What’s the real story?

What’s the real story?

As a film enthusiast with a penchant for diverse genres and a deep appreciation for storytelling that transcends borders, I must say this latest collection of podcast recommendations has truly piqued my curiosity.


MUSIC

The Rise and Fall of Oasis

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/6Qg6FRw3ZHcxKf8iRRyV5q
 

TRUE CRIME

The Apartheid Killer

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/3efecxyEXniCwWqptceDRt

During the closing stages of apartheid in South Africa, one individual was obsessively pursuing a lethal “anti-crime” campaign. Known as Louis van Schoor, he held a security guard position, yet his approach to work involved patrolling barefoot to surprise and fatally shoot small-time thieves – an embodiment of the ‘silent but deadly’ phrase, with at least 39 confirmed fatalities attributed to this prolific killer. Van Schoor, who showed no remorse, succumbed to sepsis shortly after the BBC series was aired – though not before the reporting team managed to capture a chilling conversation with him. ANNA JONES

 

STORYTELLING

Desert Oracle Radio

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/5Q4XsavKd9osLMYjdRMNwu

From the online sphere of American political satire (Gawker), Ken Layne came back to earth in 2015 to launch Desert Oracle, a now cult print magazine for strange tales of the natural desert world (raging sun, howling coyotes), the mythical and sometimes conspiratorial (military UFOs) from his home in Joshua Tree, California. In the character of a grizzly sage, he also presents some of the material in rambling weekly broadcasts. A Tom Waits voice in the tone of Mark Twain with the imagery of Nick Cave. FIONA HUGHES

 

SCIENCE

Crash Course Pods: the Universe

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/2bWKkadrcb9bLtcpcC5M27

As a movie enthusiast, I’m excited to share my experience listening to John Green and Dr. Katie Mack on their podcast. They take you on an incredible journey through the cosmos, starting with the Big Bang – a moment that created the very hydrogen atoms we’re made of! It’s mind-blowing stuff, yet they make it easy to understand.

 

TRAVEL

The Bowery Boys: Adventures in the Netherlands

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/1nGQUXdZUQLHVe88yqUEGy

The duo known as The Bowery Boys – Tom Meyers and Greg Young – are an exceptional case of early podcast creators who have managed to stay relevant. As untrained historians, they started delving into the folks and locales of New York City back in 2007, resulting in over 430 episodes if you enjoy their work. This latest mini-series finds them applying their passionate yet thorough style to the exploration of Holland, which boasts a rich history linked to the 400-year-old founding of New York. ANNA JONES

 

FINANCE

Good Bad Billionaire

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/2DDDv3N8HUXNApJcFhCPZz

The World Service series crunches the numbers that help us get our heads around the almost unfathomable enormity of a billion. Simon Jack puts it into perspective: one million seconds equals 11 days, one billion seconds is 32 years! In each episode he and co-host Zing Tsjeng examine how an individual — newspaper proprietor to basketball player, philanthropist to drug baron — came to amass such incredible wealth. How does it relate to power? No wonder the second season has just begun. DAVID McGILLIVRAY

 

DOCUMENTARY

Hysterical

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/2fiXFwUwqp5L1481BvOJkH

In the year 2011, what led high-school girls in upstate New York to suddenly experience tics, strong twitches, and stuttering? Was it attention seeking, drug use, or an infectious disease? Investigative journalist Dan Taberski delves into this mysterious phenomenon that doctors and authorities labeled as a mass hysteria similar to the Salem Witch Trials. However, when a mother describes her symptoms (“I felt like Linda Blair from The Exorcist”), and past toxic spills are brought up, sparking Erin Brockovich’s interest, the situation becomes more complex. JEREMY ASPINALL

 

CONFESSIONS

Fesshole: the Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=episode/6WxuIIeBQj0DBPo6SpV7e4

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2024-08-09 20:33