Kudos to the independent filmmakers who get it right. And by "get it right" I don't just necessarily mean the one's who make their no-budget films so spotless and polished that they are virtually indistinguishable from the majors (although that's nice as well). I'm talking about the struggling filmmakers who exhibit passion in their work. And along with that passion, a working knowledge of what they've gotten themselves into - creating art. This is not just left to a technical working knowledge of the filmmaking process either (which is of utmost importance) but also a working knowledge of the subject matter that they've chosen to pursue. Allow me to introduce you to filmmaker John Borowski.

Opting for a non-fiction documentary piece (most unusual for an independent) Borowski offers up an hour-long expose on the life and times of famed serial killer H.H. Holmes. Now, I say famed because after viewing this piece I was made aware of the fact that Holmes was responsible for some real grisly, nearly infamous crimes, however, I'm not ashamed to say that this is the first time that I had been introduced to Holmes myself. Borowski stands as a triple threat with this film as he takes on the role of producer, writer and director. I can say without reservation that this film was most certainly a labor of love for all involved, it really shows and in the end, is a huge part of the films vast appeal.

What we have here is a piece that could easily rival that of any basic/pay cable channel offering, whether it be Discovery, The Learning Channel, A&E, you name it. Think of all the great BIOS that you may have seen on any one of these channels, after having had your fill of The Real World or I Love the 80's reruns on your other favorite cable channel. Borowski explores the life of Holmes with precision timing, and the all too brief hour that you'll spend here, won't seem to be nearly enough.

Expertly written and narrated, H.H. Holmes America's First Serial Killer takes us through nearly every step of the life of Holmes. From his humble beginnings, until his eventual capture. Through memoir readings, newspaper clippings, forgotten photos and interviews with proclaimed experts, we're given a slick and professional insight into the world of Holmes. A bit of a background would be nice, eh? Well, Holmes was a medical college graduate, who opened up a virtual hotel of horrors just a hop skip and a jump from the 1893 Worlds Fair in Chicago. Through meticulous planning, Holmes orchestrated a labyrinth of a building to be constructed that only he would know every nook and cranny of. Filled with rooms designed for the sole purpose of frightening, disturbing torture sessions, Holmes would lure people to check in, but they would never check out. Disposing of the bodies, Holmes would polish and sell their skeletons to local medical schools.

The real appeal here lies within the execution of this shot on video wonder. Cleverly edited and presented, America's First Serial Killer manages to pack in a wealth of information in just over an hour. However, the real beauty here, is the fact that Borowski managed to sneak in some re-enactment's that blend seamlessly with the archival and newly shot interview footage as well. Throwing in this newly created footage (which was made to look vintage) could have (and probably would have) been a less experienced filmmaker's kiss of death, but here Borowski manages to make it work extremely well, so kudos for that.

From what I hear, Tom Cruise is behind a bigger budget Hollywood production on the life and times of H.H. Holmes, so the property at hand would seem to be quite hot right now. Making the film festival rounds and sporting its own web site, I urge you to take a look and see what Borowski's H.H. Holmes documentary has to offer. These are the independents that we really should be supporting and I for one applaud them on their efforts.

http://www.hhholmesthefilm.com