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

CORRECTIONS:

-Guy Pearce was born in the UK but moved to Victoria, Australia when he was 3. (Wiki)

-Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand but moved to Sydney, Australia when he was 4. He’s lived in both countries but mostly Australia. (Wiki)

-Straight from Wikipedia: “On the evening of April 4, 1958, 14-year-old Cheryl Crane stabbed 32-year-old Johnny Stompanato, the boyfriend of her mother, actress Lana Turner, at Turner’s rented home in Beverly Hills, California…Stompanato’s homicide has been subject of conspiracy theories that Turner had in fact stabbed him, and that Crane had taken the blame to protect her mother, though Crane has denied this.” 

-Kevin Page played the ill-fated Mr. Kinney in 1987’s RoboCop. It is generally accepted he is the most squibbed person in film; the other major contender is James Caan as Sonny in 1972’s The Godfather. However, the Guinness Record for “Most explosives (squibs) on an individual” belongs to Michael Daugherty as of 2005, which seemed to be for a record attempt and not a film. Read more about Page’s experience and see the (gory) clip here from the Hollywood Reporter.

–Babe seems to be placeless and timeless and has no specific geography, but was filmed in Australia and has accents from all over the place. James Cromwell’s seemed to be Irish but could have been some amalgamation of “Ye Olde”. (Source)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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Bonjour and bienvenue! We have our first repeat character in today’s new episode—Hercule Poirot! We watched 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express starring Albert Finney as the famous detective, and do quickly discuss both David Suchet and Kenneth Branaugh’s take on this story as well. We have a (very spoilery) discussion disentangling the multitude of famous actors and how you can’t identify the culprit if it’s all stunt casting, the difficulty of keeping presented and actual motives straight, what we might do in a situation similar to what the movie presents, and how there are a number of red herrings but communism isn’t one of them. Katy made a list for cross-referencing suspects (surprise), Carrie needs to have more confidence in her podcast hosting skills, Maddy doesn’t like punching or toxic masculinity, and we discover that Mack is untethered from time. We also cover how some detectives don’t move their necks, have a minor fight about Star Wars, know vague things about Prohibition, and explore how the aging process has evolved via an examination of Sean Connery. And again, we love dogs. Originally recorded November 2019.

TW: Child kidnapping/murder, racism and xenophobia, suicide, animal cruelty

CORRECTIONS:

-Summarized from Wikipedia: “Mixtures of fruit juices and spirits aka punches (but not wine) have been around for a while; at least since the 1700s. Combining single servings of liquor and a mixer like bitters did exist scattered around the world in the 1800s, but the first actual  bartender’s guide was published in 1862. The first named “cocktail party” was probably in 1917.” Then, “The quality of the liquor available during Prohibition was much worse than previously…Honey, fruit juices, and other flavorings served to mask the foul taste of the inferior liquors”. So we were kind of right. 

-Ok it’s not technically the first repeat character as John Oliver voiced Sherlock Holmes in Gravity Falls but as that was a wax model and not the actual detective we did not count it

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New episode up now! We watched one of the famous(?) Boston Blackie mysteries, the 1946 film The Phantom Thief. We talk about his problematic name, secret house skeletons and slides, the penchant for wartime movies to have bumbling comic relief, and how to decide who’s the protagonist in an old movie because everyone is terrible. Katy did some archival research, Carrie gives us a book report, Maddy reveals she’s been contacted by real life detectives, and Mack apparently thinks he can improve any James Cameron movie ending. We also cover our parent’s first “date” (sorry Mom and Dad), try to decide what kind of noses we have, discuss the possible invention of the Ring doorbell camera, and one of us uses the word “carapace.” Listen and learn about ghost testimonies, chemistry, and Jimmy Buffet! Originally recorded November 2019.

TW: Racism, verbal abuse

CORRECTIONS:

-Women were allowed to be police officers before 1946 and Katy was wrong. It was rare but it happened—women like Alice Stebbins Wells or Lola Baldwin worked on the force in the early 1900’s and women had been involved in law enforcement from roughly the 1870s onward.

-From Wikipedia: “The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1934 to 1968.”

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New episode out today! We read the “children’s” novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, and discuss this delightful Christie-like story— so beware, spoilers abound! We cover the immersive and stylistic writing choices, talk about how the “game” may have induced empathy in the characters, learn that the 1970s were not PC, and wonder if kids know who Abbot and Costello are anymore. Katy reveals the source of her childhood ulcer fear, Carrie loves book margins, Maddy is flabbergasted by the stock market, and Mack lays out his weird millionaire lifestyle plan. We also cover how the O’Brien’s play Clue, rereading children’s books as adults, try to decide which one of us would be the most likely murder victim, and reveal perhaps the best character name of all time? Give it a listen! Originally recorded October 2019.

TW: Suicide

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New episode! We cover season 3, episode 4 of The X-Files, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose”. Please heed the trigger warnings in this time of heightened anxiety! They’re listed at the end of this description/post/tweet chain.

We discuss this critically-acclaimed episode of the 90’s phenomenon, and cover how it gave us childhood flashbacks, how shocking it feels that it was filmed 25 years ago, how we individually experience deja vu, get into how time is or is not linear, and ponder coincidence vs destiny. Katy gets the Wilson brothers mixed up, Carrie doesn’t like aliens but has watched the most X-Files of all of us, Maddy tells a gross squirrel story and Mack remembers Steve Martin in places he never was. We also discuss the amazing ‘David Duchovney’ music video set to Bree Sharp’s brilliant song, commend Scully for utilizing the door peephole, argue about what a Nazi stormtrooper is, and remind you we are a dog family. And in a weirdly prescient moment, especially concerning this was an episode about psychics, Maddy gives a timely warning to WASH YOUR HANDS, even though we recorded in September 2019! Take an hour away from everything and listen to us only crosstalk a little bit. 

TW: Suicide, depression, gore, possible rape, death and mortality

CORRECTIONS: 

-Steve Martin was never in The X-Files and we honestly don’t know where Mack got this idea.

-Bree Sharp did NOT make the music video we spoke about but her label did give permission. They had sent over a demo tape to the show and two assistants working on X-Files at the time cut it together after filming all the bits. It was never officially released so the people involved did not have to sign off on it. Here’s the wiki for more info. 

-Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show in 1992 which was only three years before this episode so it was definitely a timely reference and Katy was wrong. 

-The story about image rights Katy was thinking about was Edgar Wright telling a story in the audio commentary of Baby Driver, asking John Krasinski about putting in a clip from It’s Complicated. “To use the clip from It’s Complicated, Wright emailed John Krasinski—who’s a friend—to ask for permission, and Krasinski replied,”This is how I get into an Edgar Wright movie?”

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New episode out now! We watched season 1, episode 8 of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and discussed just how awesome the Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher truly is. We cover the beautiful and dynamic costume design, the obvious and delightful tension between Phryne and DI Jack Robinson, how toxic masculinity ruins everything, have a sidebar about feeling connected to fictional characters, and discover that war is bad. Katy is a Miss Fisher Earrings Expert, Carrie channels her inner Frasier, Maddy slides in an Amanda Bynes reference, and Mack made a boob joke that was unfortunately funny. We also discuss how the show covered hot button feminist topics in a surprising way, decide which character would vape, try to name dog detectives, and attempt harmonizing our gasps. Dot deserves everything and Phyrne can have as many men strewn about her boudoir as she wants. Only one of us does an Australian accent (sorry Australia) but TWO become jowly men! Originally recorded September 2019.

TW: Suicide, undiagnosed postpartum depression, toxic masculinity

Corrections:

-There are three more books in the Millenium series, written by Swedish crime journalist and author David Lagercrantz. They were commissioned by the publisher but did not contain anything from the original author Stieg Larsson’s unfinished novels or notes. Larsson’s partner Eva Gabrielsson did not give permission. (Thanks Wikipedia).

-There is a character called Cecil “Cec” Yates and Katy was wrong in her pronunciation of his name as “sek”. It should be “ses” as in the beginning of “Cecil”.

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New episode is up now and friends, it covers some dark stuff. We watched S1E1 of the British adaptation of Wallander and really got into the egregious depiction of  “man pain.” We discuss whether the Swedish Chef is offensive, the “austerity and bleakness” of the visual landscape, how it took longer than it should have to realize it was set in Sweden, and come up with cool nicknames for Tom Hiddleston. Katy has to mention Eurovision, Carrie drops some Shakespeare knowledge, Maddy hears robots that don’t exist, and Mack lists some medieval deaths. We also talk about how we laugh at our own jokes, how there are hypothetically people we would hit with an axe, why you shouldn’t angrily scroll through Twitter, and how the best things about the show were…the acting and design? (Carrie really did not like this episode.) However, we do applaud the use of privacy screens and the occasionally nuanced presentation of masculinity. Also Maddy comes up with new ghost sounds!  OoooooOOOooo! Originally recorded March 2018.

TW: Self harm, suicide, incestual abuse, human trafficking, sex workers, murder, Native American stereotypes (including scalping), car accident stories 

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