Mostly Murder (But Sometimes Not)

New episode out now! We watched the classic 1944 noir film Laura. We discussed the eponymous Laura and how everyone is obsessed with her, believe that the detective feels a little out of place and maybe belongs in a different movie, think the police work was hit or miss, and barely recognize Vincent Price. We talk at length about the character Waldo and debate how hidden / coded his sexuality was, hate that his obsession with Laura was essentially of her as an accessory, think the love story doesn't make sense, and get into the themes of classicism, misogyny, and the pervasive eugenics throughout. Katy is poor, Carrie looked into the eyes of a dead man, Maddy would like built-in fancy bathtub money, and Mack comes for Phil Collins. We also get into the familiar music theme, lament crime sensationalism, think dusted knick-knacks are a symbol of wealth, and learn you cannot trust a corpse whose face you don't see. Listen to hear more about game show host voices, J.C. Leyendecker, grappling hooks, hot men, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Enjoy!

TW: Graphic murder, misogyny, homophobia, eugenics, Selena murder

New episode out now! We watched the 1991 neo-noir film Dead Again, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh and also featuring Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi, and Andy Garcia. We wonder how we’ve never heard of this film because of the stacked cast, discuss how the personal history of Branagh and Thompson may have colored our perception of the film, get frustrated at the male ego and the need to be a hero, and debate how the movie would have felt with different actors. We discuss the concept of past lives and fate and how they were utilized in the story, think the old age makeup was terrible, have major issues with romancing an amnesiac, and debate the success of what the movie was trying to do. Katy pitches a TV show, Carrie got a warm heart hug while watching, Maddy wants to be in a weird old elevator, and Mack is not on Blue’s Clues. We also talk about where we’ve seen the filming locations before, think the accents are not great, get annoyed at water, and mention Buffy multiple times. Listen to hear more about soulmates, Robin Williams, claddagh ring traditions, Georgia O’Keeffe, pronouncing “Jacobi” wrong, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Enjoy!

TW: Infidelity, drug use, amnesia consent issues, fatphobia, domestic violence, animal carcass mention

New episode out now! We watched the little-known comedy mystery with a stacked cast Once Upon A Crime (1992). We cover how the film had a different plot than expected, decide that it took a long time to set up the actual mystery but thought it turned out well, felt it was often incredibly silly in a good way, and get into the full 1980s of it all, good and bad. We also talk about the various characters and how many of them seemed more like caricatures, think the actors all nailed the vibe, wondered how much improv was involved, and obviously loved the dog-heavy plot. Katy got her Belushis mixed up, Carrie did not think of cocaine at all, Maddy really wanted to gamble, and Mack explains things women do for fun. We also try to use Italian accents, fail to recognize a Napoleon reference, discuss what groups of straight men do for fun, and learn we are susceptible to a voicemail joke. Listen to hear more about mean olds, James Bond, Chicago Pope, great eyebrows, and a Vegas roulette story. And thank you to Jerome for the suggestion! Enjoy!

TW: Domestic violence, gambling addiction, animal cruelty, fatphobia

Show Notes:

Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place post “This Looks Terrible! Once Upon A Crime (1992)”

New episode out now! We watched the 1993 film The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. We discuss the two main characters and their dual and layered investigations that evolve over the course of the film, love the action and stunts as well as the tension that carries between them throughout, enjoy the camaraderie of the US Marshals team, and think Harrison Ford is just so great at playing a guy who’s Going Through It. We also get surprised over and over by recognizable character actors, wonder if certain cliches stem from this movie, really enjoy the score, and debate what happens after the movie’s credits. Katy uses official medical terms, Carrie worried about the surgeon's hands, Maddy shares a story about a prison visit, and Mack looks up some AO3 statistics. We also have many questions about paper charting in a hospital, get weirdly proud of being Irish during St. Patrick’s Day parade scenes, compare our rating systems, and talk about Batman yet again. Listen to hear more about hospital rollerblading, fridging, trenchcoats, hair dye techniques, and Harrison Ford’s powerful finger. Enjoy!

TW: Discussion of limb difference, wrongful convictions, death row, issues with prison and department of corrections 

Show Notes: 

• “Fridging Women”: How the Comics Industry Flubs Female Characters by Emma Sauer

• What is “Fridging” in Fiction Writing? by Fija Callaghan

• “Stuffed Into The Fridge” on TV Tropes

New episode out now! We watched the 2022 film The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the title role. We discuss how Batman actually did detective work, and how his background and upbringing both helped and hindered his investigation among the dark corners of Gotham. We talk about the main villains in the film and their portrayals, debate the success of the movie toeing the line between serious and emo but also silly and funny, and appreciate the nods they gave to the world of Batman and comic books without making it feel overtly cartoonish. We love the cinematography and production design, think that this may have been a low-key anti-Batman film, and have a disagreement about the end message. Katy is not a big fan of the mob, Carrie does not like heavy breathing in her ear, Maddy enjoys boys running around, and Mack shares a story about being an accidental stalker. We also talk about the possible influence of Zodiac and Seven, touch on the homoerotic vibes of Batman and Jim Gordan, get confused by cling wrap, and lament growing older than our superheroes. Listen to hear more about the 1893 World’s Fair, the brilliance of John Turturro, our childhood Disney bedsheets, and why Batman is a drag queen. Enjoy!

TW:  Fat suits, serial killers, Zodiac, incels, domestic terrorism, classicism

New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the 2023 miniseries A Murder at the End of the World. We discuss the main character Darby, a “Gen Z Sherlock”, and get into her strengths and weaknesses as an investigator. We believe she is entirely too trusting of billionaires and their agendas, wonder if she is naive or just careless with her life, and appreciate the other realistic characters and their grey moral decision to seek shady money for admirable projects. We ponder the prevalence of the same older music in entertainment, get into the current culture surrounding tech billionaires and AI, and discuss the ramifications of no longer living in a monoculture. Katy forgot Dakotas were states, Carrie is a true genius and unrecognized in her time, Maddy has Annie Lennox stuck in her head, and Mack is ravaged by the weariness of his own bones. We also think ending a series with a cliffhanger should be illegal, hear an incredible Count Orlok impression, and discuss using iTunes shuffle to give meaning to your life. Listen to hear more about Jedi bombs, scumbag tattoos, St. Elsewhere, great music for mountain driving, rat guys, and the sounds of Saturn’s rings. Enjoy!

TW: Tech billionaires, AI, serial killers, domestic abuse, gaslighting, climate change

New episode out now! We watched an episode from the second season of Psych, titled “Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion”. We love how fun and quippy the show is, utilizing the familiar hyper-observant-detective trope in a new-ish way. We dig into the character relationships, discussing the balance and strength of Shawn and Gus’ friendship as well as the father-son relationship of Shawn and Henry and how it evolves—although we do also believe everyone in the show needs therapy. We love Psych’s early adoption of meta references, enjoy the consistent bits, wonder how Gus has time for his hobbies, and really appreciate the multiple homage episodes and their casting of ‘80s and ‘90s cult film guest stars. Katy is on crab TikTok, Carrie shares an excellent grilled cheese-based metaphor, Maddy would love an arcade birthday, and Mack tells a wild misheard lyrics story. We also do a collective Doofenshmirtz impression, decide who the least problematic Beatle is, appreciate Shawn’s relationship advice, and list shows that were filmed in Vancouver. Listen to hear more about ephemeral fame, New Zealand accents, sexualized restaurant names, and ‘80s music. Enjoy! (You hear about Pluto? That’s messed up.)

TW: police, eating disorders

Show Notes/References:

• Psych Wiki

• Psych Pineapple website

• List of Pineapple Appearances

• Katy meant Lesley Ann Warren, not Lesley Ann Howard

Bonjour! New episode out now! We watched the first episode of the French crime show Candice Renoir. We discuss our enjoyment of Candice and her approach to policing, drawing on her intuition and skills as both a professional and a mother, and how that causes strife within the team she is placed in charge of. We talk about the challenges in understanding some of the nuances in a different language and culture, but how that also made it fun. We touch on the somewhat mysterious and confusing hierarchy used by police and military units, discuss the pros and cons of doing procedural television for multiple seasons, and try to pronounce French names and terms with varying success. Katy sneaks in a Seinfeld reference, Carrie has read this whole show, Maddy tells a fun hospital story about weird brains, and Mack got Inception-ed by Aretha Franklin. We also believe being called “Barbie” is not an insult, wonder how much fandom can really influence media, enjoy foreign media’s depiction of Americans, and discover Discord is amazing for pun-based comedy. We touch on gay Star Wars characters, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 marking the passage of time, Columbo, and the marimba. Apprécier!

TW: Child abuse, sex work, suicide, fatphobia, misogyny

Extra special episode out now! For this year’s holiday treat, Quizmaster Mack designed a whole game show for us to play! We play four different games, each one tied to our podcast in some way. We confront how often we veer off topic, test our knowledge of Florida Man, see if we can tell what's been subtly changed in a plot synopsis, and guess weird facts about properties we will probably never cover. Katy realizes she talks about the World’s Fair a lot, Carrie got away with mispronunciation, Maddy is a dehydrated queen, and Mack airs some grievances. We also learn what is technically north of Florida, why paleontologists lick things, and how Mary-Kate and Ashley always travel. Listen to hear Mack being a clever (and tricksy) game-maker, who bet on the fact that we don’t listen to each other well or retain information-and won! And after the games, we have a familiar Casemas treat! Enjoy, and happy holidays!

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Show Notes:

The music used within the games is all by Kevin MacLeod.  Website YouTube

Happy Happy Game Show, The Show Must Be Go, Corncob, Quirky Dog, Aunt Tagonist, Scheming Weasel, and Running Fanfare Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(Spoiler alert!) Mack immediately forgot the last game was double points and only counted single ones. The outcome is the same either way, but the true point count is Maddy with 16, Carrie with 26, and Katy with 30.

New episode out NOW! We’re shaking things up for the month of December. It’s the third of four brand new episodes along the same theme: the game Crack the Case. It’s Crack The Casemas!

Crack the Case is a Milton Bradley party game that came out in 1993 where players ask yes or no questions in order to solve a mystery. We’re finally putting our detective skills to the test!

Maddy hosts week three, where we discuss poor city planning, have a few false starts, and it gets very apparent we’re siblings. Katy loves CSI, Carrie shares her perfect mansion location, Maddy has very specific sock questions, and Mack makes some gross jokes. There’s a callback to last week’s episode, and a small preview of an upcoming one!

Give it a listen! Let us know if YOU solve it before we do!

TW: Death by gas