Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Jesse Green Potential spoilers ahead.This movie does a very good job showcasing what happens to people who die alone - either because of separation from family or because they're the last family member left having died childless and outliving everyone else in the family.With a high degree of realism this movie is not for the faint of heart. It is graphic in some parts, showing the reality of death, presenting the deceased as they actually are, with some of the deceased naked - with one such person showing obvious decomposition after having been dead a while in his apartment. It shows cremations in progress and the processing of the cremains after the cremation is done.In addition to the graphic realism it shows some of the more mundane things that happen - such as the work involved with finding next of kin and disposing of property. I liked seeing the old computer system that the people at the coroner's office used at the time - it made me nostalgic for the days when people used dumb terminals to do their work and not tablets or other devices with the latest GUIs.If you feel able to handle the graphic realism of the film I would highly recommend seeing it. It shows how some people die without friends or family to take care of them afterwards, and the work that goes along with such passings.

runamokprods Disturbing, creepy, sad documentary on how the body and personal effects of those who die without kin are handled by the coroner's office. The lack of music and narration, combined with carefully coldly composed cinematography all add to the disturbing sense of clinical isolation. The images of real dead bodies being discovered, cataloged, and eventually reduced to ash can't help but make one ponder mortality, and how alone we all are in the end. Yet sometimes the air of reserve feels forced, and there's a bit of repetitiveness, despite the short (69 min) running time. Still, a fascinating, macabre, thought provoking film

groggo Filmmakers Grover Babcock and Blue Hadaegh have given us a brilliant, gritty, no-frills examination of a subject that not many people think about, or want to think about: what happens to people who die and nobody steps forward to claim their bodies?'A Certain Kind of Death' follows several of these 'John Doe' cases. We get personal 'glances' at these profoundly alienated people, who apparently lived their lives feeling alone and detached from society. It is the existential literature of Sartre or Camus translated into real life.There are no gimmicks in this film, very little music, and most of it is done in cinema verite style. We see investigators from L.A. County methodically plowing through the effects of the deceased, and we see them trying hard to find people who care enough to come forward and make funeral arrangements. In one striking and disturbing scene, we see the contents of a decedent's apartment totally removed. The camera lingers on the emptiness, with outlines of where wall hangings used to be. All that remains of the dead man are outlines -- he is already being processed for cremation. We then see the apartment's contents being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The man remains a commodity long after his death. Babcock and Hadaegh deserve high praise for an offbeat and important film about a story that needed to be told. Social disconnection and alienation are major problems, particularly in large urban areas, yet we hear little about them in our absurd pop-cultured world. In L.A. County alone, there are apparently about 1,600 unclaimed bodies every year. Not everyone is surrounded by caring families, not everyone knows the good life.

xakarava I recently saw "A Certain Kind of Death" on Sundance and it literally blew my mind away. It was captivating because this documentary actually makes one appreciate life a lot more."A Certain Kind of Death" explores as to what happens to the unclaimed dead (the deceased with no RECORDED next of kin)when their corpses are now the care of the government (which in this case is LA county). Maybe many people have an idea what happens to the deceased John and Jane Does' of the world but this explores the nitty, gritty details as to what happens. I will not spoil it here or go into too much detail, but there are people whose job it is to take care of the unclaimed dead corpses and to them it's business as usual, but the images from their jobs will stick with you and I have, at least, learned to appreciate my family and most importantly my life after watching this story (in other words, don't take everyday life for granted for you never know....) This isn't a cheery documentary. It does make you think and feel. Some viewers have complained that the people in the film aren't passionate about their jobs. Well, since when processing corpses on a daily basis (mind you, some of these corpses are in pretty AWFUL shape) invokes passion??? This is what essentially happens when you die folks, there's no way around it. Some have pretty mahogany coffins with satin lining, others have 24k gold urns for their ashes, but their are many out there not so fortunate but in the end we all end up the same: ashes to ashes, dust to dust.I highly recommend this film.