Author: Mollie Smith
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Beverly Hills Cop
Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: A Detroit cop head to Beverly Hills to investigate the death of one of his buddies. Detective: Axel Foley Release Date: December 5, 1984 Writer: Danilo Back, Daniel Petrie, Jr. Source: original screenplay Mystery Analysis:Detective as protagonist?Alastair: Yes, there’s no doubt this is Axel’s…
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Fletch
Story: A journalist covering the drug scene on a Los Angeles beach soon finds himself embroiled in a bigger mystery involving a bigamist and his beautiful wife.Detective: Irwin M. FletcherRelease Date: May 31, 1985Writer: Andrew BergmanSource: Fletch by Gregory McDonaldMystery Analysis:Detective as protagonist?Jenny: Yep, right off the bat. Good start.Lani: Yes, and he’s right into…
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Hot Fuzz
[audio:/podcasts/pdm16.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: A city cop tries to bring professionalism to a sleepy little town that turns out to be not that sleepy. Graphic violence ensues. The tagline says it all: “They’re bad boys. They’re die hards. They’re lethal weapons. They are…HOT FUZZ.” Detective: Nicholas Angel…
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The Big Lebowski
[audio:/podcasts/pdm15.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: While trying to get restitution for a ruined rug, the Dude takes on a kidnapping courier job that enmeshes him and his friends in a lethal mystery. Or something. Detective: The Dude (aka Jeffrey Lebowski) Release Date: March 6, 1988 Writer: Ethan and…
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A Week Off…
Well, we watched Clue this week, and it turned out to be no better than High Anxiety or Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid as far as story analysis goes, and we just couldn’t put y’all through another “We got nothing,” show, so we bagged the podcast for this week and went a-hunting for comedic mysteries…
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Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
[audio:/podcasts/pdm14.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: PI Reardon is hired by a beautiful woman to investigate her father’s death and finds himself in a web of betrayal, violence, and old movies. That’s noir, Jack. Detective: Rigby Reardon Release Date: May 21, 1982 Writer: Carl Reiner, George Gipe, and Steve Martin Source:…
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High Anxiety
[audio:/podcasts/pdm13.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, arrives as new administrator of The Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous and then things happen that make him very, very nervous. Detective: Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke Release Date: December 25, 1977 Writers: Mel Brooks, Ron Clark, Rudy DeLuca,…
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Don’t Watch High Anxiety
It was so bad we couldn’t even get a full podcast out of it. Try Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, all fabulous Mel Brooks movies. This one, really, no.
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Comic Mysteries
Welcome to April Fools Month: Comic mysteries. Here’s the thing about mixing mystery and comedy: you’re trying to mesh a serious threat to humanity, real tragedy, with laughter. It can certainly be done, but usually you have to sacrifice either the light-hearted part of comedy (see Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang) or the tragic part of murder (see…
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The Big Easy
[audio:/podcasts/pdm12.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: A New Orleans detective investigates mob killings. Detective: Remy McSwain Release Date: August 21, 1987 Writer: Daniel Petrie, Jr. Mystery Analysis: Detective as protagonist? Jenny: Absolutely. Arrives at the scene of the crime, bigger than life, and takes control. Lani: Yes, and he’s on…
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Trenchcoat
[audio:/podcasts/pdm11.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: A mystery writer goes to Malta to experience danger, and finds it. Detective: Mickey Raymond/Terry Leonard Release Date: March 11, 1983 Writer: Jeffrey Price, Peter Seaman Mystery Analysis: Detective as protagonist? Jenny: Yes, it starts with her voiceover and she pretty much owns the movie…
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Charade
[audio:/podcasts/pdm10.mp3] Download Episode | Subscribe via iTunes | Subscribe via RSS Story: A Paris housewife is widowed, only to discover that a number of parties want money her husband hid… and think she’s the one who has it. Detective: Regina Lampert/Peter Joshua Release Date: December 5, 1963 Writer: Peter Stone Source: “The Unsuspecting Wife” by Peter Stone…