Watch Abel Raises Cain

Abel Raises Cain is a captivating and thought-provoking documentary film that was released in 2005, directed by Jenny Abel and Jeff Hockett. The film delves into the life and times of celebrated media prankster, Alan Abel who is considered to be one of the most notorious practical jokers in American history. Alan Abel was born in 1924 in the Bronx, New York City before going on to become a well-known activist, social commentator, director, and actor. He was best known for his expertly crafted hoaxes and pranks that he executed throughout his career, which garnered quite a bit of attention from the general public and various media outlets.

Abel Raises Cain features a detailed and intimate portrait of Alan Abel, where it shows how he has dedicated most of his life to developing various social criticism performances that are sure to make people think differently about prevalent issues. The film does an excellent job of showing how Abel crafts his hoaxes, his planning, and the execution of his pranks that had managed to fool numerous respected media and political organizations.

The documentary's narration is peppered with clips from Abel's various stunts as well as interviews with his family members, such as his wife Jeanne Abel and his son Frank Murgalo. Through these interviews, audiences are given a glimpse of Abel's thought process and how he sees the world, which gives much insight into his often-comical and thought-provoking hoaxes.

One of Abel's most notorious pranks, which is highlighted in the film, is his invention of the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (S.I.N.A). Abel managed to convince many in the media and public of the existence of his bogus organization, which was purportedly dedicated to the idea that animals should wear clothing to prevent indecency. The hoax led to appearances on several TV shows and local news outlets, including a heated debate between Abel and a local news anchor. His S.I.N.A. hoax gained national attention and served as a means for Abel to display the absurdity of humans' need to dictate how animals behave or how they should be clothed.

Another hoax that Abel is best known for is his staging of a fake protest demonstration ahead of the Miss America pageant in 1968, where women protesting against the pageant's objectification of women tossed brand-name products as part of their liberation protest. The stunt was widely circulated in the media of the time and instantly gained enormous traction, perfectly illustrating the way such stunts can challenge broader cultural norms that are blindly followed without critique.

Despite the warm reception that Abel has gained from audiences throughout the years due to his comical and thought-provoking pranks, his son, Frank Murgalo, has claimed that his father was not always as present in his life as he would have wanted him to be. Murgalo says that Abel's work would often take him away for extended periods and that even as an adult, their relationship was still somewhat rocky.

Abel Raises Cain ultimately forces the viewer to think about the role of media in shaping cultural narratives and the implications of the way humans dictate norms to others. The film invites us all to contemplate the way in which our culture creates categories of “normal” and “deviant” behavior, and to reimagine what it means to be truly free. The documentary stands as an incredible testament to the importance of humor in our lives and how it can be a tool for positive change as long as we remain critical of our own perspectives and limitations.

In conclusion, Abel Raises Cain is an engaging and entertaining documentary that showcases the life and times of pranking legend, Alan Abel. It offers a powerful message about the value of humor in challenging the status quo and examining the way in which we shape our social norms. With its blend of comedic hijinks and thought-provoking insight, this film is one that will stick with viewers for a long time after the credits roll.

Abel Raises Cain is a 2005 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5.