Criminal Adaptations
Criminal Adaptations is a True Crime/Movie Review Podcast discussing some of your favorite films, and the true crime stories that inspired them. With hosts Remi, who spent over a decade working in the film and television industry, and Ashley, a clinical psychologist and forensic evaluator. They discuss a new movie each week and compare the film to the real life events that the film is based on.
Episodes
56 episodes
Malcolm X
In part two of our season four finale, we unpack Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992), starring Denzel Washington, and examine how it compares to the real-life story of one of American’s most influential and controversial civil rights leaders....
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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2:10:14
American History X
In part one of our two-part season four finale, we dive deep into the chilling parallels between the critically acclaimed film American History X (1998) and the real-life story of Frank Meeink, a former Neo-Nazi turned spokesperson for...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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1:45:38
Orphan
In this episode, we dive into the chilling “Kurim case,” the twisted true tale that inspired Jaume Collet-Serra’s Orphan(2009). After dissecting the movie, which includes a clever nod to Leonardo DiCaprio and Titanic (1997), w...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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1:52:35
Bully
In this gripping episode we drive deep into the chilling true store behind Bully (2001), directed by Larry Clark and based on the murder of 20-year-old Bobby Kent. We explore the disturbing dynamics between Bobby and his so-called frie...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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2:21:17
Hit Man
If you were living in Texas and looking for a hit man in the 1990s, Gary Johnson was your man. He was willing to take jobs from just about anyone. From scorned lovers to teens seeking revenge, no request was off limits. The catch? He wasn’t a p...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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1:27:59
Brandon Lee & The Crow (Bonus Episode)
Brandon Lee was more than the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee – he was an artist searching for his own voice in a world that never let him forget his father’s name. For this season’s bonus episode, we trace Brandon’s path from a childhood ...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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1:11:18
Monster
Charlize Theron transformed herself and won an Oscar for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003). She managed to bring a side of humanity to a woman who was a societal outcast and brutally murdered seven men from November 30,...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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2:16:27
The Sacrament
On November 18, 1978, Jim Jones convinced over 900 members of People’s Temple to commit mass suicide in the country of Guyana. This tragedy inspired Ti West to write, direct, and edit The Sacrament (2013), a faux documentary-style horr...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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2:16:30
House of Gucci
In this episode, we break down Ridley Scott’s star-studded biographical crime drama House of Gucci (2021). How accurately does the movie portray the rise and fall of the Gucci empire? What really happened between Patrizia Reggiani and ...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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2:27:34
Zola
In October 2015, Aziah “Zola” King posted a 148 tweet Twitter thread that took the world by storm. #TheStory trended worldwide and became the inspiration for Janicza Bravo’s second feature film Zola (2020), staring Taylour Paige, Riley...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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1:28:50
Chapter 27
On December 9, 1980, Mark David Chapman assassinated one of the most famous musicians to ever live, John Lennon. Nearly 30 years later, director Jarrett Schaefer cast Jared Leto to portray Chapman’s life during the three days leading up to the ...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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2:09:44
The Death of Dick Long
Before he won his Academy Awards for the smash-hit Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Daniel Scheinert directed the dark comedy The Dead of Dick Long (2019), inspired by the death of Kenneth Pinyan in 2005. This case, d...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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1:24:25
Chicago
For our season four premier, we take a deep dive into the dazzling world of Rob Marshall's Academy Award winning musical Chicago (2002) and compare it to the gritty crimes that inspired it. Behind all that jazz and glittering costumes ...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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1:57:26
American Made
For our two-part season finale, we are unpacking movies about two men who smuggled cocaine for the Medellin Cartel into the states, largely by air. In our second episode, we dive into the thrilling world of Doug Liman’s American Made (...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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2:04:32
Blow
For our two-part season finale, we are unpacking movies about two men who smuggled cocaine for the Medellin Cartel into the states, largely by air. In our first episode, we dive into Ted Demme’s Blow (2001), starring Johnny Depp as sma...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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2:20:06
Auto Focus
In this episode, we dive into Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus (2002), a darkly fascinating film about the life and career of TV star Bob Crane, best known for lead his role on Hogan’s Heroes. We discuss the film’s portrayal of Cran...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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1:53:16
All the Money in the World
This week we examine Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World (2017), the thrilling drama based on the infamous 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. We dissect the film’s intense portrayal ...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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2:16:31
Judith Barsi: The Land Before Time & All Dogs Go To Heaven (Bonus Episode)
What if the bright lights of Hollywood couldn't mask the darkest shadows of a child's life? This episode takes you on an emotional journey through the brief, yet impactful life of Judith Barsi, whose voice as Ducky in The Land Before Time
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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36:27
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
What if an annual movie screening in your town was based on real-life, terrifying events? In this episode of Criminal Adaptations, we offer a deep dive into Charles B. Pierce’s controversial 1976 film, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, ex...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:32:57
Sound of Freedom
Alejandro Monteverde’s Sound of Freedom (2023) is an action-thriller featuring Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former government agent who embarks on a dangerous mission in Columbia to rescue children from sex trafficking. The film spar...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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1:42:13
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom
Michael Ritchie’s The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993) takes a satirical look at one of the wildest true crime stories you’ve never heard of. Wanda Holloway (played by Holly Hunter) would...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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1:36:38
Sid and Nancy
Sid Vicious, best known as the bassist for the Sex Pistols, was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, on October 12, 1978. The couple’s toxic relationship and drug addiction was the source of Alex Cox’s 1986 fil...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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1:46:48