Murder Mountain

I am lived, very close to Alderpoint from 1979 to 1985. This documentary is so accurate, and so haunting, I can't stop thinking about it. It really hits the nail on the head for where Humboldt County came from and where it went into the 80s and 90s. It was paradise when we first moved there it was a war zone when we finally left.

Murder Mountain is, ultimately, an in-depth look at a family trying to seek justice for a murdered loved one in an area that has been defined by its "lawlessness" for generations due to the large amount of illegal cannabis grows once found there. Humboldt County, California is known for its "Emerald Triangle", where most of the illegal cannabis in the U.S.A. used to be grown and has gone through intense upheaval due to the legalization of cannabis in California (everybody wants a piece of the monetary pie). Lurking behind the cannabis industry, legal or illegal, are the sobering statistics regarding the amount of missing people in the region, the number of unsolved murders, and other crime stats this documentary didn't delve into, and a Sheriff's Office that's more intent on the cannabis industry than anything else (they'll say it's because illegal grows are the root of all evil, however, taxation and money appear to have a lot more influence on their actions than the causation of crime). The documentary, also, exposes what happens when a way of life is obliterated in the name of progress.

Yes it was a little slow... but the beauty and disparity shown in Northern California make for an interesting backdrop and amazing film. Add in a true crisis (the black market history of pot) and some shady deep woods people and you have yourself an intriguing series that captures something I have never seen before.

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.

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.