Louis Theroux - Law and Disorder Collection [DVD]

If you are looking for the authentic within this obscure world, then this is some of the best footage documentary you will ever come across, you might seen many of his other material like myself, but this DVD stroke me as more gripping and intense than I ever seen him before, and he knows to watch his tongue now!

Disc 1

The first disc tells the story of Philadelphia & the Kensington area, were crime will surprise you; the black violent ghettoes out of control in large cities of USA. Theroux rides along with the undercover police interviewing people while being arrested or playing street wise with him. Intense and not like his other (sometimes) boring shows were nothing happens almost. I'm really glad I am not living there, that's all I can say.

The other story on this disc is brutally disturbing; it's about South Africa, the huge town of Johannesburg, we both see the real poor in the outskirts of town and their private guards and their methods they call "poison" which means violence to make them talk, and he follows local criminals around the inner city, to patrol and control other criminals, due to lack of police and emergency, people with money pay these local security firms to keep control since police is inadequate. They got their own guard crews to try stabilizing peace which is impossible. At one point one of the guards kicks a man just beaten up in the head and spray him with gas right in his face, they are violent and so are the ones they fight. What really caught me and my wife, was the fact that Theroux ends up interviewing a black criminal who is wanted by the law and he tells very primitive how he is going to kill someone's baby if they don't pay; put it in into an oven or just kill them, if no money. He speaks from the gutter of the streets into the camera, he spit almost as he talks, his a really sadistic evil person, fast to be dubbed psychopath. I mean he's just killing people like its nothing?
Watch out for this tendency in the western world. It's truly brutal and I watched it over and over again with my wife.

Disc 2

It's not as intense as the first disc, I would say. But still extremely psychological and sociologic in its undertakings of story telling.

First episode, is about rapists & paedophiles in a Californian mental hospital, where people shall live till the end of their days, with so few rehabilitations or ever released "prisoners". They have one program they can go through for many years and hope to get out someday for complying the terms of the facility and its program.
Only 30% of the people at the prison see value in it, rest question its motives and so on. Sometimes he managed to provoke them quite a lot, and the rules are strict it seems, cant raise your voice as inmate or everything which is divergent from the hospital point of view, is seen as abusive manners towards staff with consequences for the inmate. I don't feel sorry for these people really, I just think its odd how USA deals with offenders like these. One of the counsellors didn't seem too bright I thought.
It's mostly psychological with not that much intensity as the first disc. But still something you should see for a fact!

Last episode is in Fresno USA, city with a lot of unemployment and half million people to cover.
The crystal Meth is almost like cigarettes there, well its crazy, and trust me, I've seen people in real life on crystal Meth trying to kill others, I know personally what it can do to a person. Crystal Meth which is derived from speed but enhanced thus modified and self produced all over the town in small labs, into snorting, smoking or fixing it yourself. Theroux follows users around, some of them really hardcore; using for 30 years and living a "normal" life. He visits the hospital where all the addicts pass their filth onto their children. Many relapses and its hard to find quitters in this avenue.
I noticed the behaviour of these people; one moment of euphoria and one moment of utterly despair.
The prognosis of what can become of a society in these sullen conditions!

4 Episodes with a duration of around 60 min. each.
The best DVD-set he made so far!
Hope to see more of this importance and awareness in the future.

Regards Viking

Louis is very inquisitive and this set of programmes are actually a very good insight into some of societies real problems. Unlike many documentary film makers, Louis has a knack of finding out facts because of his air of naivety and innocence. He gains the confidence of those around him because he appears harmless. As a consequence, he gets involved in quite hairy situations and seems to have no real fear of being in challenging environments. He is very balanced and doesn't really take sides. He is almost a voyeur because he is there without agenda or appearance of involvement. Almost a tourist in a way. His intelligence is quite clear and he uses it without being too patronising. He also asks some very interesting questions and wants to hear all sides. People seem to trust him and tell him loads.

I prefer this subtle, narrative style of documentary to the Ross Kemp action man approach. I think Louis gets more from his approach than Kemp. He also provides a far more interesting commentary and storyline approach. Well worth watching. Moreover, his humourous, tongue in cheek programmes like weird weekends are also very good.

As an American living in the UK, I disagree with another poster that the US doesnt have "proper telly". I miss my American TV, and prefer it over most British TV. But as he prefers British TV, and I prefer American, it is all a matter of opinion and what you grew up with.

However, Louis Theroux, I feel, is one of the best in the world at what he does. He comes across as nerdy, but I feel he dials that up a notch to gain the trust of those he interviews. He has a gift for extracting information that most other journalists wouldnt get. As I am from the Philadelphia area, I found this DVD very entertaining and accurate. I also find all his other DVD's very good. I recommend this to anyone, no matter what country, or background you come from.