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Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer. 87 minutes. 1992. $19.99. Fox Lorber Home Video, Los Angeles, CA.
Aileen Wuornos has been billed as "America's first female serial killer." A former prostitute now on Florida's death row, Wuornos has been convicted of murdering seven "clients." Wuornos claims that she murdered the men in an effort to defend herself against their violent abuses. Nick Broomfield's documentary presents her story in a starkly realistic manner. The result is a "truth is stranger than fiction" story that leaves viewers with many questions regarding the murder investigation and trials of Ms. Wuornos. The documentary introduces the viewer to the compellingly strange characters that became a part of Ms. Wuornos' life following her arrest for murder. The characters speak for themselves, often exposing themselves as uncaring, crass, and opportunistic.
Wuornos received her first death sentence following a conviction for the murder of Richard Mallory. The film includes taped testimony offered in the trial. Wuornos tells of a brutal rape that ended only when she shot Mallory. The prosecution was aided by the testimony of Tyria Moore, Wuornos' former lover. In a series of taped phone conversations that border on entrapment, Wuornos tells Moore that "if I have to confess to everything just to keep you out of trouble I will." Her lover's response was "do it now, get it over with." The prosecution was further aided by the fact that evidence regarding Mallory's record, which included a 10-year institutionalization for sexual violence (NBC Dateline), was not raised in the trial.
Much of the film focuses on lengthy and erratic negotiations regarding payment for an interview with Wuornos. One of the film's main characters is Wuornos' newly adopted mother, Arlene Pralle. She, along with self-promoting attorney Steven Glazer, who would clearly prefer to be a rock star, appear to control access to Wuornos. Pralle tells Broomfield that she has "a neat story, but I can't tell you." Likewise, Glazer tells Broomfield that Wuornos can provide a "fascinating story," yet will not speak unless she is paid. Broomfield attempts to play the game by their rules, yet the rules seem to keep changing. To a certain extent Broomfield is duped into believing that he cannot get to...