It's a Thanksgiving Week Budget Sweep
Leftovers already? Yes, indeed.
the true crime that's worth your time
Prepare to be dazzled. I managed to get my Thanksgiving grocery list together this morning, which isn’t quote last minute but is damned close. (My most anticipated menu item is a take on Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits, FYI.) Once I cleared my desk of that list, I decided to tackle Best Evidence’s abundant budget doc, a horn of true-crime plenty overflowing links to stories and news we know you’ll enjoy. So, let’s rip into one of those pies a little early and get to it — or save this issue and dip into it between bastings on Thursday. Whatever works! — EB
There’s a new trailer for Inventing Anna. This is the Shonda Rhimes series on the Anna Sorokin/Delvey case, which doesn’t premiere until Feb 11, 2022. I’m getting a real Bling Ring/Hustlers vibe as presented here, what do you think? — EB
Should artists boycott Saudi Arabia over a high-profile homicide? In an open letter published in the Washington Post, Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, urges Justin Bieber to skip a planned performance at the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021.
According to intelligence reports, Khashoggi’s death and dismemberment was ordered by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). “Please know that your invitation to participate in a concert in Jiddah comes directly from MBS,” Cengiz writes, “as the crown prince is known. Nothing of significance happens in Saudi Arabia without his consent, and certainly not an event as important and flashy as this. Your face is even featured on the event’s website with his — the executioner of my fiance, Jamal.”
The event has also been condemned by the Human Rights Foundation, which contacted Bieber and fellow performers A$AP Rocky, Jason Derulo, Tiesto and David Guetta, the Hollywood Reporter writes. A snip from the letter:
“We are writing to urgently inform you of the human rights crisis in Saudi Arabia; to explain the role that the regime of MBS has played in violating the rights of tens of millions of Saudis; to ask that you consider the unfortunate implications of your engagement with the brutal dictatorship of MBS; and to respectfully request that, in light of your status as a global personality, you take this opportunity to positively influence human rights policy in Saudi Arabia by canceling your appearance, as a symbol of solidarity with the ongoing suffering of the Saudi people,” the group said in a letter to the musicians. As of publication time, none of the performers have publicly responded to media requests for comment or to the increasing pressure that they withdraw from the show. — EB
Vox Media Buys Podcast Studio Criminal Productions [Deadline]
The same company that claimed it couldn’t afford pay food journalists above the poverty line (hi!) and laid off a slew of the best development/infrastructure/transit reporters in the country because it claimed it didn’t have the budget to keep their vertical — it was called Curbed — going just bought the studio that makes popular true crime podcast Criminal for an undisclosed amount.
Per Deadline, “The deal will allow Criminal Productions double its staff, expand Criminal into a weekly show and launch a range of new serialized shows. The company will also look to expand the franchises beyond beyond podcasting, potentially including subscription products, further investment in live events, and intellectual property development. Both shows have been in development on the television side.” You gotta do what you gotta do, I guess. Good luck, everybody! — EB
Hulu To Debut ABC News’ True Crime Series ‘City of Angels, City Of Death’ Focusing On Wave Of Serial Killers In L.A. In 1970s and 80s [Deadline]
The six-ep docuseries drops tomorrow (11/24), and “comes from the producers of ABC News’ 20/20, and was produced for Hulu by ABC News Studios and Highway 41 Productions.” What to expect: “dramatic recreations and interviews with law enforcement as they grappled with multiple investigations. It features the accounts of retired LAPD detectives Tom Lange, Robert Souza, Bob Grogan, Frank Garcia and Jerry LeFrois, as well as forensic experts, survivors and eyewitnesses.”How Elizabeth Holmes Soured the Media on Silicon Valley [New York Times]
”Testimony in the fraud trial of Ms. Holmes, the founder of the blood testing start-up Theranos, shows how much coverage of the tech industry has changed over the years.”Kyle Beach, former Chicago Blackhawks player at center of investigation into sexual assault allegations, has 'feeling of relief and vindication' after findings [ESPN]
Beach came forward as the “John Doe” player who said that “Brad Aldrich, then the team's video coach, had sexually assaulted and harassed him.” I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t been following this case at all, but it will make for a gripping 30 for 30, judging by The Athletic’s coverage roundup to date.
‘Being Blago’: Yes, it’s him again, on a documentary series worth watching [Chicago Sun-Times]
The four-episode docuseries on the partial inspiration for The Good Wife was released earlier this month, but might be a fun show to watch with the family as we can all agree that former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is a li’l stinker, right? The Sun-Times review I link to above comes at the show from a unique position of knowledge that makes me want to watch it more.Kevin Spacey Must Pay $31M for Breaching ‘House of Cards’ Deal [The Hollywood Reporter]
”After a two-year legal battle behind closed doors, an arbitrator has ruled that Kevin Spacey must pay House of Cards producer MRC nearly $31 million for sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the political series.” Guess we’ll hear more of that Christmas Eve, huh?Study Shows Correlation Between Number of Confederate Monuments and Lynchings [Hyperallergic]
”A recent study by researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville found a damning correlation between the number of documented lynchings of Black people in a county with the number of local Confederate monuments.” Yes, relevant to our true crime interests but also news you can use when that one relative starts moaning about pinko snowflakes ruining statues, even.
Wednesday on Best Evidence: Get ready for a pre-Thanksgiving thread on the threats (natural and otherwise) that lurk on your table.
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