Joe Berlinger
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Berlinger is an American documentary film-maker who, in collaboration with Bruce Sinofsky
, has created such films as Paradise Lost
about the West Memphis 3
, Brother's Keeper
, Some Kind of Monster
, and Crude
.
In collaboration with journalist Greg Milner, Berlinger has also written a book called Metallica: This Monster Lives
, which is about his journey from making the poorly received Blair Witch 2 to creating Some Kind of Monster with Metallica
, one of the world's most famous metal
bands.
Berlinger has also worked in TV series such as Homicide: Life on the Street
, D.C.
and FanClub.
The first movie Berlinger directed, in 1992, was the documentary Brother's Keeper
, which tells the story of Delbart Ward, an elderly man in Munnsville, New York, who was charged with second-degree murder following the death of his brother William. Chicago Tribune film critic Roger Ebert, in his review of the movie, called it "an extraordinary documentary about what happened next, as a town banded together to stop what folks saw as a miscarriage of justice."
He graduated from Colgate University
in 1983. He lives with his wife and daughters in New York
.
Bruce Sinofsky
Bruce Sinofsky is an award-winning documentary film director, who began his career at Maysles Films.Sinofsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As Senior Editor for Maysles, he worked on commercials and feature films until 1991, when he and Joe Berlinger formed their own production company,...
, has created such films as Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is a 1996 documentary film directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky about the trials of three teenage boys who came to be known as the West Memphis 3 in West Memphis, Arkansas. They were accused of the murder and sexual mutilation of three...
about the West Memphis 3
West Memphis 3
The West Memphis Three are three men who were tried and convicted as teenagers in 1994 of the 1993 murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. was sentenced to life imprisonment plus two 20-year sentences, and Jason Baldwin was...
, Brother's Keeper
Brother's Keeper (film)
Brother's Keeper is a 1992 documentary directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The film is about an alleged 1990 murder in the village of Munnsville, New York. The film is in the "Direct Cinema" style of the Maysles brothers who had formerly employed Berlinger and Sinofsky.The film contrasts...
, Some Kind of Monster
Some Kind of Monster (film)
Some Kind of Monster is a 2004 documentary film featuring the American heavy metal band Metallica. It shares its name with the song "Some Kind of Monster" from Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger....
, and Crude
Crude (film)
Crude is a 2009 American documentary film directed and produced by Joe Berlinger. It follows a two year portion of an ongoing class action lawsuit against the Chevron Corporation in Ecuador.-Synopsis:...
.
In collaboration with journalist Greg Milner, Berlinger has also written a book called Metallica: This Monster Lives
Metallica: This Monster Lives
Metallica: This Monster Lives is a book written by Joe Berlinger about how he filmed the feature-length movie Some Kind of Monster with the legendary heavy metal band Metallica....
, which is about his journey from making the poorly received Blair Witch 2 to creating Some Kind of Monster with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, one of the world's most famous metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands.
Berlinger has also worked in TV series such as Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
, D.C.
D.C. (TV series)
D.C. is a short-lived American television series that premiered and ended in April 2000 on The WB Network.Mason Scott , a young man fresh out of college who has dreamed his entire life of coming to Washington, D.C.. He truly believes that he can make a difference in this world of questionable...
and FanClub.
The first movie Berlinger directed, in 1992, was the documentary Brother's Keeper
Brother's Keeper (film)
Brother's Keeper is a 1992 documentary directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The film is about an alleged 1990 murder in the village of Munnsville, New York. The film is in the "Direct Cinema" style of the Maysles brothers who had formerly employed Berlinger and Sinofsky.The film contrasts...
, which tells the story of Delbart Ward, an elderly man in Munnsville, New York, who was charged with second-degree murder following the death of his brother William. Chicago Tribune film critic Roger Ebert, in his review of the movie, called it "an extraordinary documentary about what happened next, as a town banded together to stop what folks saw as a miscarriage of justice."
He graduated from Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in 1983. He lives with his wife and daughters in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.