As the Laci Peterson case unfolds with tales of possible satanic cult involvement, there is probably no better time than now for this movie to be released. You may not remember the case of Arnold and Jesse Friedman as it came from the East Coast and followed on the heels of the crazy story out here involving the McMartin Day Care Center.

Back in 1988, Arnold Friedman, a former high school teacher and later an after school computer instructor, was charged with the physical and sexual abuse of a number of his students. Also charged was Arnold’s then eighteen year-old son, Jesse. All the alleged victims were boys, most of them around ten years old.

Let’s get right to the extraordinary thing about this movie – access. Not only are interviews conducted with all of the major participants today (except Arnold), but woven into this fascinating “documentary” is archival footage of the story from the late ‘80’s as it unfolded on local television. Yet even better is something I’ve never seen in a movie like this (actually, I’ve never seen a movie like this before) and that is “home movies” taken by the family back when the charges were filed.

Doing most of the talking in this movie is David Friedman, the oldest son. Believe it or not, his job today is as a children’s party clown. He seems to believe in his father and brother’s innocence, but that isn’t always clear because the guy is just so weird. Loud and dramatic and annoying, he comes off as a phony. That earnest look, that melodramatic pause in just the right place tells me he’s acting. But in his defense, his behavior is consistent both then and now – he even put underwear on his head as his father was being arrested. He also recorded himself back in 1988 and demonstrated the same strange behavior. How was he to know this would all end up in a movie?

Then there’s the mother, Elaine Friedman. Where to start – she’s the only one who isn’t so sure old Arnie didn’t molest those kids and her sons hate her for that. She’s cold, shrugs a lot, and is close to no one in this family. And, for a while there, you might take Mom’s side. After all, it’s pretty clear the guy did possess child porn. So why not believe the charges?

Because there is no evidence other than the porn and the boys testimony. The lingering question is “how could so much have been done to them during those computer classes and not one let on until the police came knocking on their doors over Arnie’s child porn collection?” Two “victims” (anonymously) agreed to be interviewed – you can draw your own conclusions but they are pretty weird too. We also hear from two other guys who say they were not molested plus the father of another kid who also believes nothing went on.

It’s clear Arnold Friedman deserved some kind of jail time and he got it. But the movie takes a shocking twist when it comes to Jesse Friedman’s case. I won’t spoil it- let me just say I had to tell myself this really happened and these are not actors. I couldn’t believe what I heard! It makes for a sloppy ending, but who cares?

“Capturing The Friedmans” puts junk like “The Osbournes” and “Jerry Springer” to shame. It was put together in top- notch fashion. In the end, you must be the jury because nothing is all that clear. I reconciled it this way – they were a strange family which got just about what it deserved. And now David Friedman the clown is hoping none of his clients finds out about his family history. Right – so go make a movie about it then. That will surely bury it. It doesn’t get any wilder or stranger than this and that’s why I go to the movies. I give “Capturing The Friedmans” a “10.0” on the scale. When’s the next installment?