too bad that it takes three full episodes of melodrama and rampant conspiracy...
- 2/9/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: London-based sales firm Amp International has joined forces with new LA-based genre start-up Fearworks on horror The Elevator Game, which has long-time American Horror Story DoP Michael Goi attached to direct.
The supernatural horror, based on the eponymous online phenomenon, will follow Dale, a socially awkward teenager who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had just played The Elevator Game. The ritual is conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring the many online warnings, Dale resolves to follow and find her. But he discovers that the warnings are there for a reason and ‘The Woman On The 5th Floor’ is not what she seems.
The cult online ‘game’, often found on reddit and YouTube, first emerged in Korea but has gained traction in other countries where some have speculated a...
The supernatural horror, based on the eponymous online phenomenon, will follow Dale, a socially awkward teenager who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had just played The Elevator Game. The ritual is conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. Ignoring the many online warnings, Dale resolves to follow and find her. But he discovers that the warnings are there for a reason and ‘The Woman On The 5th Floor’ is not what she seems.
The cult online ‘game’, often found on reddit and YouTube, first emerged in Korea but has gained traction in other countries where some have speculated a...
- 2/8/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
There is a lot to look forward to this week.
Even if you're not a football fan and Sunday is scuttled for you when it comes to entertainment, new shows are premiering while favorite returns.
Check out what we recommend to watch this week.
Saturday, February 6
9/8c Beverly Hills Wedding (Hallmark Channel)
When small-town wedding photographer Molly’s (Brooke D’Orsay) baby sister gets engaged, she enters the budget-conscious couple in a contest and wins a dream wedding.
It's an all-expenses-paid, celeb-worthy event at the historic Beverly Hills hotel, thrown by “planner to the stars,” Terrence Roquefort.
It all seems perfect, but when the engaged couple seems uneasy with the new plans and maid of honor duties bring Molly closer to the best man, her ex-boyfriend Cory (Brendan Penny), she reconsiders whose dreams she is trying to fulfill.
Sunday, February 7
10/9c (After the Superbowl) The Equalizer (CBS)
Queen Latifah takes over...
Even if you're not a football fan and Sunday is scuttled for you when it comes to entertainment, new shows are premiering while favorite returns.
Check out what we recommend to watch this week.
Saturday, February 6
9/8c Beverly Hills Wedding (Hallmark Channel)
When small-town wedding photographer Molly’s (Brooke D’Orsay) baby sister gets engaged, she enters the budget-conscious couple in a contest and wins a dream wedding.
It's an all-expenses-paid, celeb-worthy event at the historic Beverly Hills hotel, thrown by “planner to the stars,” Terrence Roquefort.
It all seems perfect, but when the engaged couple seems uneasy with the new plans and maid of honor duties bring Molly closer to the best man, her ex-boyfriend Cory (Brendan Penny), she reconsiders whose dreams she is trying to fulfill.
Sunday, February 7
10/9c (After the Superbowl) The Equalizer (CBS)
Queen Latifah takes over...
- 2/6/2021
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
For those looking forward to spending their Valentine's Day Netflix and chilling, we've got the details on every must-see true crime show, documentary and podcast heading your way. Subjects for this month's lineup of docuseries include the murder of Kim Walls, a 30 year old Swedish journalist who was killed aboard inventor Peter Madsen's submarine in 2017, as well as the mysterious 2013 death of Los Angeles tourist Elisa Lam. On the podcast front, Spotify continues to serve up content that will keep any armchair detective on the edge of their, well, armchair. First up? Welcome to Your Fantasy, a fascinating...
- 2/2/2021
- E! Online
Since opening in the 1920s, the Cecil Hotel has harbored a dark reputation with many robberies, assaults, murders, and suicides in its checkered history. In fact, it was home for serial killers such as Richard Ramirez and Jack Unterweger. Netflix's upcoming docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel unpacks the 2013 disappearance of Elisa Lam, contextualizing the historic building's haunting background that increased interest in the case. Given its notoriety, is the Cecil still open? While the Cecil officially closed its doors in 2017, it's currently being renovated for future guests and residents.
Interviewing former manager Amy Price, Crime Scene dives deep into the significant effort to repair the Cecil's reputation in 2011. The hotel's management decided to restructure the building and rebrand certain parts of it as a trendy hostel hotel called Stay on Main. Floors two and three were for tenants, four through six were for Stay on Main guests,...
Interviewing former manager Amy Price, Crime Scene dives deep into the significant effort to repair the Cecil's reputation in 2011. The hotel's management decided to restructure the building and rebrand certain parts of it as a trendy hostel hotel called Stay on Main. Floors two and three were for tenants, four through six were for Stay on Main guests,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' trailer is out now.
Netflix dropped the official trailer for the upcoming documentary series 'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' and it looks creepy enough.
Based on the horrifying real-life events that went down at the infamous Cecil Hotel, the series centers on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam who went missing in 2013, per Popsugar.
Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, the four-part series not only explores unsolved mystery surrounding Lam’s death, but also covers the history of Downtown Los Angeles, specifically the Skid Row area, and the Cecil Hotel, as well as examining the viral life the story took on thanks to web sleuths, per Slashfilm.
The official synopsis for 'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' is as follows: "For nearly a century the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los...
Netflix dropped the official trailer for the upcoming documentary series 'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' and it looks creepy enough.
Based on the horrifying real-life events that went down at the infamous Cecil Hotel, the series centers on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam who went missing in 2013, per Popsugar.
Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, the four-part series not only explores unsolved mystery surrounding Lam’s death, but also covers the history of Downtown Los Angeles, specifically the Skid Row area, and the Cecil Hotel, as well as examining the viral life the story took on thanks to web sleuths, per Slashfilm.
The official synopsis for 'Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel' is as follows: "For nearly a century the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los...
- 1/27/2021
- by Omkar Padte
- GlamSham
In today’s TV news roundup, BET sets a Tyler Perry special about the Covid-19 vaccine, and Netflix releases trailers for “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” and “Ginny & Georgia.”
Dates
Peacock will premiere “Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here” on Feb. 18 with all six episodes dropping at once. The show, which centers on Archibald Strutter, a chicken who “yes-and’s” his way through life but has adventures that rarely go as planned, hails from DreamWorks Animation. Created by Tony Hale, the voice cast features Hale, Adam Pally, Jordan Fisher, Chelsea Kane, Casey Wilson, Kari Wahlgren and Rosamund Pike. Watch a trailer below.
BET will air “Covid-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special” on Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. With a goal to address the public’s concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine, Perry met with Dr. Carlos del Rio and Dr. Kimberly Dyan Manning...
Dates
Peacock will premiere “Archibald’s Next Big Thing Is Here” on Feb. 18 with all six episodes dropping at once. The show, which centers on Archibald Strutter, a chicken who “yes-and’s” his way through life but has adventures that rarely go as planned, hails from DreamWorks Animation. Created by Tony Hale, the voice cast features Hale, Adam Pally, Jordan Fisher, Chelsea Kane, Casey Wilson, Kari Wahlgren and Rosamund Pike. Watch a trailer below.
BET will air “Covid-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special” on Jan. 28 at 9 p.m. With a goal to address the public’s concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine, Perry met with Dr. Carlos del Rio and Dr. Kimberly Dyan Manning...
- 1/27/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
On January 26, 2013, Canadian student Elisa Lam came to Los Angeles. She eventually checked into the run-down Cecil Hotel located in Downtown Los Angeles. But by January 31, 2013, she had vanished, seemingly into thin air. There was no record of Lam checking out of the hotel, and all the police really had to go on […]
The post ‘Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel’ Trailer: What Happened to Elisa Lam? appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel’ Trailer: What Happened to Elisa Lam? appeared first on /Film.
- 1/26/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Netflix has revealed the new series Crime Scene, which tackles the mythology of locations in contemporary crime. The first season focuses on the nefarious Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Directed by Joe Berlinger, the trailer contains footage of “Hotel Death,” explaining the murders and suicides that have occurred within its walls since the early Thirties. “Is there a room here that somebody hasn’t died in?” the hotel manager asks. “I never got used to that.”
The series also investigates the mystery of Elisa Lam, a Canadian college student...
Directed by Joe Berlinger, the trailer contains footage of “Hotel Death,” explaining the murders and suicides that have occurred within its walls since the early Thirties. “Is there a room here that somebody hasn’t died in?” the hotel manager asks. “I never got used to that.”
The series also investigates the mystery of Elisa Lam, a Canadian college student...
- 1/26/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The trailer for Netflix's next breakout documentary has arrived. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, premiering Feb. 10, centers on the mysterious death of Elisa Lam. The Canadian college student disappeared during a trip up the California coast in 2013, and her last known location is just one of the many bizarre things surrounding the case.
Lam was staying at the Cecil Hotel, a once-glamorous hotel near Los Angeles's notoriously violent Skid Row. Over the decades, the Cecil had hosted numerous killers, including Night Stalker Richard Ramirez and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger. Deaths (accidental or otherwise) at the hotel itself may stretch into the hundreds, but it's Elisa Lam's untimely death that led to countless theories by internets sleuths because of a tape the police released of her strange behavior in the hotel's elevator.
Whether you've heard of the case or not, the trailer will surely pique your interest.
Lam was staying at the Cecil Hotel, a once-glamorous hotel near Los Angeles's notoriously violent Skid Row. Over the decades, the Cecil had hosted numerous killers, including Night Stalker Richard Ramirez and Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger. Deaths (accidental or otherwise) at the hotel itself may stretch into the hundreds, but it's Elisa Lam's untimely death that led to countless theories by internets sleuths because of a tape the police released of her strange behavior in the hotel's elevator.
Whether you've heard of the case or not, the trailer will surely pique your interest.
- 1/26/2021
- by Maggie Panos
- Popsugar.com
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