One Year in a Life of Crime

1989 0h 55m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 5★7.6IMDB · 343

DocumentaryTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Their job is stealing, their lives a cruel dead end. Director Jon Alpert takes his cameras undercover for this hard-hitting look at men who live by theft and suffer addiction. Focusing on a year in the lives of three professional criminals, this gritty profile—which includes hidden-camera footage of actual thefts—exposes the "petty" crimes that are paralyzing America.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Jon Alpert
Self
Robert Steffey
Self
Freddie Rodriguez
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jon Alpert
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Life of Crime Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John Custodio shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jon Alpert and Robert Steffey and Freddie Rodriguez carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0382883 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jon Alpert directs. John Custodio cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Life of Crime Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Editor John Custodio shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jon Alpert and Robert Steffey and Freddie Rodriguez carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0382883 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "new jersey", "cocaine", "domestic abuse", "shoplifting".

The technical file

Editing: John Custodio
Runtime: 55 min · 0h 55m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: One Year in a Life of Crime (1989)
IMDB rating: 7.6/10 · 343 votes

Part of

Life of Crime Collection

A series of documentaries featuring an unfiltered look at three friends from Newark and their experiences with drug addiction, prison and rehab over nearly 40 years.