Dani and I were chatting, as we have been thinking about trying to get out a mini episode - so we have some weekly content for Wanky Wednesday’s (as one of our listeners & top fans put it.)
It’s a good way for us to give you a mainly unpolluted full true crime episode with minimal chatting shit, as well as talking about things that interest us.
So, with that said this week we have a mini episode where we are each going to take you through our top five of true crime related media, we have been consuming.
We will discuss the podcasts, books, films, and TV that we’ve liked recently and give you a little review of sorts.
As always with us, even in the chatting shit episode I have had to edit out a good 30 mins of us talking about Towie, and other crap. As always, we are recording whilst abiding by COVID-19 quarantine rules so the sound can be a little sketchy in places.
All the items we discuss in this episode will be linked in this post. - We hope you enjoy.
Promising young woman
My first shout out is for a film that I watched a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know about you, but I love a revenge thriller and I am partial to a female led revenge thriller. And there are loads out there, enough to have its own sub-genre. movies like last house on the left, I spit on your grave from the 70’s and even more recently with M.F.A., revenge, the girl with the dragon tattoo, to name but a few. Anyway, this film is of the same ilk but it’s just so much better. It’s not a new concept, like I said but what feels different about this is that it’s observing that the revenge doesn’t work. It may be the short-term answer but the problem or the reaction to the problem doesn’t get rid of it. It still happens.
I think that’s why this film, particularly it’s ending hasn’t left me since I watched it, and it’s called promising young woman.
Promising Young Woman is written, produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. I love that name, think it’s great.
Margot Robbie serves as a producer on the film which stars brit actress Carey Mulligan along with Alison Brie & Laverne Cox.
it’s about a young woman called Cassie who after dropping out of medical school is living at home with her parents and working in a local coffee shop
Cassie is working through some issues related to a traumatic event in her past. And she has developed an interesting hobby or coping mechanism in that she regularly gets dressed up, goes out to a club, and gets wankered – when she is passed out, she waits for a man who wants to take advantage of a woman whose clearly not in full, consensual control. And go’s home with him.
When they get back to his place and he starts to you know make his moves on her, she suddenly turns out to be the stone cold-sober and proceeds to advise him against behaving like a ‘rapey’ sexual predator in the future.
Cassie seems quite happy with this life until a chance meeting at work brings an old friend from medical school into her life, this friend inadvertently has connections to the past trauma and people related to it and a chain of events is set in action to truly right those past wrongs.
I don’t want to say too much because I feel like you really should watch it. Will you enjoy it? I found it funny and I found it dark, I did enjoy it. Was it a comfortable watch, no.
It makes a lot of clever observations about societies acceptance of certain crimes, Male toxicity, ignorance, and whilst it may seem to some farfetched it felt very real to me.
Like I said It’s stayed with me, especially the ending. It’s not overtly blood & guts violent but it may be Triggering for some.
Sweet Pea (the last person who called me Sweet Pea ended up dead.)
Dani’s first recommendation is for the above title by C.J Skuse. It has similarities to the above film with a fascinating protagonist who is almost likeable in her psychopathic tendencies. Not for the faint hearted, it is quite graphic (in the opening scenes she chomps off a man’s dick.) It is farfetched and outrageous however you do find yourself relating to the main character. The book is part of a series which we didn’t realise when we recorded the episode and as I have now read it myself, I will also recommend the book and echo Dani’s sentiments.
Superstore
I promise this is true crime related. Because we digest so much true crime on a regular basis, I personally like to have something as a palate cleanser.
Currently - Superstore is that show – it’s about the quirky staff of an American superstore and all the petty store politics.
There’s some funny characters and ridiculous storylines, it’s on Netflix seasons 1-5 and they are still making it now so no doubt they’ll be adding more.
It stars America ferrara from Ugly Betty, Ben Feldman from Silicon Valley & a very funny Canadian comedian called Lauren Ash - so randomly I was like she’s so funny, let me IMDBr, and then I was like I told Dani I was going to try and be better at social media, so I’ll bloody well follow her on Instagram and guess what!! She’s the host of a true crime podcast.
What are the odds, yeah, it’s called True Crime and Cocktails, available on the usual platforms? There we go true crime link -you’re welcome. I haven’t listened to it yet, but I will be doing.
The Unseen Podcast – (available on the usual platforms.)
Dani’s next choice is the Unseen Podcast. It is available on the usual platforms and provides short episodes including concise factual information on true crime cases. The host seems to specialise in unsolved UK cases, Dani found a load of unknown cases she hadn’t heard and really liked the host’s voice and content.
The serpent
This true crime dramatization is available on the BBC iPlayer and is.
the remarkable story of how one of the world’s most wanted men: thief, fraudster, master of disguise and serial killer, Charles Sobhraj was brought to justice.
It’s called The Serpent Stars Jenna Coleman from the young Victoria and Tahar Rahim (who is a well-known French actor) it’s well acted, engaging, surprisingly good to be fair.
It was shot across East and South-East Asia and is set during the era of the 1970s 'Hippie Trail'. So, the fashion and the ambience to the show is atmospheric.
Some people have said it’s a bit here there and everywhere in that it jumps from different moments in time. I didn’t find it hard to follow, I thought it was necessary to the story because it spans such a length of time, you know it’s in depth and I enjoyed it. It was graphic but not over the top and gratuitous with gore which can be an issue for some. So yeah, worth a watch.
The drowning
A solid recommend from Danis mum (& mine) This is a Channel 5 drama and it stars
Jill halfpenny (who Dani loves) and it is currently available on catch up.
I haven't seen it but Dani enjoyed it despite it's allegedly disappointing ending
In Dani's words its a Very Far fetched unbelievable crime thing – but enjoyable.
If you’ve watched it let us know what you felt?
Medium
I’ve officially run out of things to watch so anyone wants to suggest anything or recommend anything to me please do.
That said as there was nothing new tantalising me, I do what I sometimes do and re watch a show. I need to be ready for it or in the mood for it and I’d been about a show I used to really enjoy called Medium.
This show ran from 2005-2011 so it’s been ten years since it finished, but it holds up. So, the premise, if you can’t tell from the title is that it’s a show about a medium or psychic called Allison Dubois. Allison is played by Patricia Arquette who I really like as an actress anyway.
Allison who has always been ‘sensitive’ experiences dreams of crimes and murders and then uses the information within the dreams to solve the case.
Due to her gift, she gets a job working with the police & district attorney. There are some really good story arcs &, excellent characters throughout the 7 seasons.
Medium is like the Casualty of US tv shows in that there are so many cameos from famous people. The other day I was watching an episode where a young Jennifer Lawrence is playing victim, and I also spotted Emma stone, Elisabeth moss.
Interesting thing about this show which makes it true crime related is that Allison Dubois is a real person, she is an author a podcaster and a purported Medium and profiler. Her powers have been tested and she has worked with law enforcement to solve cases.
Dani – How do you feel about mediums?
Whatever you believe, the fact is that so called psychic detectives exist and there are lots of cases that have been solved by tips given from people who wouldn’t have known them otherwise; Or that are based on feelings or dreams.
I personally do believe that there are sensitive people out there, perhaps not to the level depicted in the show, but they are very perceptive and intuitive to things.
It is interesting and perhaps we could cover crimes where psychics have been used in the future?
Anyway, medium is available on amazon but not at prime presently.
The anatomy of evil by Michael H stone
One of Dani’s favourite books which she first read back when she was a teenager, her copy is pretty dog eared now.
It is an academic and clinical book which is well referenced, It breaks down crimes on a scale of evil based on the crime and the author has based his analysis on the detailed biographies of more than 600 violent criminals, Stone has created a 22-level hierarchy of evil behaviour. It explores what psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience tell us about the minds of those whose actions could be described as evil.
Rainy in Glenageary.
My last recommendation is for the you tube documentary I told Dani about a while back, it’s called Rainy in Glenageary.
It’s a feature documentary from Irish director Graham Jones and It covers the unsolved case of Irish teenager Roanaid Murray who was murdered close to her home on the 3rd of September 1999. I’m not sure if we may cover this case at some point in the future but this film does an excellent job of it.
For a true crime film, I found it a pleasant watch. Makes me sound like a right sicko. It was well narrated and presented considering such a sad case.
The Gaslight Effect : How to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life. –Dr Robin Stern
Dani’s final recommendation is another book, it’s called – The Gaslight Effect by Dr Robin Stern.
Dani hasn’t finished this yet but wanted to give it a shout out. Breaks a large subject into easy understandable chunks and makes you realise how you may have experienced and how you potentially could be doing it to others.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini episode, let us know if you have any recommendations for us or if you try out any of ours; we’d love to hear from you.
We’re back next with our usual True Crime episode on Janet Murgatroyd and then we will see if we can get another mini episode out after that.
As usual come and join us on the socials – suggest a case.
Until then keep well & stay safe.
Bye. K x
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