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Nope, that's not a typo: Best Evidence publisher Eve Batey joins me to talk about a movie that's still in "theaters," Most Wanted. Featuring Josh Hartnett's foxy 'stache and a breakout ugly performance from Jim Gaffigan, Most Wanted interrogates the role of budgetary concerns in law-enforcement corruption and/or incompetence...and we interrogate the crusading-reporter subgenre and whether it's true to life.
We do it twice, as a matter of fact, as our Cold Case topic is While The City Sleeps, a movie that references the William Heirens case but is actually about whether media's attempts to "make" a story is itself the story...or criminal. The 1956 thriller stars Vincent Price, Drew Barrymore's dad, and a realistically sodden Dana Stevens in a tale about a callow press scion using a string of murders to pit his top men (...uch) against each other for a plum job. We recommend it, and not just because it kiiiind of makes John Douglas look like an ass for claiming nobody knew how to profile properly before 1974, so hike your pants up to your pits and have a listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 155.
SHOW NOTESWhere to watch Most WantedThe Most Wanted/Target Number One Wikipedia pageReply All's Compstat episodeStephen McHattie's Zodiac creditKill The MessengerWhile The City Sleeps on AmazonMy Ripped From The Headlines reviewEater NY on Marchi's (and the Eater's Digest podcast)Wikipedia's William Heirens page -
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[CW: The episode reviews series that discuss sexual assault, harm to children, and suicide. Please listen with care.]
Omar Gallaga returns to discuss two very grim and infuriating properties, starting with Lifetime's Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, which centers the survivors of Epstein's monstrousness while also indicting a society that let him manipulate it with shocking impunity. It's a good docuseries that's also a difficult sit, and the rare discussion of the case of late that had the capacity to tell us something new.
The Con also told us something new, about a different kind of predatory behavior -- the outright frauds that led to the financial crisis of 2008. It's a straightforward narrative without a lot of production bells and whistles, but it's also a very careful accounting (so to speak) of all the different bad actors in the world of mortgage fraud, from inexperienced brokers to rapacious CEOs to the Wall Street traders who created the demand. The podcast may not be fast, but you'll be furious by the end of The Blotter Presents, Episode 154.
SHOW NOTES
Surviving Jeffrey EpsteinMy Primetimer review of Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy RichWhere to watch The ConGuardian review of The Con Omar at LEVEL and Terribly HappyCheck out Native deodorant and Hello Fresh!Best Evidence -
Wondery’s Even the Rich gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of some of the greatest family dynasties in history. This season, three siblings — Gianni, Donatella, and Santo Versace — built one of the greatest fashion labels the world has ever seen. But when Gianni is murdered on the front steps of his Miami Beach mansion, the label loses its visionary. Can the House of Versace survive? On this four-episode series, we’ll dive into the origins of the Versace label and we’ll meet a few celebrities along the way, like Elton John, Princess Diana, and Madonna.
Listen to the full episode: http://wondery.fm/ETR_BlotterPresents -
Two guests, no waiting this week, as ...These Are Their Stories co-host Kevin Flynn joins me to talk about Ann Rule's Sleeping With Danger, starring Elisabeth "Serena Southerlyn" Röhm and Leslie "ME Rodgers" Hendrix. It's a thumbs-sideways from both of us on the movie, which is not quite good, but not all that bad, and has some anachronism issues and PSA pacing that undercut surprisingly decent acting. Grab a Smoothie Of Doom to fortify yourself for...
...the second Most Wanted topic, Amazon's The Last Narc, a series Jessica Liese and I meant to talk about months ago, before Amazon yanked it unceremoniously. The case of what really happened to murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena premiered last week, with nearly as little fanfare, and while we're still not clear on why it got disappeared, it's a compelling and confidently shot four-parter featuring clear explainers and flavorful anecdotes. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't have changed anything...or that we weren't happy to hear Robert Stack in a voice-over. Brace yourself for more government malfeasance: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 153.
SHOW NOTESAnn Rule's Sleeping With DangerThe Mets' starting catcher in 1978The These Are Their Stories podcastWATCH Crime Writers On…The Last Narc on Amazon Prime"Midnight In The Garden Of East Texas," by Skip HollandsworthHector Berrellez alleges the CIA got the series taken offCollider's interview with director Tiller RussellJessica at Rob Has A Website Check out FealsBest Evidence -
Is this the widest gulf in quality between the two shows under discussion in Blotter history? Maybe! But Netflix's new three-part series on the "Commission Case" that brought down the New York Mob is disciplined, compelling, and reminds me and guest Jeb Lund that Rudy Giuliani didn't always completely suck at everything...and that barbers really have a challenging job sometimes.
The Perfect Murder, meanwhile, is also compelling, but risibly acted, weirdly production-designed, and hilarious in a way that brings to mind a certain [ploop!]. It's so memorably bizarre that at least it "honors" Gavin Smith by stamping his case indelibly into our memories, but we really shouldn't be giggling at a true-crime story. Wear a crop top to the cop shop for The Blotter Presents, Episode 152.
SHOW NOTES
Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia Brian Tallerico's review at RogerEbert.comThe NatGeo series whose junket found SDB sitting next to Michael FranzeseThe Perfect Murder S05.E09, "Jump Shot" "The Ploop Incident"The Quaid In Full podcastJeb Lund on Twitter -
Filmmaker and baseball-Twitter-improver Randy Wilkins joins me to talk about Netflix's The Business Of Drugs, a six-part series hosted by Amaryllis Fox that tries to take a value-neutral look at the economics of black-market substances. But is it TOO neutral? Does it try to do too much in each episode? Might it have been better off only following a single figure through each drug's "story"? And what do coverage of cocaine cartels and MLB have in common?
Later, we dig into Spike Lee's Summer Of Sam: why it was rejected by critics, how Lee uses local detail to get at universal truths, and whether Lee would come back to the chaotic summer of 1977 and David Berkowitz in a documentary format. All the nefariously used stuffed animals and Reggie Jackson crackpot theories you could ask for: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 151.
SHOW NOTESThe Business Of Drugs Where to watch Summer Of Sam Summer Of Sam reviews on Rotten Tomatoes Randy Wilkins on Twitter Randy's website, pamsson.comExtra insight from Randy and Spike Lee about Dear… "Spike Lee" from The Root Views From 314 Ft. BestEvidence.fyi
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[content warning for discussions of child sexual abuse, suicide]
Stephanie Green ventures back into the grim case against Larry Nassar with me this week, this time with Netflix's Athlete A, which sets itself apart from other properties by also making a case against USA Gymnastics, the Karolyi Ranch, and the messed-up ways we think about child athletes. If you watched At The Heart Of Gold, do you "need" to watch this one? And will you want a follow-up in a year's time?
Later, we delved into the case of Scott Menaged as told by S13.E06 of American Greed. Despite Stacy Keach's gusto-rrific voice-over and a pretty decent explainer on recession-market house-flipping, Stephanie and I still had questions about Menaged's credit-card scam...and his terrible jeans. Come for the indictment of abusive coaches, stay for the elision of scam process: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 150.
SHOW NOTES
Athlete AStephanie and I talk about At The Heart Of Gold 30 For 30's "Heavy Medals" podcast season, on the Karolyi empire American Greed S13E06 CNBC on "the risks of house-flipping"StephanieEarlyGreen.comFeals.com/blotterbestevidence.fyi -
[content warning for sexual assault, neonaticide, truly egregious Foley design]
When the subject is the Golden State Killer, the guest is Mike Dunn, who's back to talk about the first three episodes of HBO's I'll Be Gone In The Dark. Directed by Oscar-winner Liz Garbus and others, the six-part docuseries seems to struggle to integrate two narrative styles: a straight-ahead true-crime tale, and a "crimoir" about the wearing effects of researching monsters and the abysses they call home. Does Michelle McNamara's untimely death create a halo effect? Are some Capote comparisons more apt than others? And will we keep watching?
In the Cold Case section, I went looking for a Garden State case to pair with the Golden State Most Wanted section...and what I found was so hilarribly bad, tacky, overacted, and downright bizarre that I fully expected Mike to end our friendship after watching it. Murder Made Me Famous S04.E06 covers the Melissa Drexler/"Prom Mom" case in pitilessly cringey detail, including a splash neither of us will ever forget, and when we go to hell for laughing at this trash-isode, it's this show we'll have to watch for all eternity. Collect all your most irrelevant details for the voice-over: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 149.
SHOW NOTESHBO's I'll Be Gone In The Dark pageMike's and my first convo about the case in Ep 048My IBG piece for PrimetimerFilmmakers' "responsibility" to McNamara/her materialsMurder Made Me Famous S04.E06Mike on TwitterThe Best Evidence newsletter -
How to describe Miles Hargrove's documentary about his father's kidnapping by FARC guerrillas in 1994 -- a kidnap memoir? Found footage meets ransom procedural? It's all of that, and it's unique in the genre; my guest Jeb Lund and I don't know when you'll be able to watch it, but if it comes to VOD or Independent Lens, Jeb and I agree that you should check it out.
We're less of a mind about Netflix's exploration of questionable forensics disciplines from last year, Exhibit A. I liked it for the sugar-free talking-head interviews and the snarky structuring of the episodes; Jeb wished Netflix had a 1.5-speed setting while he was watching it. But we agree on this: 1) Dexter shouldn't be anyone's favorite show, and 2) you should listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 148.
SHOW NOTESMiracle Fishing's website"Adventures In The Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau (the VF article that became Proof Of Life)Exhibit A on NetflixThe Charley Project's page on Bianca Lily Jones, which sheds a different light on D'Andre LaneThat New Yorker article on Cameron Todd Willingham, by the great David GrannEpisode 023 on The Confession TapesDave And Jeb Aren't MeanQuaid In FullVisit Feals.com to snag that promo codeThe Best Evidence newsletter -
[CW for references to domestic violence, racial violence, and medical malpractice.]
The podcast staycations on the doc-festival circuit this week with a couple of films from the Human Rights Watch Film Festival: Belly Of The Beast, a harrowing account of involuntary sterilization in the California penal system, and the sickening persistence of eugenics in the U.S.; and Coded Bias, which explores the capitalist algorithm and everything artificial "intelligence" gets wrong. (Note: I'd intended also to review Down A Dark Stairwell, but that screener didn't come through; hopefully I'll get to it later in the month.)
In the Cold Case section, I talked to filmmaker Yasmin Neal about her 2019 short Target Practice, a six-minute short that "has become a viral representation of 'modern-day lynching.'" We covered Holiday vs. Simone, how to direct children in dark material, and American iconography for all. The documentaries of tomorrow and a timeless short of yesteryear, in The Blotter Presents, Episode 147.
SHOW NOTESThe Human Rights Watch Film Festival lineupAmazon buckles on facial-recognition deploymentTarget Practice on YouTube -
The Dirty John franchise, clumsily named though it is, is back -- and Marcia Chatelain is back to talk about it. It doesn't feel "necessary," in These Times...and yet we're both planning to keep watching, thanks to Amanda Peet's fearless performance; the comparisons we can make with Mrs. America; and the fond memories it recalls of Meredith Baxter's definitive version.
Later, we're digging into a Lifetime movie about another '80s true-crime icon: Laurie "Bambi" Bembenek, whose quest to unmask corruption in Milwaukee law enforcement (yes, she was kind of trying to defund the police) got her embroiled with a bad husband and a worse frame job. We don't agree on Tatum O'Neal's performance; we do agree that this early-nineties movie was ahead of its time in its takes on stalking, feminist whistle-blowers, and the awesomeness of Victor Garber. That ominous piano can only mean one thing...The Blotter Presents, Episode 146.
SHOW NOTESThe Marshall ProjectThe Equal Justice InitiativeDirty John on USAWoman On Trial on YouTubeMarcia Chatelain on Twitter…...and her book, Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black AmericaAnd please visit TBP's sponsors, Feals and StoryWorth, to get those deals!Want more? Here's the Best Evidence newsletter. -
First-time guest and Best Evidence contributor Margaret Howie joined me to talk about Quiz, the miniseries about the UK Who Wants To Be A Millionaire scandal now airing on AMC. Is it as good for what it leaves out as what it puts in? Are there class issues at work that non-Brits can't get at? And how does Matthew MacFadyen manage to play Charles Ingram so neutrally?
Later, we talk about the great Alex Gibney's not AS great No Stone Unturned, a true-crime Troubles explainer that tackles the Loughinisland massacre in 1994. Gibney takes this one more personally than most; does that interfere with his usual "ear" for structure? Game-show process, overshadowing events, and six degrees of seventh-grade Sarah: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 145.
SHOW NOTESVulture's Quiz explainerThe real WWTBAM episode on YouTubeThe official podcast"The Man Who Got No Whammies"No Stone Unturned on AmazonOwen Gleiberman on No Stone Unturned for Variety The Irish Passport podcastMy review of Say NothingFind Margaret Howie at the Public Intellectual podcast, and in her Three Weeks newsletterBest Evidence -
Mobbed Up: The Fight For Las Vegas drops Tuesday, May 26. I interviewed producer and host Reed Redmond about the podcast, interviewing Mob enforcers, mid-century nostalgia, and NOT watching Casino.
SHOW NOTESMobbed Up at the Las Vegas Review-JournalTour the Mob Museum virtually -
After our plans to cover Amazon docuseries The Last Narc got disappeared along with the show, Jessica Liese and I pivoted back to familiar ground: Fake Heiress, a late-2019 pod on everyone's favorite art-foundationing NYC scammer, Anna Delvey/Sorokin. The podcast isn't good, and across-the-pond class issues read weirdly to us North Americans...but is it a fast and fun enough listen for us to recommend? Or are you better off rereading the contemporary coverage?
We went even further back in time for our second Cold Case of the episode: the third-season Unsolved Mysteries segment on the disappearance of Nyleen Marshall. We're pretty sure we know what really happened to little Nyleen, but the things we as a culture didn't understand about confessions, eyewitnesses, and the determination of amateur detectives 30 years ago led to an interesting discussion...and a proposal for a reboot we might actually need. Can't find this episode in your podcast app? We blame the CIA in The Blotter Presents, Episode 144.
SHOW NOTESFake Heiress on BBCThe Blotter Presents's "Summer Of Scam"-isodeVice article backing my "really rich people look like hobos" playThe New Yorker profile of Hunter Lee SoikUnsolved Mysteries S03.E10The Unsolved Mysteries Wiki on Nyleen Marshall…and on Monica BonillaThe Jess Liese archive at Post-Show RecapsBest Evidence -
Allison Lowe Huff returns for a UK docudrama two-fer, starting with A Confession, ITV's miniseries from last year about the murders of Sian O'Callaghan and Becky Godden, and the confession to them that cracked the cases but ruined a detective's career. Did we need more than six episodes with these people? Did Steve Fulcher's book have more crackpot theories than the TV adaptation allowed for? And is anyone worse than Pete? (Spoiler: no.) [NB: I discovered after recording that Britbox isn't available to those without a British CC or debit card. My apologies!] [Update: You can get it via Amazon Prime!]
Later, we discussed another scripted take on a big case: Derek Bentley's death sentence and the hole it left at the center of his family in Let Him Have It. Despite the occasional weird choice (what's with the hair?), Let Him Have It makes it clear why the UK moved away from capital punishment after this case, and why Christopher Eccleston is an international treasure (and Murray Melvin should be). It's a cavalcade of Midsomer Murders guest stars in The Blotter Presents, Episode 143.
SHOW NOTESA Confession on BritboxThe murder of Sian O'CallaghanLet Him Have It on AmazonThe Derek Bentley caseThe Pierrepoint family of hangmen (and the tweet thread that opened this wormhole for Al) Al at MHz ChoiceVisit sponsors Best Fiends and Feals!Sign up for the Best Evidence newsletter! -
Piper Weiss returned for a 1993 Lifetime movie about Tennessee baby broker Georgia Tann, Stolen Babies, that won Mary Tyler Moore an Emmy. Is this a notch above the usual '90s Lifetime fare, or do the accents ruin the relatively snappy pacing and shockingly direct villainy of Tann's actions?
We dug into the Tann story thanks to the second part of the podcast: Kevin Smokler's conversation with Criminal and This Is Love host and co-creator Phoebe Judge from April 22, 2020. They talked about everything from Criminal's production timeline, to staying out of "the gotcha game," to how to report mainstream crime stories, to...well, Georgia Tann. Criminal has never missed a drop date or taken a break, so we're extra-glad Ms. Judge made time to talk to us. Get your paperwork in order for an all-new episode of The Blotter Presents.
[Portions of the interview were edited/elided to remove Skype garbling.]
SHOW NOTESStolen Babies on YouTubeVariety's review of Stolen BabiesCriminal's 2019 episode on Georgia Tann, "Baby Snatcher"Piper Weiss and Kevin Smokler on TwitterGet Sundance Now free with that promo code!Best Evidence -
Toby Ball takes a break from refilling the Clorox shot-ski to talk about HBO's ripped-from-the-2004-headlines docudrama, Bad Education, in which Wolverine and CJ Cregg defraud the Roslyn school district -- and Toby and I really liked it, but did it need a stronger or more singular point of view? Should it have embraced its All The President's American Vandals nature more openly? And what is Janney's accent doing?
Later, we went back to 2015 for a rather un-Frontline-y Frontline that tried to dig into the murders of Vietnamese journalists by an anti-Communist kill squad. Why does "Terror In Little Saigon" feel more like a Cold Justice than a Frontline? What should the episode have investigated instead? And how does Young Sheldon's grandfather figure into all of this? Drop off thirty grand worth of dry cleaning and join us for The Blotter Presents, Episode 141.
SHOW NOTESThe NY Mag deep dive by who else? Bob Kolker Rebecca Lavoie on LI accentry on Crime Writers On...Frontline's "Terror In Little Saigon" Strange ArrivalsCheck out Sundance Now for a FREE month with the code "blotter"!All this and more at the Best Evidence newsletter! -
Australio-Irish icon Ned Kelly got the very first big-screen treatment in 1906, and now the director of Snowtown is back with yet another one. Does Justin Kurzel's time-shifted "punk" take on Peter Carey's novel hold Alex Segura's and my interest? Later, we'll talk about whether The Catch & Kill Podcast With Ronan Farrow needs to exist, what we'd rather have heard instead, and text niftinesses that don't translate. Grab a colander helmet; it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 140.
SHOW NOTES
True History Of The Kelly Gang Keva York's review of True History for ABC Ned Kelly (1970) and Ned Kelly (2003) Catch & Kill podcast My review of the book AlexSegura.comThe Black Ghost Season OneDon't forget to check out Best Fiends! -
A new hour-long documentary confronts the deaths of Jen and Sarah Hart and their six adopted children in A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy -- but did this doc need to exist? And does it do anything the Broken Harts podcast didn't? Later, we'll talk about a docu-nactment hybrid, American Animals, from the director of The Imposter, and whether this genre-buster works where the Transy book heist did not. (Uh, spoiler.) No free hugs here, folks; it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 139.
SHOW NOTESA Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy on AmazonThe Broken Harts podcastMy Blotter Brief on same, and Eve's write-upBello Collective's Nafari Vanaski on the difficulties more broadly of reporting this particular storyAmerican Animals on HBOGoVF's "Transy Book Heist" piece from 2007 The ImposterDave And Jeb Aren't MeanSupport TBP sponsors Best Fiends and Feals! - Se mer
