The Crime Is Up Podcast

Rufus may have gotten Alice’s three hundred grand from the P.O. Box, but now he’s got a henchman holding him at gunpoint. Can our hapless hero make it out of this captive situation and get back to his new love without taking any more lead in his belly? Find out in the exciting conclusion of “Laughter’s the Best Medicine”!

And this week we’re talkin toons! “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” seamlessly blends the conventions of a noir story with the antics and humor of classic Warner Brothers and Disney cartoons. You’ve got Bob Hoskins as the hard drinking gumshoe Eddie Valiant going up against a band of gangster weasels and a certain buxom redheaded femme fatale named Jessica Rabbit who’s about as far from a Disney Princess as you can get without falling off a cliff in a puff a smoke Wile E. Coyote style. So join us as we talk about this smart mix of film noir and cartoon chaos.

After being shot, standup comedian Rufus wakes up to discover that he’s been under the care of the very woman who shot him. But who is this mysterious redheaded siren? Why did she shoot him? And can Rufus trust a single word that comes out of her mouth? Take a listen to find out!
And mix yourself a White Russian because Chris and Will are talking about The Big Lebowski! The Coen Brothers fashioned The Dude as a sort of stoner private detective based in part upon Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. So we’re going to take a look at how El Duderino stacks up as a brother shamus in this story of mistaken identity, kidnapping, and bowling.

A group of carpenters uncover something spectacular in the walls of the house they’re renovating: a rare comic book worth millions! Should be an easy three way split between them. But their friendship is tested when a workplace “accident” starts to look more like a workplace murder. Is one of them trying for a bigger piece of the score? Or have paranoia and greed begun poisoning their friendship? Have a listen to find out!

And after the story, Chris and Will are talking about a neo-noir film featuring another found fortune: A Simple Plan . Sam Raimi directed this movie about how a blessing can sometimes turn into a curse. The acting is top notch with Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda all turning in solid work (with Billy Bob gaining a much deserved Oscar nomination for his sympathetic turn as Jacob).

Malcolm and Dwight’s respective paths of revenge are about to intersect in the exciting, bloody conclusion of Cut You Down .

Who will be left standing? And can the fledgling family bonds Malcolm has formed with Michael and Mary survive this fight? Take a listen to Episode 08 of The Crime Is Up Podcast to find out!

And for their movie talk, Chris and Will are wrangling their thoughts for a super-sized comparison episode on Cape Fear . There’s the original with eternal good-guy Gregory Peck fighting off a monstrous Robert Mitchum. Plus we have the remake from Martin Scorsese starring Oscar Nominated Robert DeNiro and Nick Nolte!

And they’ll also take the opportunity to discuss John D. MacDonald’s excellent novel The Executioners, upon which both movies are based. They even squeeze in a little talk about The Simpsons spoof episode Cape Feare .

It’s road trip time listeners! We’ve got a deep dive into the grittiest, strangest road trip movie of the 70’s. It’s part violent crime story, part love triangle, part buddy comedy and maybe even part Greek Myth. Featuring a legendary lead performance from the criminally underutilized Warren Oates, this is one of Sam Peckinpah’s most divisive (and best!) movies. And it’s the only one that features a decapitated head in a picnic basket.