A moving and revealing series on the lives and tragedies that were Phil Spector and Lana Clarkson, "Spector" is a steady and sombre look at the world of Entertainment and the terrible price paid by the victims in its dark and sordid side.
Chronicling Spector's life from his troubled background in a dysfunctional family to his peak as a musical artist and producer to the scandal of his murder of actress Clarkson the documentary is a direct and disturbing portrayal of a madman abetted by society and justice served. With interviews of family and associates of the main subjects and the people involved in the trials plus archival footage the picture emerges of a man whose talent and charisma masked a narcissistic fiend with a bent for control, violence, intimidation and eventually murder. The film also does adequate justice to the victim in depicting her as an attractive and easy-going woman who did her best to achieve stardom in the cutthroat jungle known as Hollywood leading to a fateful night in Spector's mansion that ended the dream for good. The footage of the lengthy trial in all of its twists and turns is quite compelling and is the highlight of the series.
Having recently listened to "Back to Mono (1958-1969)", this documentary adequately filled in gaps in my knowledge of the Spector myth and legend. One of the most interesting and odious legacies in the history of music, Phil Spector's life is a cautionary and tragic tale on the price of fame and talent. This is a must see for fans of music, True Crime and cinema.
