Episodes
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For our two-part season finale, we are unpacking movies about two men who smuggled cocaine for the Medellin Cartel into the states, largely by air. In our first episode, we dive into Ted Demme’s Blow (2001), starring Johnny Depp as small-town boy turned infamous drug smuggler, George Jung. How accurate was Depp’s portrayal of Jung? What details about his life did Hollywood dramatize or leave out? Listen now to learn about the true story of the man who played a pivotal role in the cocaine boom of the 1970s and 1980s, exploring his relationships, rise to power, and downfall.
Primary Source:
Porter, Bruce. BLOW: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. St. Martin’s Griffen (2015).Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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In this episode, we dive into Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus (2002), a darkly fascinating film about the life and career of TV star Bob Crane, best known for lead his role on Hogan’s Heroes. We discuss the film’s portrayal of Crane’s rise to fame, his complicated relationships, and his descent into scandal and sex addiction, culminating in his unsolved murder in 1978. Then, we compare Auto Focus to the real events behind the drama, examining how closely the movie stuck to the facts and what was left out. Join us as we unpack the true story of Bob Crane’s life, his obsession with sex and technology, and his untimely death, unraveling the line between truth and Hollywood storytelling.
Primary Sources:
Graysmith, Robert. The Murder of Bob Crane: Who Killed the Star of Hogan’s Heroes? The Crown Publishing Group (1993).
Entertainment WeeklyInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Missing episodes?
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This week we examine Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World (2017), the thrilling drama based on the infamous 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. We dissect the film’s intense portrayal of wealth, power, and familial dysfunction, while comparing it to the true events that shocked the world. The episode also explores the Getty family’s vast fortune, their legacy in the oil industry, and the personal tragedies that plagued the bloodline for generations. Why did one of the richest men in history refuse to pay his grandson’s ransom and what does this reveal about the darker side of immense wealth? Whether you’re a fan of the film or curious about the true story behind it, this episode is a deep dive into a family saga that continues to intrigue the world.
Primary Source:
Pearson, John. Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty. St. Martins Press (1995).Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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What if the bright lights of Hollywood couldn't mask the darkest shadows of a child's life? This episode takes you on an emotional journey through the brief, yet impactful life of Judith Barsi, whose voice as Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven still resonates with audiences today. In this special bonus episode, Ashley and Remi highlight Judith’s quick rise to fame, the murder-suicide orchestrated by her father in July 1988, and the lasting impact her death had on everyone who knew her. Grab your tissues because this one is guaranteed to be a tearjerker.
Primary Sources:
LA Times
GrapevineInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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What if an annual movie screening in your town was based on real-life, terrifying events? In this episode of Criminal Adaptations, we offer a deep dive into Charles B. Pierce’s controversial 1976 film, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, exploring its shocking connection to the true story of the Phantom Killer responsible for the Texarkana Moonlight Murders. Join us as we recount the chilling events beginning in February 1946, analyzing how the film's portrayal of these horrific crimes left a lasting impact on both the horror genre and the community of Texarkana.
Primary Source:
Presley, James. The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town in Terror. Pegasus Books, LLC, 2014.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Alejandro Monteverde’s Sound of Freedom (2023) is an action-thriller featuring Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former government agent who embarks on a dangerous mission in Columbia to rescue children from sex trafficking. The film sparked significant controversy, some of which involved QAnon conspiracies and questions about if Ballard is who he claims to be. Is the film 75-80% accurate as the director has claimed? Listen now to find out.
Primary Sources:
Vice 1
Vice 2
Vice 3
Vice 4
Vice 5
Foreign Policy
The Nation
Salt Lake Tribune
The Atlantic
SlateInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Michael Ritchie’s The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) takes a satirical look at one of the wildest true crime stories you’ve never heard of. Wanda Holloway (played by Holly Hunter) would do anything to help her 13-year-old daughter make the cheerleading squad, even if meant putting a hit on the competition. Listen now to hear how one of the FIRST original HBO movies depicted this stranger than fiction case.
Primary Sources:
McDonald Maier, Anne. Mother Love, Deadly Love. Carol Publishing Group, 1992.
Texas Monthly
The Crime WireInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Sid Vicious, best known as the bassist for the Sex Pistols, was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, on October 12, 1978. The couple’s toxic relationship and drug addiction was the source of Alex Cox’s 1986 film, Sid and Nancy. Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb received high praise for their portrayal of the punk rock couple. Does the film deserve its recognition as one of the best rock biopics of all time? Listen now to find out.
Primary Source:
Parker, Alan. Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent. Orion Books, 2007.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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To outside observers, the Baekeland family seemed to have it all. Brooks and Barbara were an attractive, social, and incredibly wealthy couple who traveled the world with their intelligent son, Antony “Tony” Baekeland. After the couple separated in 1968, the relationship between Barbara and Tony grew volatile, dependent, and even incestuous…culminating in Tony committing matricide 1972. In 2007, Tom Kalin tapped Julianne Moore and up-and-coming Eddie Redmayne to portray the Baekeland’s in the indie film Savage Grace. Listen now to learn how accurately these two Academy Award winning actors portrayed the dysfunctional relationship that inspired the film.
Primary Sources:
Robins, Natalie & Aronson, Steven. Savage Grace: The True Story of Obsession and Murder Among America’s Very, Very Rich. Dell Publishing Company, 1985.
BustleInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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In October 1997, small-town North Carolina resident, David Ghantt, executed one of the largest heists in American history by stealing $17 million from his employer Loomis Fargo, an armored-car company. He passed the money to his co-conspirators and fled the country, eagerly awaiting his third of the cash and love interest, Kelly Campbell, to join him. The series of missteps resulting in their capture was the source of Jared Hess’s Masterminds (2016), featuring an all-star cast of Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Jason Sudeikis. What was fictionalized for this wild ride of a comedy? Listen now to find out.
Primary Sources:
Diamant, Jeff. Heist: The Oddball Crew Behind the $17 Million Loomis Fargo Theft. Sourcebooks, 2002.
Carolina Coast OnlineInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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The Reign of Terror spanned 1921 to 1925, during which William Hale and his nephew, Ernest Burkhart, orchestrated the deaths of more than two dozen Osage, including the family of Burkhart’s wife, Mollie Kyle. Martin Scorsese, with the help of Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, and Jesse Plemons, depicted these murders in the Academy Award nominated film, Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). Did Scorsese deviate from the actual events and David Grann’s nonfiction novel of the same name? Was there a larger plot against Osage Nation than what the FBI led us to believe? Listen now to find out.
Primary Source:
Grann, David. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Doubleday, 2017.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Walter Keane was one of the most in-demand artists in the 1960s. His portraits of children with saucer-sized eyes could be found in galleries across the world, on advertisements nailed to telephone poles, and on lithographs in department store bargain bins. While Walter was partying with the rich and famous, Margaret Keane, his wife and true creator of Big Eye paintings, was restricted to their basement studio creating new art for Walter to take credit for. Tim Burton, with the help of Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, connected with Margaret’s story and brought it to the big screen in Big Eyes (2014).
Primary Sources:
Parfrey, Adam & Nelson, Cletus. Citizen Keane: The Big Lies Behind Big Eyes. Feral House, 2014.
Keane Eyes GalleryInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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New Episodes of Criminal Adaptations season 3 are coming June 17th !
Join our hosts Remi, who spent over a decade working in the film and television industry in Los Angeles, California, and Ashley, a clinical psychologist and forensic evaluator in Oregon as they continue discussing some of your favorite movies, and the true crimes stories that inspired them.
Coming soon!
Music: John Bartmann https://johnbartmann.comInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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In the conclusion of our two-part season finale, Al Capone is sent to prison after being convicted of tax evasion. After he’s released from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, his brain and body fail him due to neurosyphilis. Listen now to find out how accurately Josh Trank, with the help of Tom Hardy, depicted the final year before the gangster’s death in the 2020 film, Capone.
Primary Source:
Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. Hachette Books, 1992.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Notorious gangland kingpin Al Capone was at the height of his career supplying illegal liquor and beer during Prohibition. Thanks to his ruthless tactics and deep pockets, he essentially controlled Chicago through payoffs given to the city’s highest rank politicians and police force. Fed up with widespread crime, federal agent Eliot Ness put together a small group tasked with finally bringing “Scarface” to justice and putting an end to his reign of terror. Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) is based on the team who achieved their goal in less than three years, and features a star-studded cast which includes Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery. In addition to discussing the true story that inspired De Palma’s film, we will talk about how Capone rode to power, earning his reputation as the most infamous gangster in America.
Primary Sources:
Kobler, John. Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone. Hachette Books, 1992.
Ness, Eliot and Fraley, Oscar. The Untouchables. Award Books, 1957.
Vanity Fair
MediumInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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This week we conclude our bonus episodes on Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024). Similar to last week, we casually talk about the remainder of the season, episodes 4-8, and how accurately the show stuck to the real-life events that laid the stage for Capote’s addiction and eventual death.
You can stream the full season of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans on FX and Hulu.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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One month after our season 1 finale on Truman Capote, TV mastermind Ryan Murphy premiered season two of his anthology series Feud, centering on famous celebrity conflicts. The next two weeks we take a break from our usual content to discuss each episode of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (2024) and how accurately the show stuck to the real-life events that laid the stage for Capote’s addiction and eventual death. This week we tackle episodes 1-3 of the series, which is chalked full of some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
You can stream the full season of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans on FX and Hulu.
A Visit with Truman Capote (1966)Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Aaron Sorkin made his directorial debut with Molly’s Game (2017), the true story of world-class mogul skier turned poker princess, Molly Bloom. In just a few short years, Molly went from having $2,000 to her name to being worth multi-million dollars, all by running underground poker games filled with some of the most famous and influential people in the world, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Mary Kate and Ashley Olson, Nelly, and Alex Rodriguez. Listen now to find out how Sorkin, with the help of an all-star cast led by Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, depicted Bloom’s rise and dramatic downfall.
Primary Source:
Bloom, Molly. Molly’s Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World. Dey Street Books, 2015.Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede II was a beloved mortician in Carthage, Texas who always went out of his way to lend a helping hand. Marjorie Nugent was a wealthy widow with few confidants, until she befriended Tiede, a man 40 years her senior, who oversaw her husband’s funeral. Through this friendship, Bernie went from living a modest lifestyle to jet setting around the world and being next in line to Nugent’s multi-million estate…until her body was found stuffed in a freezer nine months after she was last seen. This week we are back with another Jack Black true-crime comedy, Richard Linklater’s Bernie (2011). Tune in to find out how accurate the movie depicts the murder of Marjorie Nugent, and to learn about the wild sequence of events that unfolded after the film’s release.
Primary Sources:
Texas Monthly – Midnight in the Garden of East Texas
Texas Monthly – Bernie in Hell
Texas Monthly – Lights, Camera, Carthage!
Investigation Discovery
The Austin ChronicleInstagram: @CriminalAdaptations
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The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 film directed by Scott Derrickson, in which a lawyerb(Laura Linney) takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest (Tom Wilkinson) who performed an exorcism on a young girl (Jennifer Carpenter). Based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a young German woman who suffered a similar fate, but just how closely does this supernatural horror film stick to the real life horrific events? Listen now and find out...
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