The Blotter Presents

Latest Episodes:

138: Atlanta's Missing And Murdered and The Robert Kolker Interview Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

[CW for violence against children]
Toby Ball returns to discuss -- from a safe distance -- HBO's limited series on the Atlanta child murders of 1979-1981, Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children. Is it too ambitious? Did it set out to be a true-crime docuseries, or a sociological study of the rise of The New South? And what did Wayne Williams actually do?
Later, Kevin Smokler talks to Lost Girls author Robert Kolker about how that book became a film; trusting the filmmaking process; "the true-crime media apparatus"; and how his thinking about his new book, Hidden Valley Road (now an Oprah book pick!), evolved.
SHOW NOTES

Atlanta's Missing And Murdered on HBO.com
Ep 109 on Mindhunter S2
Strange Arrivals on iHeartRadio
Ep 136 on Netflix's Lost Girls
My review of Random Family on Tomato Nation
Kolker's "No Way Out" and "Nine Blocks From Home"
Bob Kolker's latest, Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, on Amazon
Don't take our word for it; Oprah thinks you should read it too
Bob Kolker and Kevin Smokler on Twitter

137: The Scheme and Finding Steve McQueen Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

Mike Dunn returns -- from a safe distance -- to talk about HBO's college-hoops bribery-scandal doc The Scheme. Did we like it so much because we really miss sports, or is Christian Dawkins just that charismatic? Actually, it's probably both, and between this and Disgraced, director Pat Kondelis has really found his lane.
Later, we manage to avoid getting into (yet) a(nother) Ocean's 11 quote fight while discussing last year's Finding Steve McQueen, a feature based on the United California Bank robbery that can't decide whether it's a heist picture, a rom-com, or some weird combination (a "rob-com"?) that can't stop ref-checking 1972. We didn't dislike it, but we couldn't stop recasting it, so maybe you're better off with that Stealing Nixon's Millions podcast...and you're definitely better off staying inside with The Blotter Presents, Episode 137.
SHOW NOTES

The Scheme
Ep 004 on Disgraced
The Most Honest Man in College Basketball Is Going to Prison
Where to watch Finding Steve McQueen
The Stealing Nixon's Millions podcast/series from the OC Register
The United California Bank robbery Wikipedia page
bestevidence.fyi!

136: Lost Girls and All Good Things Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

[Mgmt. apologizes for various sound issues, incl. 1) construction noise next door; 2) dog being a yappy heller; and 3) Skype throttling Kevin's sound.]
Kevin Smokler is back to discuss Liz Garbus's feature on one fragment of the Long Island Serial Killer case -- Lost Girls, based on Robert Kolker's excellent book. We like everyone involved, but aren't sure we can recommend the film, because despite excellent sources and performances (mostly), the film isn't sure who it's for.
All Good Things, Andrew Jarecki's FIRST take on Robert Durst's various (alleged?) misdeeds, is worth watching, if only as a primer on the case if you've forgotten what went down in The Jinx. Events of the case have overtaken it, and Ryan Gosling is miscast...and yet an abundance of acting talent and a few flawlessly done moments make it worthwhile. If you must leave the house for a sandwich, please pay for it: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 136.
SHOW NOTES

Lost Girls
Lost Girls reviews on Metacritic
Kolker on the death of Mari Gilbert, Shannan's mother
A few of Kevin Smokler's and my thoughts on the book
All Good Things
The Best Evidence thread on "Vanity Fair movies"
Kevin Smokler.com
And my sponsors, Best Fiends and Feals!

135: The Most Dangerous Animal Of All and Hustlers Mar 11, 2020

Show notes

Can FX repeat its American Crime Story success in the unscripted space? The Most Dangerous Animal Of All takes a big swing, but Gary Stewart may get stuck on the bench with me, my guest Eve Batey, and everyone else whose dads aren't the Zodiac. Would this have made a good feature just on the criminal drama that was Stewart's birth parents? What is the series trying to accomplish with the volte face in the fourth episode? And should I rename the podcast "Look, Nobody's Dad Did Anything"?
But we're thrilled that Hustlers qualified for discussion in our Cold Case section, and no, not JUST because it's a crime that Jennifer Lopez didn't get an Oscar nom. What makes a good longread-to-film adaptation? Does Constance Wu make the perfect not-too-charismatic protagonist? And is Cardi B's character running on a pro-labor platform or what? Don't let your earbuds fall out during a reverse stag: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 135.
SHOW NOTES

FX's landing page for The Most Dangerous Animal Of All
Aaron Barnhart's TMDAOA review
Eve's and my first foray into the Zodiac case, Ep 019
Ep 079 on The Innocent Man
Hustlers on Amazon (you can also rent it)
Jessica Pressler's original story in New York
That New Yorker profile of Constance Wu
Eater San Francisco
Best Evidence

134: McMillion$ and Rotten Mar 04, 2020

Show notes

I'm so grateful Dr. Marcia Chatelain made time for even more discussion of fast-food malfeasance; she's my guest again as we take a look at the back half of Monopoly-scam docuseries McMillion$. The character-based future seasons we wanted, "poor man's Sante Kimes" used as a verb, the ways in which McMillion$ is the most American of stories, and much more.
Later, we waded into Netflix's Big Food series, Rotten, which does a lot of things well (good research, excellent vintage footage), but a lot of other things not so well (stentoriously inexperienced narration, over-reliance on said vintage footage). Is there any food we can feel ethically okay about enjoying? Is there any-one who will steal Tancítaro's avocado welcome sculpture for Sarah? Find out what happens when Mayor Pete does a presentation in Dr. Marcia's class; it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 134.
SHOW NOTES

McMillion$ on HBOGo
Last month's Extra Hot Great episode with Eve on McMillion$
Rotten on Netflix
Episode 112 with Marcia Chatelain
More on Franchise and Marcia's book-tour stops
The Best Evidence newsletter
And head to TakeCareOf.com for 50 percent off with that BLOTTER50 code!

133: Unabomber: In His Own Words and Strictly Stalking Feb 26, 2020

Show notes

Jessica Liese joins me to talk about a limited series Netflix picked up from Reelz, Unabomber: In His Own Words, which exceeded our expectations -- and while we'd recommend it as a good case overview with unparalleled access, we both wondered if it wasn't trying to hard to explain (or even rationalize) Ted Kaczynski's motivations for killing three people and injuring dozens more.
Our second Most Wanted topic is recent podcast Strictly Stalking, and we agree that it's a great idea with some unfortunate execution errors. Has the production team fallen prey to "NPR syndrome"? And we admire a true-crime property that starts from believing women and goes from there...but how much further can it go with this premise? Stupid punctuation tricks, FBI agents we'd like to drink with, and more in The Blotter Presents, Episode 133.
SHOW NOTES

Unabomber: In His Own Words on Netflix
Strictly Stalking on Apple Podcasts
Vice on Lenora Claire
Jess Liese's work on Primetimer
And don't forget to check out our sponsor, Best Fiends!

132: The Pharmacist and Inside Story's "False Witness" Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

The new four-parter about a grieving father's crusade against Purdue Pharma, The Pharmacist, has a couple of problems -- but, guest Jeb Lund and I agree, the chief issue is that we wanted more: more on the pill-mill ecosystem, more on the race and class issues that permeate awareness of the opioid crisis, and more from this production team. Even when Dan Schneider Sr.'s grief is hard to watch, The Pharmacist is very watchable.
Our Cold Case topic, Inside Story's episode on Jeffrey MacDonald from 1989, isn't UN-watchable; it's just...kind of weird. It seems like it's trying to both-sides the evidence, but in doing so, often exposes alternate theories of the crime as absurd-sounding. It also seems like it's trying to trap MacDonald in bogus overacting, and like it's trying to explain the late-'60s counterculture to visitors from space? But it got Jeb interested in the case, so hold onto your pajama bottoms: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 132.
SHOW NOTES

The Pharmacist on Netflix
Patrick Radden Keefe's "The Family That Built An Empire Of Pain" for The New Yorker
Inside Story, "False Witness"
The Best Evidence MacDonald reader
Dave And Jeb Aren't Mean

131: Interrogation and The Power Of Attorney Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

Toby Ball didn't watch all of Interrogation, CBS All-Access's new choose-your-own-watch-order procedural (based, evidently, on a real case); I did; we both have some of the same issues with the "hook" of shuffled episodes -- and I had MAJOR issues with the ending. Was an all-star cast wasted on a project that doesn't really know what it's trying to do?
Later, we talked about an episode of The Power Of Attorney, a podcast from Rutgers Law School, that talks to the guy on whose case Interrogation might be based: exoneree and marathoner Huwe Burton. Alas, that podcast doesn't talk to Burton enough, and while it's a solid overview of how false confessions come about -- and a clever idea for a podcast overall -- we're not sure this treatment of the material works either. But we also talk about David Simon's many contributions to the genre, so have a listen to The Blotter Presents, Episode 131.
SHOW NOTES

Interrogation on All Access
TV Guide’s Noel Kirkpatrick on why the shuffled structure makes the show hard to plug into
The Power Of Attorney, Episode 4
Huwe Burton on Real Sports
New York Times coverage of Burton’s exoneration
Toby’s Deep Dive book club on the CWO Patreon
Best Evidence

130: Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer and If You Tell Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Stephanie Early Green is back to discuss the usual complement of light, fizzy fare! ...Okay, no: our first Most Wanted conversation is about Amazon's new Ted Bundy docuseries, Falling For A Killer. Does it succeed in subtracting Ted Bundy from all the secondary stories of grief and horror he created? Should the filmmaker have spun off another series on women in '70s law enforcement? And what exactly happened between Bundy and Molly Kendall?
We KNOW what happened between Shelly Knotek and her children (and luckless boarders) in Gregg Olsen's mercilessly detailed If You Tell -- but Olsen doesn't do as much with the hows and whys as we'd like. Olsen's book reads fast, but not so fast that we didn't wonder why certain figures in this tale of gaslighting and abuse weren't taken to firmer task. (And why his editor didn't cut that awful eagle simile.) It might seem like nothing good comes out of Washington State in The Blotter Presents, Episode 130.
[Content warning: this episode's materials involve sexual trauma, child abuse, and...well, Ted Bundy. Please listen with care.]
SHOW NOTES

Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer https://www.amazon.com/Ted-Bundy-Falling-Killer-Season/dp/B082FPGQD8
If You Tell https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Tell-Unbreakable-Sisterhood/dp/B07TNTB329
Stephanie Early Green's blog http://www.stephanieearlygreen.com
Best Evidence: bestevidence.fyi
And our sponsor, Lola! http://mylola.com

129: Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez and The Tillman Story Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

First-time guest David J. Roth and I came late to the discussion of Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez...only to realize that the discussion we DID have didn't require us to watch KI:TMOAH, which is well made and yet not made the best way for the material. We also talked about responsibility vs. indemnity; Bill Belichick's trademark grey reluctance; and the untitled Mike Massey project we're hoping comes out in 2021.
Our Cold Case topic, The Tillman Story, is more successful, even as it brings us back to a "dumb, shitty" time in recent American history. Pat Tillman's death may not qualify as a true-crime subject, but Army cover-ups -- and how predictable they are -- might. Jon Krakauer, Tom Brady, and two NFL stars with very different untimely demises: it's The Blotter Presents, Episode 129.
[Content warning: this episode addresses suicide, and there is some gore. Please listen with care.]
SHOW NOTES

Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez https://www.netflix.com/watch/81090138
Sports Illustrated review: Docuseries too reliant on speculation https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/01/16/aaron-hernandez-netflix-docuseries-review
Blotter Brief 2 on the Gladiator podcast: https://audioboom.com/posts/7349338-blotter-brief-2-gladiator-aaron-hernandez-and-football-inc
The Tillman Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz2jtO0GvI4&feature=youtu.be
Travers review of The Tillman Story for Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-tillman-story-251351/
Dave and Jeb Aren't Mean https://daveandjebarentmean.libsyn.com/
Dave Roth on Twitter http://twitter.com/david_j_roth
Best Evidence: bestevidence.fyi

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