This came across like a documentary made by very talented eighth graders. The only saving grace is the narrator which ultimately actually makes the whole thing even more cheesy with his delightful British accent which has no connection whatsoever with this American killer. The one thing I'm grateful for is the very minimal amount of bad reenactment acting- t although its limited presence is, indeed, terrible. The only reason I suffered through this is because I'm interested in serial killers and I have never heard of this particular one- it was seriously a chore to watch this whole thing. Additionally I think it should be noted that in my 48 years of movie watching I've never been compelled to write a bad review about anything before today. Let that alone be a testament to its quality

Despite being America's "first" (or at least first known) serial killer, H.H. Holmes doesn't ring a bell the way the names of other well-known sociopaths' do. So there isn't too much to go on, and this documentary, I suppose, is all we're going to have for a while as far as film sources go.I cannot judge how factual or historically accurate the documentary was, it being my first exposure to this man, but there are a few comments I'd like to make on it purely as a documentary.Firstly, the narrator is the best part. Great voice. The score is also good. Pictures and newspaper headlines are used very well. The narrated excerpts from Holmes' own writing succeed in bringing this creature to life.What distracted heavily were two things.Firstly, the unnamed (or perhaps I missed his name) guy sitting in the room with the too-bright background (in comparison to the shots from which his scenes would cut) who always ended his sentences with a rising inflection? Do you have any earthly idea how irritating and distracting that is? It nearly makes you want to pull your hair out?The second was the so-called criminal or forensic psychologist or whatever ludicrous title they chose to give him. A round-faced, over- excited, bug-eyed little man who, instead of giving us authoritative, factual, and insightful commentary on Holmes' character, acts more like a two-bit talk show host. Get this MORON out of there. Why in the world would the director, who certainly spent no small amount of time and money on this documentary, intentionally mar it with this nincompoop?Sometimes scenes would cut from the first guy mentioned above (maybe it was the director himself) to the clown guy, and it would just make you insane.I never understand why people who put in sweat and money into making a film would not have the sense to at least avoid such glaringly obvious errors. Did no one think to tell that dude, "STOP ending every sentence like it's a god damned QUESTION!"? Did no one think, "No, better not hire some weirdo charlatan type who claims to be a forensic expert. We can certainly find a knowledgeable person who will lend insight and capture viewers' interest." Why did no one think of this? Why? What a shame.Special mention is due for the unnamed lady who all too briefly appeared once or twice and professionally, intelligently gave us great information on police and forensic techniques of the late 19th century. It should have been her instead of that clownish dolt.

Often forgotten, mostly unknown H.H. Holmes was the first of note to string murders together just for the hell of it. Holmes was born Herman Mudgett in New Hampshire. He would use dozens of aliases during his life of crime. Holmes actually graduated from the Michigan Medical School in 1884, with the fascination of the human corpse. In the late 1800's, he personally designed a building, called The Castle, in Chicago with the sole purpose of having secret torture chambers, acid vats and small crematory in the basement. Most of his victims were unsuspecting visitors to the 1893 World's Fair. He would offer them rented rooms, where he would torture them. He would admit to killing over 200; but was never proved. This documentary at times will seem haphazard and a bit confusing as it rambles about the life of Holmes with use of still photos, newsreels and stock footage. Holmes was hanged in 1896. Written, directed and produced by John Borowski and narrated by Tony Jay.

If you are a fan of True Crime, H.H.HOLMES:America's First Serial Killer, is a short, but informative biography of one of America's lesser known, yet spectacular, mass murderers. The fact that Dr. Holmes was able to construct a 'Murder Mansion' in the center of Chicago, and then freely troll the 1893 Worlds Columbian Expositon for victims is nothing short of astonishing. This structure, which took up an entire city block, and included living quarters, shops, and rooms for rent, was honeycombed with numerous torture chambers, execution rooms, and secret passages. Many graves and burial sites were linked to H.H. Holmes, yet rarely was there enough evidence to positively connect him to the bodies. In the late 19th century The Bertillon Method was employed to identify victims. This was a system which used physical comparisons of body parts, and for the most part, was based on conjecture and guess work. The Bertillon Method was the cornerstone of forensic science at the time, and fingerprint technology was still several years in the future. This huge deficit in investigative procedure allowed Holmes to get away with many of his crimes, and it makes one wonder how many of his sinister and horrific killings remain undetected to this day. Everyone is familiar with Jack The Ripper, however H.H. Holmes is, by far, a more terrifying and baleful figure. The film employs a fairly effective use of 'voice over, and archival photos to examine this most gruesome individual. This entire documentary can be streamed at You Tube.