Criminal Adaptations

Everybody polka! This week we discuss Jan Lewan, Grammy nominated polka artist turned Ponzi schemer, and Jack Black’s depiction of him in Maya Forbes’s The Polka King (2017). Was Lewan a contriving money hungry criminal or a man who found himself in too deep? We will let you be the judge.   Primary Sources: American Greed Podcast: The Polka King Con PA Times Reader Daily Beast Spin Instagram: @Cri...

This week Ashley and Remi discuss Noah Hawley’s Lucy in the Sky (2019), a film loosely inspired by former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. Join us as we uncover the details behind the riveting story which dominated headlines. Spoiler: It involves much more than soiled diapers.    Primary Source: Moore, K. Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak. University Press of Florida (2020). Instagram: @Cr...

Mark and Dave Shultz were viewed by many as the greatest wrestlers in the world, but their lives and careers would be uprooted less than a decade after they meet an eccentric multi-millionaire, John du Pont. Their story is portrayed in Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher (2014), featuring an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo.   Primary Sources: Schultz, M. Foxcatcher:...

“The Windshield Murder” is regarded as one of the most bizarre and sensational crimes in Tarrant County. The details of the case, which inspired Stuart Gordon’s Stuck (2007), illustrate the fine line between murder and deliberate inaction.   Primary Sources: Court TV My Plainview Tampa Bay Times CNN CBS Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations Email us: criminaladaptations@gmail.com TikTok: @criminaladapta...

How far would you go to support the person you love? Would you rob a bank and hold eight employees hostage for 14 hours to pay for your partner’s gender reassignment surgery? This week we talk about the infamous bank robbery depicted in Sidney Lumet’s Oscar winning film Dog Day Afternoon (1975), starring Al Pacino.   Primary Sources: The Dog (2013) Life BBC Avenue Inside Edition All that’s Interes...

Corey Finley’s and HBO’s Bad Education (2019), staring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, gained praise from critics and viewers. How did Frank Tassone and Pam Gluckin pull off the largest public school embezzlement scheme in US history?   Primary Sources: New York Daily News Vanity Fair Town & Country History vs. Hollywood Esquire Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations Email us: criminaladaptations@gm...

Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) is a cult classic and regarded by many as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, but did you know it was inspired by the real life robbery, rape, and murder spree of Danny Rolling aka The Gainesville Ripper? Strap in because it’s going to get gory.   Primary Source:  Hunter, J. T. A Monster of All Time: The True Story of Danny Rolling, The Gainesville Ripper . Pe...

Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (1994) helped launch the careers of two of the biggest names in Hollywood, Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey. How accurate is the movie adaption of New Zealand’s infamous 1954 murder?   Primary Source: Graham, Peter. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century . Skyhorse, 2011. Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations Email us: criminaladaptations@gmail.com TikTok: @criminala...

What do you get when you mix Michael Bay, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie? 2013’s blockbuster film Pain & Gain . This story has it all: body builders, kidnapping, torture, fraud, and murder. This case was so complex, we had to split it into two episodes. In Part I, Remi will tell you all about the film. Part II will tackle the true story behind Michael Bay’s Pain &...

What do you get when you mix Michael Bay, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie? 2013’s blockbuster film Pain & Gain . This story has it all: body builders, kidnapping, torture, fraud, and murder. This case was so complex, we had to split it into two episodes. In Part I, Remi will tell you all about the film. Part II will tackle the true story behind Michael Bay’s Pain &...

Welcome to Criminal Adaptations, the show where we take a look at some of your favorite movies and the true crime stories that inspired them. Join our hosts Remi, who has over a decade of experience working in the film and television industry, and Ashley, a clinical psychologist and forensic evaluator in the state of Oregon, as they compare some of Hollywood’s most notorious films to the real-life...