'There were three cops, a sort of juvenile task force, who used to harass pretty much every kid in our neighbourhood.' One of them, Echols says, was convinced that Satanists were responsible for every bad thing that happened in town he would show people Polaroid photos of roadkill – possums and raccoons run over by cars – and bizarrely claim it was evidence of animal sacrifices.

'You could feel it like a thunderstorm in the air.'Įchols was 18 at the time, and his friend Jason Baldwin was two years younger. 'If you went to the grocery store, that's what they would be talking about in the checkout line.' He remembers a sense of fear coming over the town. 'It was the subject of every newscast, on the front page of every newspaper, it was all they were talking about on the radio,' Damien Echols says. This is my mustsee choice for next weekend - everything else pales into insignificance.I n 1993, three eight-year-old boys – Steve Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers – were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. However, anyone with even the remotest knowledge of the book should see it and marvel at what a magnificent job Jackson has done. The Lovely Bones will certainly not appeal to everyone. My favourite moment is when other murder victims are reunited in Heaven to the strains of 1980s indie band This Mortal Coil. In this respect he delivers on all counts and, as you would expect from a technical wizard, his recreation of the afterlife and the space in between is truly breathtaking. Jackson, quite rightly, has toned down the black heart of the book and made the movie more accessible for a broader and younger audience. Thankfully Sarandon adds a lighter touch as the boozy, pill-popping gran who holds the whole family together.ĭirector Peter Jackson, famed for his Lord of the Rings trilogy, has received lukewarm praise for his adaption of Seabold's much-loved book, but I strongly disagre with his detractors. Talented Ronan and Tucci, often seen in comedy supporting roles such as his turn in The Devil Wears Prada, are both excellent, but I found Weisz and Wahlberg a tad wooden. Susan Sarandon is the child's eccentric grandmother and Stanley Tucci is killer George Harvey. Young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan plays Susie, with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as her parents. And so a story that begins with a shocking crime goes on to explore the family bonds of memory, love and hope - while edging towards a surprising and emotional reckoning. Trapped in a wondrous and mysterious hereafter, Susie finds she must choose between her desire for vengeance and her yearning to see her loved ones heal themselves and move on.

However, I stand by my opinion when I originally saw it last year - it is spellbinding and I urge British audiences to see it.īased on the haunting, best-selling novel by Alice Seabold, the film focuses on Susie Salmon who is just 14 years old when murdered in December 1973 on her way home from school.įollowing her death she continues to watch over her grieving family from the beyond - while her killer remains at large.

The Lovely Bones finally arrives in our cinemas next weekend after its royal premiere last November.ĭuring this time it has scored less than spectacular results at the allimportant US box office.

The lovely bones full movie free online