American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders
A docuseries probing Danny Casolaro's death and his Octopus conspiracy.
American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is a true crime documentary series that examines the 1991 death of writer Danny Casolaro and the conspiracy theories he called 'the Octopus.' Directed by Zachary Treitz, the four-part docuseries follows journalist Christian Hansen as he reinvestigates the case. It was released on Netflix on February 28, 2024.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Documentary; True crime
- Director
- Zachary Treitz
- Producer
- Maggie Ambrose; Shuli Harel
- Music
- Jose Parody
- Cinematography
- Christopher Messina; Brett Jutkiewicz
- Company
- Duplass Brothers Productions; Stardust Frames Productions
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Plot
This documentary follows Danny Casolaro’s probe into a sprawling conspiracy he named “the Octopus,” linking U.S. government covert operations to his own mysterious death in a hotel room. The film covers the Inslaw/PROMIS software theories, the Iran-Contra affair, and the 1980 October Surprise claim. Researcher Christian Hansen reexamines Casolaro’s work and casts doubt on the suicide verdict, also portraying Casolaro in reenactments. Interviewees include Michael Riconosciuto, a former tech prodigy who became a drug manufacturer and government operative, and journalist Cheri Seymour, who says she was shown a manipulated Zapruder film. The title’s “Murders” points to five specific deaths: Casolaro in Martinsburg, Virginia; his friend Paul Marasca in San Francisco; and three people at the Cabazon tribal grounds in California.
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