MovieChat Forums > Alpha Dog (2007) Discussion > the fact that this is based on true even...

the fact that this is based on true events makes me not really like it

posted 13 years ago by edgecrusher02
22 replies | jump to latest

i just cant get past that this actually happened. a bunch of fake gangster wannabes kidnapped and killed a kid over some miniscule amount of money. to me its just another reminder of why the human race fails. as far as the actual movie and acting itself i thought it was decent. i dont know how accurately the characters were portrayed but in the movie, every single one of them was obnoxious and i wanted them all get the death sentence, lol. but i just really hate the fake gangster wannabe thing that seems to be developing among the younger generation. when and how did it become cool to be an obnoxious douchebag?

www.youtube.com/user/edgecrusherhalo

How can i be lost, if i've got nowhere to go?

[–] sisterdebmac 13 years ago

Yeah, I get that. As for how accurate the movie is? Very. There's a doc on YouTube about the real guys. They were even worse than they're portrayed in the film actually. Cassavetes and the actors made some of them fairly likable. Until they turn to murder anyway.
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[–] edgecrusher02 13 years ago

wow really? thats crazy. i kind of get why some people felt sorry for frankie because he seemed to REALLY not want to go through with it and to actually like the kid. but the fact remains that he didnt really do anything to stop it so hes just as much to blame for it.

www.youtube.com/user/edgecrusherhalo

How can i be lost, if i've got nowhere to go?

[–] sisterdebmac 13 years ago

Yeah, the real guy, Jesse Rugge is not nearly that nice.
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[–] heat8488 13 years ago

edgecrusher02 said:

but i just really hate the fake gangster wannabe thing that seems to be developing among the younger generation. when and how did it become cool to be an obnoxious douchebag?

Blame rap music.

[–] pilotinspecktor 13 years ago

Yea, rap music makes people do stupid things. I don't listen to rap music, but come on. Blame the human being that did it, not rap music.

~ Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem.

[–] uwisplaya 13 years ago

You mean the ones that murdered a 15 year old boy because his brother owed them $1200? Maybe you have a tiny point, the "lol" after wishing the death penalty was a bit weird, but your issue is with a random internet poster adding an "lol" and not about the murdered 15 year old boy and his family? What is wrong with you ...

[–] jawsfan007 13 years ago

i enjoyed this movie and tre true story continues to fascinate me.

If you enjoy real-crime stories of teens and young adults.

may i suggest BULLY by Larry Clark.

Another interesting story.

A group of slacker teens murdered one of their own, who they claimed beat the kids and raped a couple of the circle of friends.

"the murder of bobby Kent" is the true story if you want to google it for more information.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] dhakwijerathna 12 years ago

just because murder happens everyday, doesn't mean we should accept and not feel any sympathy. Whether the brother payed or not? Those guys who killed the kid, should of thought of the consequences before and the immorality of their actions.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] dhakwijerathna 12 years ago

The criminals who murdered the kid, have full responsibility for the murder. Yes, the brother could have saved him if he payed $1200, and you can partly blame him for fueling the murder, but remember who ordered the hit and pulled the trigger?

Even if he payed the debt, how do we know that the criminals will just release the kid? For all we know, after theyll get the money, they'll murder him anyways.

I can see where your coming from, but I still think the criminals should be held responsible much more compared to the older brother.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] sisterdebmac 12 years ago

Wow, so your method of argument is to just re-post your previous comment again? You lost already. Plus, you really don't know what you're talking about.

"Johnny" never directly called "Jake" and demanded the $1200 in exchange for the kid. It just never happened. Fact. The phone call in the movie that ends with Jake screaming threats? Totally made up. And did Johnny make a ransom demand in that phone call in the movie? No.

Look, the punk that Johnny's based on was no criminal mastermind. He grabbed the kid without even thinking through what he was going to do with him, and then panicked when his lawyer told him he could get 25 to life for kidnapping. That part is true. After that, it was an escalating series of stupid "decisions", and the one final, fatal choice to have "Zack" murdered. Just the mere fact that he thought he could get away with this brilliant "solution" to his problem shows you what a profound idiot he was.

If you care at all about the real facts of the case, pick up a copy of My Stolen Son by Susan Markowitz. Or read some court transcripts. They're available online.

Finally, you should probably know that the real guy Jake is based on did feel responsible for his brother's death. And the family felt he was too, for a long time. His actions were deplorable and he knows it. He'll have to live with that for the rest of his life.

But he did not pull the trigger. Blaming him at this point is just cruel.
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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] lonniemac 12 years ago

The fact this based on a real-life murder makes it even more interesting to me. And over $1200 bucks, that just makes it sadder.

[–] dl4060 8 years ago

It was reported somewhere else on this board that it was actually about $36,000. Check the thread about 'real photos of the people that inspired Alpha Dog' or something like that. If it was over that much it makes more sense that the older brother could not come up with the money.

[–] vnse 8 years ago

$1200 or $36,000 it's till insane that someone would be killed over either amount

[–] dl4060 8 years ago

$1200 or $36,000 it's till insane that someone would be killed over either amount

Of course it is. But it is less surprising to see a kidnapping over 36k than it is over 1200. As dollar amounts get bigger things tend to get more violent in the drug world.

[–] Richardearlsullivan 8 years ago

It's a story of a senseless murder. The waste of a life. I bought the DVD and watched it once. Can't watch it again. It upsets me too much.

[–] yvesyves (681) 5 years ago

The fact that it's true makes it more interesting and exciting to watch in a perverted and voyeurism way, I accept that about myself when watching this kind of movie and dont particularly mind; some people can also watch this type of real story movie at pure face value for entertainment like any drama thriller.