Television The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

[Feeky Magee]

Anybody watched/watching this? A six-part documentary series on HBO (think Serial on telly but there's real developments as the series progresses) that has blown up after

Spoiler: HUGE spoiler

its protagonist, a multi-millionaire suspected of 3 murders, was arrested the day before the finale of the show.

It's insanely good.

 

[gza the genius]

I'm 4 episodes in now, really wish I would've watched this as it came out as it's pretty impossible to miss the inevitable spoilers.

It's very good though.

 

[Solius]

Just finished this

Spoiler

Holy shit that could not have gone better for them at the end, for him to talk to himself like that in the bathroom. It was like something from a film.

 

[Scrumpet]

I put off watching this initially because I thought All Good Things was an absolute mess of a film. Jarecki seems to be much better at interviewing than directing. Really is an amazing story. The one negative is that I thought there was something vaguely inappropriate about some of the stylised dramatisations and the opening credits.

 

[jem]

I put off watching this initially because I thought All Good Things was an absolute mess of a film. Jarecki seems to be much better at interviewing than directing. Really is an amazing story. The one negative is that I thought there was something vaguely inappropriate about some of the stylised dramatisations and the opening credits.

Just finished it. Compelling stuff. I also wasn't wild about the stylistic licence Jarecki and co took, and I felt the final episode dwelled a bit too much the directing side of the story. As good as it was, there's something that doesn't quite sit right with how it all went down, something the New York Times interview with Jarecki and Smerling (linked below) seems to hint at in the first few questions (Jarecki's answers to these questions take on a slightly Durstian evasive tone.) I can't articulate the unease, but it's there all the same.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/the-jinx-ending-robert-durst-andrew-jarecki/?_r=0

 

[Duffy]

Errrrrm...so I've just finished this and pretty much won't be taking my jaw off the floor for the next few days. Fantastic piece of film making.

 

[TheGK]

Can anyone PM me a link to this please, just spent an hour reading up on Durst, the cases and this series and it sounds like incredible viewing.

 

[Joemo]

Just finished this.

Last episode spoiler:

Spoiler

Surely he knows he's been recorded? He clearly knew when he was saying "I did not purposefully, intentionally lie. I made mistakes" and was looking at the camera, and I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't have known his mic was still hot. I don't know though - half of the time he seems like some eccentric, loony old man and the other half of the time he seems a shady, calculating criminal.

Either way, that's one of the most gripping pieces of television I've ever seen.

 

[Muffled funk]

Just finished this.

Last episode spoiler:

Spoiler

Surely he knows he's been recorded? He clearly knew when he was saying "I did not purposefully, intentionally lie. I made mistakes" and was looking at the camera, and I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't have known his mic was still hot. I don't know though - half of the time he seems like some eccentric, loony old man and the other half of the time he seems a shady, calculating criminal.

Either way, that's one of the most gripping pieces of television I've ever seen.

Spoiler

he doesn't know the first time either and is just talking to himself/ praticing the line he is going to say after the break. His lawyer has to come over and tell him his mic is hot and they can hear him.

 

[Joemo]

Spoiler

he doesn't know the first time either and is just talking to himself/ praticing the line he is going to say after the break. His lawyer has to come over and tell him his mic is hot and they can hear him.

Spoiler

Oh right, I took it as he knows he's recorded and is planting a defence which he can say he was unaware he was being recorded and so that's his honest truth. Wow, that changes things then.

 

[Duffy]

Spoiler

Oh right, I took it as he knows he's recorded and is planting a defence which he can say he was unaware he was being recorded and so that's his honest truth. Wow, that changes things then.

Spoiler

Its easy to say "well he was told once why do it again?" But he clearly has forgotten and reading up on it, it was about 2 years between the initial interview and the second, so in that time he clearly either forgot or he was so taken aback by the fact he had been found out that he wasn't thinking. The lines "well that's it, you're caught" and "what the he'll did I do? Killed them all, of course" are just perfect, it could not have possibly been better if written

Just a stunning piece of television.

 

[Joemo]

Spoiler

Its easy to say "well he was told once why do it again?" But he clearly has forgotten and reading up on it, it was about 2 years between the initial interview and the second, so in that time he clearly either forgot or he was so taken aback by the fact he had been found out that he wasn't thinking. The lines "well that's it, you're caught" and "what the he'll did I do? Killed them all, of course" are just perfect, it could not have possibly been better if written

Just a stunning piece of television.

Spoiler

And the bit where he's preparing his defence - he says he didn't understand the question and then something about burping (he wasn't feeling well?)

 

[Castia]

I'll give this a watch considering it's highly rated.

 

[GBBQ]

So went home to check at lunch time and its all on sky anytime so will be getting stuck into it. As @gza the genius said though its hard to miss the spoilers, the show ending was pretty well publicised so probably takes some of the shine off it but I genuinely have very little knowledge of what its about so still should be a good watch.

 

[Amir]

Good stuff, but...

Spoiler

Out of everything that we've seen in the six episodes, the thing at the end is probably the weakest. While I have little doubt he's done it, the words he said could be explained as ironic answers or whatever. Sounds nice to actually hear him say it, but it doesn't mean that much.

 

[Duffy]

Good stuff, but...

Spoiler

Out of everything that we've seen in the six episodes, the thing at the end is probably the weakest. While I have little doubt he's done it, the words he said could be explained as ironic answers or whatever. Sounds nice to actually hear him say it, but it doesn't mean that much.

Think its quite obvious...

Spoiler

that he has some kind of bipolar or he's just off his nut. It's alost like he was so taken aback by the question that he has got to somewhere he finds solitary and he is openly discussing it with himself. He comes straight out with "That's it, you're caught" and goes from there in a way that he is almost having a conversation with himself but also realising what he maybe should have said when asked the question "I'm struggling with the question". I think its easy to find it sarcastic but I do believe its clear it was a confession...as shown in episode 4 and throughout, he is known to talk to himself to straighten his head out.

 

[Brwned]

Good stuff, but...

Spoiler

Out of everything that we've seen in the six episodes, the thing at the end is probably the weakest. While I have little doubt he's done it, the words he said could be explained as ironic answers or whatever. Sounds nice to actually hear him say it, but it doesn't mean that much.

Spoiler

I'd find it hard to believe a jury could listen to that after watching the strange involuntary burping - which was clearly some kind of tell-tale physiological reaction, the physical disgust at being caught - and think it was anything other than sincere fear of being caught. There were loads of signs in the previous interview too. That confession alone doesn't guarantee his conviction but the evidence gathered beforehand along with the interview itself in its entirety makes it almost guaranteed, IMO.

Then again he managed to get away with murder after chopping someone to pieces, concealing the evidence and going on the run so anything's possible...

 

[Solius]

Theme song for this was awesome too.

 

[Scrumpet]

Spoiler

I'd find it hard to believe a jury could listen to that after watching the strange involuntary burping - which was clearly some kind of tell-tale physiological reaction, the physical disgust at being caught - and think it was anything other than sincere fear of being caught. There were loads of signs in the previous interview too. That confession alone doesn't guarantee his conviction but the evidence gathered beforehand along with the interview itself in its entirety makes it almost guaranteed, IMO.

Then again he managed to get away with murder after chopping someone to pieces, concealing the evidence and going on the run so anything's possible...

Spoiler

Will a jury ever see it? I don't really understand what would be admissible and what wouldn't be. The letter in particular, how much weight does it really hold in court given it was discovered so many years later and then passed on to....a film crew, instead of the police?

I can also imagine the prosecution having problems if their theory for a motive relies on the defendant and the victim's involvement in an earlier murder that they can't prove. But that's all speculation of the wildest kind.

 

[Amir]

Spoiler

Can't help but wonder that if it ever comes to a trial, it would be near impossible to assemble a jury which wouldn't be affected by what they previous heard about him, even if the letter or the video can't be used.

He's 72, and while it might just have been a bad day or fatigue, didn't seem all that well from the 2013 footage. Obviously some people need and deserve closure, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure it will be going anywhere. With lawyers running interference for him, he's probably more likely to die or be in a state that makes it impossible to put him to trial before anything major happens.

 

[Amir]

Spoiler

I'd find it hard to believe a jury could listen to that after watching the strange involuntary burping - which was clearly some kind of tell-tale physiological reaction, the physical disgust at being caught - and think it was anything other than sincere fear of being caught. There were loads of signs in the previous interview too. That confession alone doesn't guarantee his conviction but the evidence gathered beforehand along with the interview itself in its entirety makes it almost guaranteed, IMO.

Then again he managed to get away with murder after chopping someone to pieces, concealing the evidence and going on the run so anything's possible...

Spoiler

That's why the whole burping thing doesn't matter. If it comes to a trial, both sides will bring in experts on the subject who will take their sides, until the jury no longer knows what to believe

 

[BD]

Amazing show.

Spoiler

I'm pretty sure the bathroom confession at the end has been marked as inadmissable evidence for the trial. Pretty mad but then I suppose his lawyer would take that part of the prosecution apart anyway.

 

[Castia]

Started watching this at 9pm and I've now watched all 6 episodes, Jesus that's some of the best TV Ive ever seen.

 

[Oggmonster]

Just finished it. Compelling stuff. I also wasn't wild about the stylistic licence Jarecki and co took, and I felt the final episode dwelled a bit too much the directing side of the story. As good as it was, there's something that doesn't quite sit right with how it all went down, something the New York Times interview with Jarecki and Smerling (linked below) seems to hint at in the first few questions (Jarecki's answers to these questions take on a slightly Durstian evasive tone.) I can't articulate the unease, but it's there all the same.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/the-jinx-ending-robert-durst-andrew-jarecki/?_r=0

Yeah I thought that as well. I suppose they were struggling for material by Episode 6 but it seemed a bit self indulgent by the end of it.

Spoiler

I thought overall it was a really good show, I knew the ending as I read about the documentary before it came out but it was still good to watch. It'll be interesting what happened now, from various articles it seems like the "confession" would have no actual weight and would be dismissed in court. IT was a very well made documentary though even if the last episode wasn't the best.

 

[facund]

Watched it on the basis of this thread and was not disappointed. Brilliant series although I agree that the last episode did seem odd due to the switch in style and putting the focus on Jarecki rather than Durst.

Spoiler

Nice to have closure on these things as usually a degree of ambiguity is left in such documentaries and I had not heard anything about the story prior to watching.
I thought the "burping" looked a lot like retching, like he was physically ill at the thought of his deceptions crashing down around him and it made for a fantastically uncomfortable moment of viewing.

 

[Player Red]

Watched this last week. Was unbelievable. Remembered in the second last episode that I had actually read a news story about the end but had totally forgot about it and never put the two together.

Jarecki also did a documentary called "capturing the friedmanns" which is very good. Worth a watch as well.

 

[MelvinYeo]

Just finished this, absolutely astonishing piece of television. The way Durst maintained his composure in his first interview was very impressive aside from some squirming. He must have prepared a lot for it.

Spoiler

The niece of Kathy Durst I couldn't believe it.

 

[Randall Flagg]

This doesn't seem to be on sky or Netflix?

What was it shown on initially?

 

[Scrumpet]

This doesn't seem to be on sky or Netflix?

What was it shown on initially?

HBO in the US, Sky Atlantic in the UK.

 

[Irrational.]

I'm late to the party as always, but just finished binge watching this. Fantastic documentary.

Robert Durst is a cold-blooded psychopath. There's no two ways about it. He somehow got a thrill off the risks he was taking and how close he was to getting caught. Nicking the chicken sandwich when he had $500 in his pocket, the 'cadaver' letter and finally agreeing to do the interviews. These aren't the actions of a rational thinking murderer. He knew it would catch up with him at some point, it was just how long he could keep getting away with it. With his numerous aliases, who knows how many murders, disappearances and crimes he is responsible for?

His reaction when shown the handwriting comparison was priceless and as good as a confession. Brilliant TV.

 

[Tarrou]

Looking for something else to watch like The Jinx or MAM, anyone got any recommendations?

 

[Joemo]

Looking for something else to watch like The Jinx or MAM, anyone got any recommendations?

West of Memphis documentary is the most similar thing I've seen. It's a feature-length documentary though, not split into episodes.

 

[Tarrou]

West of Memphis documentary is the most similar thing I've seen. It's a feature-length documentary though, not split into episodes.

Thanks, yeah I've seen that and it's a great documentary. In case you're interested in something similar, I'd highly recommend 'The Thin Blue Line', the Errol Morris's doc.

 

[Mockney]

Someone made a thread about The Staircase recently. It's much slower than The Jinx, and slightly less infuriating than MAM, but is definitely a good pre-cursor to both.

 

[Tarrou]

Someone made a thread about The Staircase recently. It's much slower than The Jinx, and slightly less infuriating than MAM, but is definitely a good pre-cursor to both.

Thanks, gonna give this one a go

 

[LuisNaniencia]

This is on sky box sets now, can't wait to get stuck into it!

 

[RexHamilton]

Only just got around to watching this now and avoided looking up anything about the show or the case. Thought the final scene was incredible television. Great documentary overall.

 

[SteveTheRed]

It's an incredible documentary, I recommend it to everyone when talking about these types of show and they have never heard of it! So glad I got to watch knowing nothing about the case.

 

[SwansonsTache]

I am on part five now and wow, just wow, guiltiest cnut since OJ. Simpson.

 

[SwansonsTache]

By far the best true crime documentary I've seen, much better than Making A Murderer.