Shattered Hopes (film by Ric Osuna & Katco)

[# 13]

Why not call the cops disrespectful for taking the pictures? Was the medical examiner disrespecting a dead family member by conducting an autopsy? Was the judge savaging the memory of the DeFeo family when he allowed the jury to see the photos? Answer in ALL cases: NO

The cops and the medical examiner were doing their jobs...which just so happened to involve taking photos and conducting autopsies.

The judge allowed the jurors to see the photos because it was their job to determine whether or not Ronnie was guilty.

It’s no one’s job to plaster photos of slaughtered victims on the back cover of a book...or to upload numerous videos containing images of slaughtered children.

It is also totally unnecessary (see below).

We also use the photos, though they are horrible to look at, to demonstrate to the viewer exactly how horrible this crime was. Whether you like it or not, this was a terrible, senseless tragedy. To look at the photos is to understand how senseless it was.

Considering that Ronnie killed his family members with a rifle that was designed to kill full-fledged game beasts like bear and moose...photos aren’t necessary to demonstrate how horrible the crime was...or how senseless it was.

Even a fifth-grader would have a pretty good idea of what the carnage looked like without seeing the photos.

To those brainiacs who send me emails saying "don't you think you should put a warning on it first?" I respond by saying "DUH.

Brainiacs?

DUH?

How professional.

Very well said Max!!!

It's a film discussing a case wherein 6 people were murdered, what did you think you were going to see?" It's a mature subject matter.

Ya know, he has a point when he said that anyone who watches true crime documentaries should expect graphic crime scene photos BUT..........

A warning would have been nice and like you said Max, was it necessary?............I don't think it is. Again, like you said, almost anyone could imagine what a high powered rifle could do to a human body, or face for that matter, at close range. Maybe put the graphic stuff on the dvd as a seperate chapter would be cool so one could decide to watch it or not.

I want to see this film and give it a fair shake to really see where they are coming from and I guess they are presenting more then one theory (hell, I'll listen whether I believe it or not). However, if it relies on gore to sell it then you can have it.

[msmart112]

http://www.amityvillefilm.com/FAQ.html

While Mr. Osuna hasn't been an active participant in the production of the documentary…

Really?

From here...

"Ric Osuna, author of The Night The DeFeos Died, a comprehensive book into the DeFeo murders, is directing the re-enactment sequences while also serving as a producer on the project."

[Dan the Damned]

I guess Ric got called to duty...

[sherbetbizarre]

OWNED!!


Btw, we're running a caption competition on this pic. Who's going first?

[sherbetbizarre]

[Chichibcc]

[Gerri's Burn-Pit]

[FizzGigg]

What is that on Rics forehead..Did a pigeon leave it's mark?

[Dan the Damned]

Ric finally got that birthmark removed in recent years.

I've been guilty of making fun of it, too. If Ric didn't piss me off so much, I'd feel bad for doing that...

[FizzGigg]

Gee, it seems if Ric left this project because of script, production, filming, or marketing reasons, he must have quit at the last minute since the film is to be scheduled for a November release.
It seems he has conflict problems with everyone he meets.
I will never forget the email he sent to me when I could not get the marketing dept. at Disney On Ice to advertise his book when I was touring with them.
The email accused me of causing him to spend lots of money on posters, and prints.
I tell you, he ripped me a new one!!
I emailed him back saying if anyone got used, it was me; him thinking he had a source to get some real publicity for his book.

Fizz

[sherbetbizarre]

So he actually claimed he had those posters printed?

[FizzGigg]

Hi Sherb....Yes, he told me he had posters of the book cover.
He did send me one, but it had one of those bars across it that said "Property of Osuna Graphics".
Pretty much like copyrighted photos so no one can print them.
Amityvillefiles.com has the AF on their photos of the Cromarty Halloween party.
That's the way Ric had the one he sent to me in email.

I guess he used the posters to advertise when he would be at a certain place selling his book.

Fizz

[msmart112]

If you look through this thread, you'll see how the release was originally set for November of 2006. Then postponed to 2007. Then further postponed to 2008. Then again to 2009. And currently 2010.

Earlier today...my assistant informed me that the original release date was actually way back in 2003...

December 31, 2002…

Release is anticipated for sometime in the spring of 2003, possibly as early as April 1st.

...and then...

January 20, 2006...

Katco anticipates a release of the documentary in the fall of 2006 and will span a 90-minute running time.

October 22, 2006...

The documentary will likely not be released until the late fall of 2007, says Katco.

January 17, 2008...

"We now have all the narration for the documentary wrapped, and we're just shy of being done with the last interviews, so between having the narrative locked down, and the testimony of those involved locked in, the only thing left is to wrap the remaining re-enactment sequences that we haven't filmed yet and the project is in the can," says producer Ryan Katzenbach.

October 30, 2009...

"I would really like to see a release next (2010) Halloween. I think that’s very realistic."

...as my assistant mentioned to me...how sad that Ryan has wasted so much of his life on a project that is destined for failure.

Oh well...I guess it's his life to waste.

[Dan the Damned]

I am truly sick of having these stones cast at us by those who perpetuate lies and profer ghost stories as the truth behind the DeFeo tragedy.

To those brainiacs who send me emails saying "don't you think you should put a warning on it first?" I respond by saying "DUH.

Brainiacs?

DUH?

How professional.

I guess Ryan feels every true crime documentary out there features gruesome crime scene photos. I guess he never saw "Helter Skelter," in which the bodies in the crime scene photos were tastefully masked.

Just because you have access to the photos doesn't mean you have to try and make a buck off of them.

In the case of this film, we're not going after "shock value." We are trying to demonstrate that we've examined ALL of the photos and as a result, we're presenting certain findings in our film.

And the only way to demonstrate that they have examined all the photos is to show a bunch of them on-screen for the audience to view? C'mon, Ryan! Of course you are showing these photos for shock value! For Christ's sake, in your trailer the words "THE CRIME SCENE PICTURES YOU'VE NEVER SEEN" are proudly displayed across the screen in gigantic letters!

It's a friggin' selling point for the film!

Ryan, you can try to justify it all you can, but that's the ONLY reason for you to have these photos in the film. And you know it. And that's why this is the only part of the FAQ in which you get so overly-defensive, because you know there is no defense.

[sherbetbizarre]

If you look through this thread, you'll see how the release was originally set for November of 2006. Then postponed to 2007. Then further postponed to 2008. Then again to 2009. And currently 2010.

Earlier today...my assistant informed me that the original release date was actually way back in 2003...

December 31, 2002…

Release is anticipated for sometime in the spring of 2003, possibly as early as April 1st.

If I remember correctly the 2002/3 version was to last around an hour and consist of Ryan touring Amityville while doing his piece to camera.

It was advertised as having DVD audio commentary by Geraldine DeFeo. When asked about the commentary, she had no clue as they had not bothered to inform her!

Talk about exploiting the exploiter!

[Chichibcc]

Talk about exploiting the exploiter!

I guess what goes around comes around...

[Sgt. Gionfriddo]

If I remember correctly the 2002/3 version was to last around an hour and consist of Ryan touring Amityville while doing his piece to camera.

It was advertised as having DVD audio commentary by Geraldine DeFeo. When asked about the commentary, she had no clue as they had not bothered to inform her!

Talk about exploiting the exploiter!

Don't worry, it looks like you'll still be getting commentary from Geraldine DeFeo:

[eber3]

You've got a little poo... right there...

[leathermonkey]

This movie has as much of a chance of getting released as Ronnie does...

[Gerri's Burn-Pit]

Thanks to my mole, here's a taster of what to expect come November...

[Chichibcc]