West of Memphis
Directed by Amy Berg
Featuring: Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, Lorri Davis, Terry Branch, Eddie Vedder, Peter Jackson
Sony Pictures Classics
Rated R | 147 Minutes
Release Date: March 8, 2013

Directed by Amy Berg, West of Memphis is a documentary about the West Memphis Three – Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin – three teenagers who were arrested in 1994 for the murders of three 8-year old children: Christopher Byers, Steven Branch, and Michael Moore.

The West Memphis Three were tried and convicted and remained in prison for more than 18 years. Berg’s film (produced by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson) focuses on Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Stevie Branch, one of the victims of the 1993 crime, as a potential suspect due to newfound DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

West of Memphis is another miscarriage-of-justice documentary, similar to The Central Park Five by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon. The film chronicles the history of the imprisoned men all the way up to their eventual release through interviews conducted with lawyers, judges, journalists, family members, witnesses, and the West Memphis Three themselves. There are also interviews with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and other WM3 supporters like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder who have been following the case for two decades.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again, the final chapter in Peter Jackson‘s three-part adaptation of the classic J.R.R. Tolkien novel that would one day lead to the creation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was originally supposed to open in theaters on July 18, 2014. But in a move that surprised very little, There and Back Again had its release date pushed back five months and will now open on December 17, 2014.

This date shift makes a lot more sense, as each movie in Jackson’s Rings trilogy and last year’s The Hobbit: An Expected Journey all had December openings and were immense box office successes around the world. Plus it gives the director and his gifted production team some much-needed time to work on the voluminous 3D visual effects work required and fine tune the movie, and a holiday slot protects There and Back Again from contending with the blockbuster onslaught that comes with a summer release.

Since it opened in limited release on Christmas Day, the Peter Jackson-produced documentary West of Memphis, which tells the harrowing tale of the arrest and conviction for the murder of the “West Memphis Three” – Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin – and how forensic evidence led to their release from prison after more than 18 years, has garnished rave reviews and has been hailed by many as one of the best films of 2012.

Next Tuesday, a soundtrack album titled West of Memphis: Voices for Justice will be released by Sony’s Legacy label that features an all-star line-up of musicians and longtime supporters of the West Memphis Three. Today, we have for you the full track listing as well as the premiere of the first single off the album, a cover of the David Bowie classic “The Jean Genie” performed by Camp Freddy, a cover band featuring Dave Navarro of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction on guitar and Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses on drums.

West of Memphis is currently playing in select theaters across the country. Voices for Justice will be released on CD and MP3 on Tuesday, January 15, 2013. You can check out the full track listing for the album here below, along with a video of the band performing the song in concert.

Happy Birthday to the late J.R.R. Tolkien, who remains the most well-known father of modern fantasy, whose imagination ran to untold areas and galaxies and lands which have created an empire with many of his books, filmed adaptations of those books, and a subculture of rabid fans through generations starting in the early parts of the 20th Century to the current day, especially with his Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit.

Although he died 40 years ago this year (September 2nd to be exact) the Tolkien universe and all he created in it remains almost like a public utility in terms of its success and adoration. All ages, from children to septuagenarian kids at heart, have delighted and dabbled, read, re-read, and re-re-read all from the world that Tolkien has to offer. His works transcend just high fantasy literature; they stretch into many cores of pop culture, an unexpectedly key example being when progressive rock and roll found its full flower and fruition. Many bands, especially Led Zeppelin, used some of its imagery and visual styles in its music and its lyrics.

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Hello There! This is Adam Frazier and you are listening to Skull-Face Island, the official movie podcast of Geeks of Doom! As always I’m joined by a man who needs no ‘Hobbit Tricks’ when on camera, David Allen… and the Man-Dragon who laid waste to the town of Dale and captured the Lonely Mountain Erebor with all of its treasure..Smaug, AHEM – I mean, producerTim Grant.

Today on the Show: We’ll discuss Peter Jackson’s‘s latest film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and boot-up the (still malfunctioning) Geek-O-Matic TeleFax for some absurd movie news (possibly from the future!?) and play everyone’s favorite game: BY ANY OTHER NAME!