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I Called Him Morgan

I Called Him Morgan

Music · Documentary · History · 2016

Part jazz history, part true-crime tale, Kasper Collin’s new documentary employs extensive archival footage and new interviews to tell the tragic story of the magnificently talented trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who murdered him in a New York bar in 1972.

Movie details

I Called Him Morgan

2016 Music · Documentary · History 1h 31m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Part jazz history, part true-crime tale, Kasper Collin’s new documentary employs extensive archival footage and new interviews to tell the tragic story of the magnificently talented trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who murdered him in a New York bar in 1972.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over I Called Him Morgan?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kasper Collin

Written by

Kasper Collin · Jesper Osmund

Lee Morgan

Lee Morgan

Self (archive material)

H

Helen Morgan

Self (archive material)

Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter

Self

Larry Reni Thomas

Larry Reni Thomas

Self

J

Judith Johnson

Self

Jymie Merritt

Jymie Merritt

Self

Bennie Maupin

Bennie Maupin

Self

Court is in session

Put I Called Him Morgan on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.