The Crime Is Up Podcast

Can Pavlov's principle about salivating dogs possibly apply to people? A crew of thieves down by the Jersey Shore aim to find out as they plot to heist not diamonds or jewels, but a stained glass window.And after the story, Chris and Will catch each other up on books and movies they've been enjoying. We've got Jim Thompson's little read Wild Town, Jeremy Saulnier's new actioner Rebel Ridge, and ugly Colin Farrell's brilliant turn in The Penguin. Plus, ever wonder where the term Film Noir came from? Take a listen, as Chris pontificates about his love of the Serie Noire crime fiction books from France.

Waiting on the mailman to deliver a package to your home can be a tiresome chore. Waiting on the mailman to turn up at his own home so you can put a bullet in him can also be a tiresome chore, especially when the sleepy suburban neighborhood he calls home turns out to be not so sleepy. Take a listen to our hard-boiled tale of a very bored hit man as he kills more than just time while waiting for his target.   Then after the story, Chris and Will answer the question, what's in the box?! That's right, we're talking about the stone-cold classic from director David Fincher, Seven. 

Steven Seagal is… Above the Law. Steven Seagal is …Out for Justice. Steven Seagal is… Exit Wounds.Steven Seagal is many things. A Buddhist. A Russian Citizen. The star of countless aikido action movie classics. This episode, we are taking a closer look at three of those movies. Layered deep in these fascinating films are numerous examples of the noir tropes that we crime fiction and film noir fans know and love. So join us, dear listeners, on a journey through the crime films of Steven Seagal! Release date April 01, 2023.

It's our post-holiday special! Chris and Will offer up two hard-boiled tales from early in their writing careers… really early. The Deadliest Weapon comes from when Chris was 12-years-old and portrays a family in crisis, battling not just each other, but a terrible illness. And from the twisted mind of a 9-year-old Will comes a rollicking, action-packed police procedural that breaks all the conventions as it follows our protagonist Detective Benson, a suicidal TV junkie, and his loyal servant and friend Genjo. Can they solve the case? Is there even a case? And how many bullets can one Detective take? Have a listen to this crazy little tale that is either titled Detective Benson or The Greatest Detectives and Gangsters to find out. So take a listen to this bonus episode where Chris and Will read these stories they wrote when they were children for the first time in some 25 years. Long time listeners will enjoy this comedic bonus, but if this is your first time listening to the show, maybe don't start here as it's atypical. 

Pluto is a good dog, but he's missing. Dug himself out of the yard like a jailbreak. And Pluto ain't a teacup Yorkie. He's a Pit bull who can drag cinder blocks across the yard with his teeth.This ferocious incarnation of man's best friend had a big fight coming up and now his owner Luke is left without his prized pup. Take a listen as this morally corrupt trainer scours the neighborhood on an odyssey through backyards and cul-de-sacs searching for his best dog. His champion. His Pluto. 

You don't rob Henshaw's casino and think he's going to sit back and take it. He's ordered The Beefshank, done to perfection. This particular cut of meat is adept at finding people. The thieves who knocked off the safe are about to find that out in spectacular fashion. So have a listen to the exciting conclusion of Will Benson's crime fiction tale Swimming! And after the story, we're chalking up our pool cues and talking about a true classic, The Hustler. A young Paul Newman, well before his salad dressing days, stars as the uber-confident, always grinning Fast Eddie Felson. He's out to take the mantle of best pool player in the country from Jackie Gleason's Minnesota Fats. Gleason of course turns in the performance of his career, sporting his most beloved catchphrase, “One of these days Fast Eddie, to the moon!” 

The casino heist is a go. Has she conned him into it, or is he the final cog needed for an intricate theft they can only pull off in tandem? Find out in part two of our crime fiction tale, Swimming.Then we're talking about the funniest, and most fun, of the 90's erotic neo-noir thrillers, The Last Seduction. Linda Fiorentino is a singular force of will, confidence, and sexuality in director John Dahl's classic portrayal of the most dangerous of femme fatales. Bill Pullman, Peter Berg, and Bill Nunn co-star as the helpless flies caught up in Fiorentino's web of deceit. 

A sultry Las Vegas pit boss spies an opportunity at her private game when a handsome high roller dominates the table. Can she tempt him into helping her pull off a lo-fi, high-stakes robbery of the casino? Take a listen to Part 01 of Will Benson's original crime fiction story Swimming to find out. And after the story we're talking about the Coen Brothers' classic, Fargo. Oh yeah, you betcha! Will and Chris get to the bottom of this Minnesota fable featuring Frances McDormand's Oscar winning turn as a police chief tracking the woefully incompetent crook William H. Macy. And there's plenty to be said about the talkative Steve Buscemi, the taciturn Peter Stormare, and of course, the woodchipper.

Tighten your belts and pull on your suspenders listeners, we're talking “Ace in the Hole”! Kirk Douglas dives face first into his wholly unsympathetic turn as an unscrupulous reporter in director Billy Wilder's classic, sunbaked noir. An infamous flop in 1951, time has allowed audiences to realize the brilliance of this critique of American life and the media. Nary an asphalt jungle or shadow laden alleyway are to be found, but this one's as mean and cynical as film noir movies get. So hop on the ferris wheel of this big carnival as we celebrate one of our favorites in the genre!

Rocky. Rambo. Sheriff Freddy Heflin. If you haven't seen Sylvester Stallone's turn as the sheriff of Garrison, NJ, then do yourself a favor and have a listen. Cop Land is the movie where Sly shows off his incredible and subdued acting chops, and it is a pleasure to talk about his character work opposite one of the greatest assembled casts of the 1990's: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Annabella Sciorra, Cathy Moriarty, Michael Rapaport, Janeane Garofalo, Peter Berg, Method Man, Frank Vincent, John Spencer, Eddie Falco, & oh my goodness we can go on! And we do! Because director James Mangold put together a cop drama with a dash of police corruption, a sprinkling of noir, and a tablespoon of Western. The concoction that results is the strongest movie in Stallone's filmography since the original Rocky and First Blood. Take a listen, or else, as De Niro says, “You blew it!”

This episode we want our podcast in a thin glass. That's right, we're talking about the classic British crime film ‘Get Carter' starring Michael Caine. Plus, we dive deep into the fantastic book it was based on, the criminally underrated ‘Jack's Return Home' by Ted Lewis. And to keep things thorough (and fun!) we touch on the Sylvester Stallone remake from the year 2000 as well as the 70's blaxploitation remake ‘Hit Man' starring Bernie Casey and Pam Grier. 

A man awakens from an all-nighter to find himself held captive on a beach, imprisoned in a strange apparatus that spreads him out like da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Who trapped him there, and why? As he struggles to understand, he must fight to free himself before the elements take hold: the scorching sun, angry gulls, the rising tide, and his own ebbing sanity. 

Our next episode is slightly delayed, but fear not, we will be back next week on May 11th with a bonus episode for you. Then in two weeks on May 18th we'll be releasing Episode 21 centered on Get Carter with Michael Caine. We'll also be talking about the book it was based on by underrated author Ted Lewis as well as the two remakes of the movie, Get Carter with Sylvester Stallone and Hit Man with Bernie Casey and Pam Grier. So tune in next week May 11th for more of The Crime Is Up Podcast. Thanks!

No one knows how it's goin down, except for maybe Jackie Brown… and Crime Is Up Podcast! We're talking about Quentin Tarantino's 3rd film, which simultaneously gives Pam Grier & Robert Forster their due in one of the most honest love stories of the 90's. That's not to say there isn't violence, there is. And there's blood and swearing and criminals doing nefarious things. But at its heart, this is a romance.And it's unique in Tarantino's filmography because it's his only adaptation. So we examine how and why Tarantino decided to follow up the mega hit of Pulp Fiction with this faithful adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel Rum Punch. We've got plenty to say about the book itself, as well as the incredibly stacked cast of the movie: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker & Michael Keaton!

Whose car we gonna take? We're hopping in with Director Ben Affleck who's behind the wheel of the best bank robbery movie since Heat!  Episode 19 brings us to The Town with its kinetic action and killer cast starring Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm, Chris Cooper, and Oscar-Nominated Jeremy Renner. Plus we'll be talking about the Chuck Hogan book that it's based on, Prince of Thieves. Both works claim there are more bank robbers that hail from Charlestown, MA than anywhere else. How true is that today? Chris peppers in some perspective from his family that live in Charlestown to see. Take a listen to find out!

This episode, we're on the lam with Humphrey Bogart and Harrison Ford! We've got a deep dive into the Bogie led film noir “Dark Passage” and the 90's classic “The Fugitive”. What made us want to pair these two movies together? Because it could be that they were both based on the same source material, the book by pulp writer extraordinaire David Goodis! Goodis famously sued the producers of The Fugitive TV show for copyright infringement. Did he have a case? Have a listen to find out! Court cases aside, “Dark Passage” is a fun movie to talk about, with its first person POV camera inviting you to make eye contact with the always elegant and captivating Lauren Bacall. Plus, we'll detail the unrelenting chase through every henhouse, outhouse, and doghouse that Tommy Lee Jones undertakes as he pursues Harrison Ford and winds up finding an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

“Baby, I don't care.” With that dialogue, Robert Mitchum makes the hard-boiled heart of this film noir classic beat like brass knuckles on a bass drum. This episode we take great pleasure in talking about Mitchum sporting that trenchcoat and fedora, smoking all the cigarettes in the shadows as he faces off against Kirk Douglas's smiling menace and Jane Greer's murky motivations in Jacques Tourneur's outstanding ‘Out of the Past'.Plus, we've got a rundown on the book it was based upon, ‘Build My Gallows High' by Daniel Mainwaring. And Will has a few (controversial) thoughts on the 80's remake ‘Against All Odds' starring Jeff Bridges, Rachel Ward, and James Woods. Could the remake somehow be better than the original? Take a listen to hear Will talk himself into a tight corner over that one.

What are we prepared to do? Give you a whole episode devoted to The Untouchables, that's what! We're doing things the Chicago way and talking all about Sean Connery in his Oscar winning turn as the honest cop helping Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness tackle Robert De Niro's Al Capone in Brian De Palma's classic (and altogether historically inaccurate) gangster flick. If you want to find out just how inaccurate it is, then have a listen! We did a bunch of research, and were shocked to find out just how much of this movie is pure fiction. But boy, is it entertaining! So grab your mohaska and have a listen as we try to perfect our Connery impressions. Spoiler alert: we fail miserably. 

Call it, friendo! This week, we're unpacking the pure insanity that is Anton Chigurh. Javier Bardem won a well-deserved Oscar for sporting a page boy haircut and portraying a pure psychopath that haunts every frame of this incredible cinematic masterpiece from the Coen Brothers. We chart the similarities and differences between Cormac McCarthy's book and the film, and try to understand the particular brand of crazy that Chigurh represents. He's the most frightening villain to stalk the silver screen this century. A wraith. A serial killer who sees himself as an arm of fate, metering out justice at the flip of a coin and the hiss of a captive bolt gun. And as if that isn't enough, he thinks that page boy haircut was a good idea! 

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.

Keyser Soze.  We are accustomed to thinking of him as one of the greatest criminal masterminds in modern movie history.  But did he really manage the greatest trick the devil ever pulled?  Chris and Will have some compelling evidence that might make you think twice!  So have a listen to our movie appreciation episode of The Usual Suspects!

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. 

Rufus is a standup comedian who, sadly, isn't very funny.  But every week he's up on stage cracking jokes for an indifferent audience and hecklers.  Then she walks in.  A woman so beautiful she stops him cold, mid-act.  And the trouble she brings into the comedy club with her entangles Rufus in a sinister criminal enterprise that isn't any laughing matter.And for their film talk, Chris and Will discuss the merits of the comedy-noir Kiss Kiss Bang Bang starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan.  Director Shane Black's loving comedic sendup of the private detective genre is a fun examination of hard-boiled conventions.

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.

Malcolm puts his new bow and arrows to good use.  First on a hunting trip with his son, Michael, and then while tracking a more sinister, deadly prey.  One that can shoot back.A frustrated Dwight raises the price on Malcolm's head as he tries to run his protection business from a distance.  And Mary and Malcolm struggle to navigate their new family dynamic with the specter of Malcolm's impending revenge hanging over them. For their movie talk, Chris and Will discuss a soon-to-be-classic: Blue Ruin!  Jeremy Saulnier's neo-noir film starring Macon Blair deconstructs the revenge genre and produces an engaging, entertaining drama in the process. Haven't seen it?  Then you should!  Seen it already?  Well, have a listen cause we have plenty to say about it: what do Rambo III and Home Alone III have in common with Blue Ruin? Take a listen to find out!

Dwight may be leaving town, but the professional gunman he hired isn't going to make Malcolm's return from prison simple.  And it's hard enough for Malcolm as he tries to start over with Mary and their son Michael, whom he has yet to meet.How will the boy take to finally meeting his father?  And what sort of revenge does Malcolm have in mind for his former partner-in-crime?  Have a listen to Cut You Down Pt 02 to find out.And this episode Chris and Will are taking a look at the always practical, sometimes brutal, criminal creation of Richard Stark: Parker!  We've got a supersized comparison lined up as we discuss the book The Hunter and its various movie and comic book iterations.  So we have John Boorman's existential action picture Point Blank with Lee Marvin, two vastly different versions of Payback with Mel Gibson, and Darwyne Cook's fantastic and faithful comic book adaptation. 

Malcolm gets out of prison after 9 years and doesn't want anything… except what's his. The taciturn, hulking ex-con has to decide what shape his revenge is going to take as he tracks down his old flame Mary and finds her living with his ex-partner-in-crime Dwight. The pair have been raising Malcolm's 9 year old son together; but now he's out.  And for their movie talk, Chris and Will are giving you the kiss of death! Both versions of Kiss of Death! We have Richard Widmark making his terrifying screen debut in an Oscar Nominated role opposite his “pal” Victor Mature. And then we have the remake of the same name with Nicholas Cage trying to drum up a friendship with the ever-smoldering David Caruso.

Mitchell's drive to South Jersey has been fraught with danger and bad decisions. And now he has to dig two graves instead of one. Can he get the bodies buried six feet under with nothing but a little blood and dirt on his hands? Take a listen to the exciting conclusion of Jersey Devils to find out!Stick around after the story for Chris and Will's super-sized comparison episode where they talk about The Getaway! They're tackling the Jim Thompson crime fiction classic as well as both film adaptations of it.  We've got Sam Peckinpah's slow-motion bloodbath featuring the King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen, with Ali MacGraw. Then there's the 90's action flick that's way better than you remember it starring Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, James Woods, Michael Madsen, Jennifer Tilly, David Morse, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.  

Instead of keeping a low profile, Mitchell winds up pickpocketing a man and crashing the back of his truck's trailer into a parked car. Not ideal. Especially when said truck is carrying a dead body set for burial deep in the Pine Barrens. That's the sort of behavior that attracts the law. And cops are the last thing Mitchell needs as his truck finally hits the highway...For their movie discussion, Will and Chris are talking about one of their all time favorites! It's time for Night and the City. Both films that call themselves Night and the City. The classic film noir from 1950 with Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, and Mike Mazurki plus the remake with Robert De Niro and Jessica Lange from 1992.  And you'll even get a fun dose of American History as they discuss the genesis of the movies, and director Jules Dassin's perilous interactions with the House UnAmerican Activities Committee during the Red Scare.    

Mitchell finds himself going from witness to accomplice in a murder, and is faced with the ever-escalating stakes in his new venture with Wooley. He finally has the truck he's been saving for, but under the false floorboards he's forced to carry an unfortunate cargo… a dead man!And this episode, Chris and Will are talking about the pseudo-noir truck driving movie They Drive by Night starring Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Anne Sheridan, and Ida Lupino. Directed by Raoul Walsh, it's part socialist propaganda, part film noir, part remake, part courtroom drama, and a lot of fun to talk about.

For our inaugural episode, you'll find part one of the original crime fiction story Jersey Devils. It centers on Mitchell, a small-time hustler scraping a living together with petty theft in Asbury Park. But those days are behind him, because Mitchell has finally found his best scam yet. Because it isn't even a scam... well, mostly it isn't. All he has to do is drive.  Mitchell buys in on a tractor trailer truck with a false floor and the promise of the open road it brings. Only problem is, he wasn't counting on the type of cargo his new partner would be making him carry.And after the story, Chris and Will talk about the (sort of) classic film noir movie Pickup on South Street starring Richard Widmark and Jean Peters as star-crossed, and grossly mismatched, lovers on the mean streets of New York City in the midst of communist intrigue. 

It's a hybrid podcast!  Each episode features original crime fiction and an appreciation of a film noir or crime film classic. Check out Chris and Will's super-sized comparison episode where they talk about The Getaway! They're tackling the Jim Thompson crime fiction classic as well as both film adaptations of it.  We've got Sam Peckinpah's slow-motion bloodbath featuring the King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen, with Ali McGraw. Then there's the 90's action flick that's way better than you remember it starring Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, James Woods, and Michael Madsen.  

Jersey Devils centers on Mitchell, a small-time hustler scraping a living together with petty theft in Asbury Park. But those days are behind him, because Mitchell has finally found his best scam yet. Because it isn't even a scam... well, mostly it isn't. All he has to do is drive.  Mitchell buys in on a tractor trailer truck with a false floor and the promise of the open road it brings. Only problem is, he wasn't counting on the type of cargo his new partner would be making him carry.