Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode! We watched the first part of the 8-part HBO series The Night Of, titled “The Beach,” which means we speculate a lot about things we don't have answers for. We cover how this episode felt like we were just watching the prosecution build a pretty solid-looking case, how tense we felt the entire time, how everyone makes really bad decisions (but especially Naz), how CCTV is eerily ubiquitous, and how just absolutely great Riz Ahmed is at everything. Katy blocked Carrie from her tattoo memories, Carrie gives practical hearse advice, Maddy doesn't care about baseball at all, and Mack may have confessed to a crime. We also cover the insanely dangerous knife game, try to figure out New York City boroughs with no practical knowledge (Spider-Man doesn't count, MACK), admit we’ve all blasted opera from the car, and give major Once Upon A Time spoilers. The show was a stressful watch but we all enjoyed it! Give it a listen!

TW: NYPD, police violence, leading a witness, racism, police incompetence

CORRECTIONS:

-”Brownstone is a brown sandstone that was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a townhouse clad in this, or any of a number of aesthetically similar materials.” -Wiki

-Carrie was referring to the Reed technique—basically forcing confessions after physical torture wasn't condoned anymore. Most federal law enforcement trained in it. Used "incorrectly" with the Exonerated Five.

-Riz Ahmed “is the first Muslim actor to win a Lead Actor Emmy, as well as the first South-Asian man to win an Emmy in an acting category in general” (Source)

-More info about the “Riz Test” can be found here and here

It’s our 30th episode, dollfaces! We watched 1941’s The Maltese Falcon and dug into one of Hollywood’s biggest noir movies. We cover the iconic Humphrey Bogart and his literal presence in our lives, get into the vague history of the MacGuffin storytelling device, talk about how this is an actual mystery we traverse along with Sam Spade, and discuss how no one in the movie is really a good person—not least because everyone’s lying all the time. Katy shares a bonkers (but not so fun) fact concerning the falcon prop’s sculptor, Carrie liked the title treatment’s quotation marks, Maddy draws valid parallels between the “Fat Man” and Professor Slughorn, and Mack did some excellent real detecting and film analysis. We also come up with at least three different spin offs and/or sequels for the Maltese Falcon Cinematic Universe, Mack hosts the first partly-gay Pirate Corner™, we learn about Mary Astor’s secret diaries and what her casting meant to a contemporary audience, discuss the Hayes Code and The Celluloid Closet (again), and get into Guns-As-Penis-Metaphor tropes. We all lean in on our ‘40s radio persona for a bit and lament the lack of pirates and knights after a big title card promise. Give it a listen, baby doll!

TW: discussion of police misconduct, slave trade and piracy, historical views on homosexuality, child molestation

New episode! We watched 1985’s not-really-a-mystery movie Blood Simple. We discuss the Coen brothers and explore the familiar Coen tropes already present in their first film, get very annoyed at how utterly terrible Ray is at covering up a murder, wish the characters would just use their words, and list out the many, many clues left behind for the investigators to piece the events together. Katy tried to be cool in college by watching CItizen Kane alone, Carrie uses the word “hirsute,” Maddy remembers a specific owl from Adventure Time, and Mack tells a painful story from high school gym class. We run through filmography of M. Emmet Walsh and Bruce Campbell, discuss wonderful dog etiquette, wonder how badly the bar smelled by the end of the movie, teach Maddy about Checkov’s gun theory, and learn how to seduce Frances McDormand. We also discuss connections to Supernatural, the Great Gatsby, Irish folklore, and Twilight, and give very minor Tiger King spoilers. Give it a listen!

TW: Being buried alive, blood, seeking help from the police, racism

CORRECTIONS

-Direct from Wikipedia “[Frances] McDormand has been married to director Joel Coen since 1984”.

-The ability to connect bullets and guns together forensically definitely existed before the 1980’s; the earliest documented case was in 1835 but it is possible it happened before. It was further modernized in 1925 with the invention of the comparison microscope. (Wikipedia)

-Forensic DNA analysis was first used in 1984 so it was very new and maybe would not have been used to match the blood in Ray’s car to Marty but they could have matched blood type easily.

-Forensic investigators could definitely have used chemistry to detect the presence of human blood even if Ray did wipe up the back room. Also luminol has been used to detect the presence of blood since the 1930’s. (Wikipedia)

-Carrie referenced the O’Brien Family Banshee and then we talked over her so basically there is a legend that certain great Irish families have their own banshee, including the O’Briens. (link) (link)

New episode! We watched 2002’s Red Dragon and cover how this movie fits into the Hannibal Lecter Cinematic Universe™.  We discuss the excellent almost-over-the-top-but-not-quite acting choices, the actually good detective work, the confusing but tragic reality that the Dragon lived in, and how this is one of the best book-to-movie adaptations. We also learn this is Carrie’s first encounter with Hannibal as played by Academy Award Winner Anthony Hopkins and are sorry that her first experience is Hannibal Lecter with a ponytail (A PONYTAIL). Katy does not like Edward Norton, Carrie has copyediting notes for the location graphics team, Maddy shares cat facts, and Mack really tries to keep the summary on track. We also talk about the horror of seeing Voldemort’s dongle, compare Hannibal to Mary-Kate and Ashley, discuss the trope of the “mildly autistic super detective” even though Will is not portrayed as autistic (“he’s just a special man that can see murder thoughts!”), wonder what the deal is with serial killers and scrapbooks, and do not know how to say Ralph Fiennes. “Big yikes all around!” —Maddy

Originally recorded April 2020

TW: Cannibalism, serial murders, child murder, post-mortem mutilation, rape, gore, allusions to lynching, child abuse, mental illness as a homicidal trope

New episode out now! We watched an episode of The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, “The Case of the Logical I Ranch”, and friends…it was a journey. We talked about the brand (cult?) of Mary-Kate & Ashley and their “Pantheon of Entertainment” (©Mack), growing up entirely in the public eye and how truly young they were, how the episode is 37% songs, and how they really do solve a mystery with followable clues. Katy shares the secret of being cool in high school (get in with the theater kids duh), Carrie thinks all librarians are the foremost authorities on dragons, Maddy recognized a specific rock, and Mack…Mack was broken by this episode. We discuss how it teaches that adults are not always logical, wonder how the cowboys bought their ranch, debate the merits of the songs, and wonder if anyone was even having any fun. We also talk about crabs, dairy farming, childhood Halloween costumes, Disney Channel Original Movies, reading as children, the cult of celebrity, and Danny DeVito. Give it a listen!

It’s time to party Mardi Gras style! We watched S1E15 of NCIS: New Orleans,  “Le Carnaval de la Mort” which from the get-go made us realize we cannot speak French. We get into the tropes of CBS procedurals—from their penchant to create spinoffs, to the immediately recognizable character traits, to weird expository dialogue, to trying to fit horrendous crimes and the emotional reactions to them in 42 minutes. Katy tries to talk up the Bond franchise with one of its worst moments, Carrie brings up Hocus Pocus two separate times, Maddy teaches us about vein recognition, and Mack has very strong feelings about the depiction of “nerds.” We also discuss how anyone can make a badge or business card so why do we trust them, how we love the setting and location work in New Orleans, get really judgy about some of the parties and parades depicted, and talk about how Mack used to bite people. (He was being a dinosaur.) Plus, we all try out our own Wookie sounds and discuss how much we like Scott Bakula. Enjoy!

TW: drug use, death by overdose, stabbing, police, military and law enforcement departments, law enforcement negligence

CORRECTIONS:

-Mack kept calling LaSalle “Cajun” but he really meant “Southern”; LaSalla and the actor who plays him (Lucas Black) are both from Alabama and would not be considered Cajun. Source 1 Source 2

-Don Johnson does not star in JAG. He starred in Nash Bridges.

-There is a military base in New Orleans : Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans

New episode out today! We watched 1997’s L.A. Confidential, which made all of us Google very different things (historical exchange rates, when contacts were invented, Mickey Rooney…). We discuss the blatant corruption and racism of the 1950’s police force, the way the movie seemed to allude to a number of unconfirmed Hollywood murder and mafia stories, how well constructed the mystery and detective work is, and how this is the second time we’ve seen Russell Crowe as a bruiser in a period L.A. film. Katy doesn’t understand Australia apparently, Carrie sings two separate movie themes that were not in this movie, Maddy gets all the detective points, and Mack has a profound moment. We also discuss teeth conspiracy theories, have our first Squib Corner, learn that unlike Red Dead Redemption 2 you can’t control a movie shootout by pressing ‘square’ [Cover transition], and wonder if it’s just an L.A. thing to keep a gun in your cookie jar. We still don't have a consensus on how to pronounce Basinger but we all love Danny DeVito. Originally recorded March 2020.

TW: Police corruption, Kevin Spacey, police killing of Black men, racism, pedophilia, domestic violence, rape, animal abuse

New episode out now! We watched TWO episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, S2E3 “Elementary, Dear Data” and S6E12 “Ship in a Bottle,” and boy did we have a lot of questions about the Star Trek universe that we did not research. We discuss how the show explored aspects of simulated worlds and sentient AI, the great costumes and fun set design, and ponder if it is weird as an adult to dress up in costumes and go play make-believe with your friends. Katy gives a few minor Holmes lectures, Carrie sympathises with the villain, Maddy saw the twist coming four years ahead, and Mack has problems with DIY building kits in space. We reminisce about our childhood Star Trek memories (including twirling to the theme music), talk about the value of having a physical hobby on a five year space mission, wonder if Data could do cocaine, discuss the hotness of Patrick Stewart, and two of us sing different ‘90’s theme songs. We have a LOT of questions about the Holodeck and how it works, the replicator technology, and living in a post-scarcity world without a market system but we did not look up any answers so fans should expect to shout into the void a lot. At least three of us say “well, actually,” so look out for those! Engage!

TW: Brief mentions of sex workers, adult films

CORRECTIONS:

-Admiral Lord Nelson’s body was stored in a cask of brandy, not a pickle barrel, to preserve it following his death aboard the HMS Victory. (Wiki)

It will be to your advantage to listen to the newest episode of our podcast—because it’s our highest rated movie yet! We covered 1985’s cult classic Clue and talked about the brilliance of the ensemble cast, the clever script and hilarious line readings, how the mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor was super enjoyable, and how they totally bungled the “three endings” gimmick from a marketing standpoint. We discuss why so many people growing up in the '90s found this movie on cable but also how we never picked up on the super casual sexual harassment done by pretty much every man. Katy said “well, actually” within the first ten minutes and would like to apologize, Carrie divulges her emo attitude, Maddy tells a story about scaring her roommates with two surprising accomplices, and Mack is very cool in his regular life. We share the O’Brien method of winning the board game (apparently cheating is wrong? but we’re very good at it), decide Miss Scarlet would be a murderino and Mrs. Peacock is totally bi, learn about two dogs named Mack, talk about how much we love Madeline Kahn multiple times, and try to figure out where you would source monkey brains in 1950’s New England. Be warned you will want to watch this movie twice - because each ending is supported by the action AND it is just that fun!

TW: Murder as comedy, casual treatment of dead bodies

CORRECTIONS:

-Clue the game was invented by British musician Anthony Pratt during WWII while he was bored at night during air raids. He would reminisce about murder mystery dinner parties from the 1920s–30s and came up with the game based on those. His wife designed the board. He sold it in 1947 and it came out in both the US and UK in 1949, and the victim Mr. Boddy has been there since the beginning. See this fascinating article about the origins from History.com or this one from The Independent.

-  “Murderino” term probably came from The Simpsons, although finding the exact quote has been difficult. From a BTW interview with Karen and Georgia of My Favorite Murder:

BTW: Tell us about the ever-loyal community of fans called “murderinos.” How did that develop, and how have you cultivated it?

Karen & Georgia: The term “murderino” is from a Ned Flanders line in a Halloween episode of The Simpsons. A listener used it in a thread on our old Facebook page and everyone just ran with it.

New episode out now! We discuss the 2016 film The Nice Guys, about two 1970s “investigators” who are really just total disasters. We cover the excellent music and production design, how you can tell the actors are having fun, how surprisingly funny the movie is, and how it sneaks in commentary on governmental oversight and harmful carbon emissions. Katy tries to explain 1970s drug trends but doesn't fully understand the movie, Carrie is always low-key thinking about The Hobbit, Maddy initially thought it was about a telekinetic child, and Mack knows more about Russell Crowe’s jockstraps than we really think is proper. We also channel our inner Tina Belcher, reminisce about phone cord limbo, stress the importance of vaccines, and discuss women holding positions of power in the justice department. One of us casually busts out “anosmia” in a sentence but none of us know how to pronounce “Basinger.” We also have a special visit by a Bee Expert to discuss bee reproduction! Can you dig it?

TW: Discussion of adult films and sex work, use of outdated terminology, child neglect, corpse humor

CORRECTIONS:

Mined from Wikipedia: The first female state attorney general was Anne X. Alpern of Pennsylvania, in 1959, but the next one to be appointed did not happen until 1985 with Arlene Violet of Rhode Island. The first female Attorney General of the United States was Janet Reno, appointed in 1993.

Ann Rule did work for a short while as an officer in the Seattle Police Department’s new Women’s Bureau beginning in 1954. (sourced from the Retired Seattle Police Officers’ Association)