The first TV mini-series was so much better. This version has some (maybe even most) of the facts right, but leaves so much out and paints Joe Hunt as a poor guy who just lost his way among the ultra rich Beverly Hills boys club. In reality he is a con man and a murderer, who had a to do list that ran six pages on how to kill Ron Levin, who was himself a con man.
Joe is poor scholarship kid who's dad worked hard so he could attend the Harvard High School for (rich) Boys. He meets "Mean" Dean Karny there and Dean is his only friend. Fast forward and the 'boys' are in their mid twenties. Joe is brilliant and knows the market but can't break into the big league and Dean is not living up to his father's expectations when they run into each other at lunch and reconnect. Both are looking to prove themselves. Joe comes up with a philosophy that is in reality situational ethics writ large, and creates the BBC. It's a huge ponzy scheme. Enter the rest of the elite Beverly Hills boys they knew in school. None of these other characters are really fleshed out and in fact it is hard to tell then apart. Ron Levin, played by Spacey, is an older con man who works on a much higher level than Joe and Dean, and cons them, leaving them, and the rest of the BBC beyond broke. So Joe kills Ron, but in this version his bodyguard, who was the door man at Spago's, does the killing and Joe is bewildered and frightened. Like he didn't make a to do list. Joe and the bodyguard dump Ron's body, after pouring pool acid on his face, in a shallow grave in the foothills. Joe and Dean are still desperate and come up with a scheme to smuggle a "Persian" who's got oil money investes in diamonds into L.A. in a trunk. In this version, Dean kills him and they dump his body in the desert. They get Joe's dad to notarize a power of attorney for the Persian's son Izzy, who is Dean's friend. All three, along with Joe's dad, go to the bank to get the diamonds and split them. Joe even tells his dad he is going to pay everyone back. What a nice murderous guy. At the bank they are arrested because Joe's girlfriend turned them in. Mean Dean pins everything on Joe. Dean says Joe should have seen it coming.
In reality Ron's body is never found. But Joe is convicted of his murder anyway, even though he claims Ron is still alive. Dean turned states evidence and got immunity, and entered witness protection after the trial. No one was ever convicted of the other murder, and no one went to jail except Joe and the body guard Jim, who served all of 3 1/2 years. Joe is serving life. None of the Billionaire Boys were convicted, though they were all there when Joe made is to do list.
Joe is poor scholarship kid who's dad worked hard so he could attend the Harvard High School for (rich) Boys. He meets "Mean" Dean Karny there and Dean is his only friend. Fast forward and the 'boys' are in their mid twenties. Joe is brilliant and knows the market but can't break into the big league and Dean is not living up to his father's expectations when they run into each other at lunch and reconnect. Both are looking to prove themselves. Joe comes up with a philosophy that is in reality situational ethics writ large, and creates the BBC. It's a huge ponzy scheme. Enter the rest of the elite Beverly Hills boys they knew in school. None of these other characters are really fleshed out and in fact it is hard to tell then apart. Ron Levin, played by Spacey, is an older con man who works on a much higher level than Joe and Dean, and cons them, leaving them, and the rest of the BBC beyond broke. So Joe kills Ron, but in this version his bodyguard, who was the door man at Spago's, does the killing and Joe is bewildered and frightened. Like he didn't make a to do list. Joe and the bodyguard dump Ron's body, after pouring pool acid on his face, in a shallow grave in the foothills. Joe and Dean are still desperate and come up with a scheme to smuggle a "Persian" who's got oil money investes in diamonds into L.A. in a trunk. In this version, Dean kills him and they dump his body in the desert. They get Joe's dad to notarize a power of attorney for the Persian's son Izzy, who is Dean's friend. All three, along with Joe's dad, go to the bank to get the diamonds and split them. Joe even tells his dad he is going to pay everyone back. What a nice murderous guy. At the bank they are arrested because Joe's girlfriend turned them in. Mean Dean pins everything on Joe. Dean says Joe should have seen it coming.
In reality Ron's body is never found. But Joe is convicted of his murder anyway, even though he claims Ron is still alive. Dean turned states evidence and got immunity, and entered witness protection after the trial. No one was ever convicted of the other murder, and no one went to jail except Joe and the body guard Jim, who served all of 3 1/2 years. Joe is serving life. None of the Billionaire Boys were convicted, though they were all there when Joe made is to do list.