Murder Mountain

* I really loved the scenery and cinematography, especially the drone shots from high above Humboldt County.

* Did a very good job of toe-ing the line between actual footage and re-enactments.

* I appreciate that Murder Mountain tells virtually every side of the story, and that it starts from the beginning, with the OGs, working its way into the present. It's a complex situation and the story touches on: crime, taxation, libertarianism, law enforcement (competent and incompetent), prison, technology, regulation, history, etc.

* I am getting sick of having to add a disclaimer like this to most of my reviews, but as with most IMDB entries, this one is being dragged down by unrealistic and overly negative 1- and 3- star reviews. I 100% disagree that the full scope and nuance of the situation could have been covered in one movie. Besides, what if I don't want to sit around and watch a 2-hour movie, but really enjoy being able to spread my viewing experience out over several days (or binge-watch all at once)? I really wish IMDB would implement some standards when it comes to excessively positive OR excessively negative reviews, as they really ruin the average in a lot of cases.

This doc captures not only the true crime facet, but also the problems with black and white market marijuana farming in California, which is proving to be the testing ground for the rest of the country. Ten stars all the way- was hooked from the opening scene.

I was drawn into this show right away during the opening narrative. I had just turned it on, on a whim, and was only prepared to give it a few minutes. I thought it was going to be a marijuana show, and I didn't think that beyond sensationalism that it would have substance. But I give it really high points because it was paced wonderfully. The weaving of the father's story, the history of the town and the marijuana farmers were all laid out so thoughtfully, that my interest was kept the entire time and I ended up binge watching it. I really hope they do a second season! I want to revisit the farmers, and maybe investigate another missing persons.

I really enjoyed the subject matter and would have given this a 9 or 10 had it been only 3 episodes long. It looks like someone had a drone and spend a day or so flying over some beautiful scenery. Those scenes get boring after you see them 3, 4, 5... times. The same is true of the reenactments. How many times did we need to see the shooting reenactment? I lost count at 6. The numbers and finances were eye opening. A little more time spent there, even 5 minutes, would have helped explain the draw to this lifestyle. How are these people surviving? Do any of them pay property tax? Do they all get welfare/public assistance/social security checks?

And does anyone there know the past tense of see is "saw." ;-) The show is definitely worth watching but feel free to watch while doing something else.

Overlong with much repetition and some reconstructions in poor taste.

However the subject is very interesting in itself especially the failure of the war on drugs (and how close it was to really being a war in Humboldt county) and the success (apparently) of legalization...