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Susan Granger's review of "BROTHERHOOD OF MURDER" (Showtime TV)
Truth is far more terrifying than fiction - and never more so than in this compelling made-for-TV movie premiering on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 8 P.M. on Showtime. Based on an acclaimed book by former member Thomas Martinez and John Guinther, the title refers to the brief but deadly rise of The Order, an insidious white supremacist group whose violent crimes stunned the nation in the mid-'80s. William Baldwin plays Tom Martinez, an uneducated Army dropout, who returns home to Philadelphia in 1983. He and his wife (Kelly Lynch) are expecting their first child and he's unable to find a good job when he's "recruited" to join The Order, an Aryan, neo-Nazi hate group, founded by charismatic Bob Mathews (Peter Gallagher). Poor, white, and angry, he's ripe for their promise of "a better future" for his family. "What do I have to do?" he asks, admitting that he hasn't read more than six books in his entire life. "Stand up for yourself, take an oath of allegiance, and protect your family," he's told when he visits their isolated "compound" in the state of Washington. But he soon learns that conformity is key, vigilante justice reigns, and absolute obedience is expected. Adapted by Robert J. Avrech and directed by Martin Bell, this character-driven cautionary tale about extremist groups who preach a venomous message of racial superiority and hate is, unfortunately, more timely and relevant than ever. But it's hard to believe that Martinez was so stupid that he didn't know that counterfeiting was illegal and realize earlier that his "cell mates" were responsible for the murder of radio talk-show host Alan Berg. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, Brotherhood of Murder is an insightful, chilling 7. If you miss it Sunday night, there are additional playdates set for Dec. 16 at 8 and Dec. 27 at 10.
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