You Can’t Make This Up

Netflix
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You Can’t Make This Up

Hear the incredible real stories behind the making of the biggest documentary series & films on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie leads in-depth interviews with creators and subjects, exploring how these stories are produced & their impact, while uncovering new information. New episodes every Wednesday.

  1. 2D AGO

    Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing

    Piper Rockelle was a young social media superstar with more than 25 million followers. She filmed pranks, challenges, and “crush content” with her friend group, The Squad. For aspiring tween influencers, joining them could unlock hundreds of thousands of followers and big-budget brand deals. But former Squad members accused Piper’s mother and manager, Tiffany, of taking advantage of them—commercially, financially, and even sexually. The Netflix documentary series Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing investigates disturbing stories of alleged exploitation, cult-like manipulation, and abuse at the hands of Tiffany Smith. It asks hard questions about the growing sexualization of tweens and questions how far some will go to make money at the expense of children. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Kief Davidson & Jenna Rosher. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Bad Influence yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com! This week, read their guide to the Squad, as well as where Piper and Tiffany are now. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    37 min

  2. APR 2

    Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer

    The search for a missing person in 2010 led to the discovery of a woman’s body on a secluded stretch of Gilgo Beach. It prompted police to unearth the remains of several more women. Authorities reached a startling conclusion: a serial killer had been preying on sex workers in Long Island for years. For a time, it seemed the case would remain cold, but new investigators utilized overlooked clues and cutting-edge technology to identify the man they believe is responsible for the murders. In the Netflix documentary series Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, director Liz Garbus picks up the story where her motion picture Lost Girls left off. The series chronicles how the investigation into the Gilgo Beach Four expanded into a manhunt for the murderer of at least ten people. It delves into the missed opportunities and public corruption that hindered the search, while also offering a fascinating profile of Rex Heuermann, the man alleged to have used this part of New York as his hunting ground for decades. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Liz Garbus. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com. This week, read their profile on the victims of The Long Island Serial Killer and the latest in the case against Rex Heuermann as his murder trial draws near. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    33 min

  3. MAR 27

    Gold and Greed

    Forrest Fenn caught the imagination of the world when he announced he’d hidden a treasure chest filled with riches somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. All you had to do was solve a riddle to find it. The quest for gold drew many a treasure hunter into the wilderness, all with different theories on where each arcane clue should lead them. But for some, the ten-year-long hunt became an obsession, causing them to lose money, relationships, and for some, their lives. When the chest was found in 2020, rather than celebrating, many wondered if they’d been bamboozled. The Netflix series Gold and Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure brings us inside the quest to solve the million-dollar mystery. Additionally, the series features hidden clues to a whole new hunt, revealing where X marks the spot. The series tells the stories of some of the people who turned their world upside down to find a buried treasure that could change their lives. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Jared McGillard. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Gold and Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    35 min

  4. MAR 19

    CHAOS: The Manson Murders

    In 1969, Los Angeles was on edge after a bloody killing spree in the Hollywood Hills - one of the victims, a pregnant movie star. The killers all said they committed their crimes at the direction of their leader, Charles Manson. While the Manson Family murders still fascinate today, one question remains unanswered: how was the mastermind able to convince his followers to kill at his direction? Was his charismatic hold that strong? Or did Manson’s powers of persuasion get a boost from the government? In CHAOS: The Manson Murders, Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris explores the connections between the infamous cult leader and the CIA’s MK-Ultra mind control experiments. Were the slayings truly motivated by Manson’s Helter Skelter plans for a race war? Or had Manson unwittingly become part of the government’s secret research into brainwashing? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Errol Morris. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched CHAOS: The Manson Murders yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com. There you can find out more about CHAOS: The Manson Murders and its connection to Tom O’Neill’s book.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    36 min
  5. BONUS | State Secrets: Inside The Making of The Electric State

    MAR 12

    BONUS | State Secrets: Inside The Making of The Electric State

    Step into the mysterious and visually stunning world of The Electric State as host Francesca Amiker takes you behind the scenes with the creative masterminds who brought Simon Stålenhag’s dystopian vision to life. In this premiere episode, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and producers Angela Russo-Otstot and Chris Castaldi reveal how they transformed a haunting graphic novel into an epic cinematic experience.   Watch The Electric State coming to Netflix on March 14th.  Check out more from Netflix Podcasts. State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.

    22 min

  6. MAR 5

    Toxic Town

    In the 1990s, mothers in the English industrial town of Corby noticed their children were born with similar disabilities. Could they have been poisoned during their pregnancies by toxic waste being removed from the old steel mill? Led by Susan McIntrye, the group rallied to seek justice, but the borough council denied there was any connection between the children and the reclamation project essential to the city’s future. The mothers hit stonewalls in their quest for the truth, but a crusading lawyer and a disgraced whistleblower might have the information vital to their case. Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, and Rory Kinnear lead an all-star cast in the Netflix series Toxic Town. Based on the true story of the groundbreaking environmental negligence case, the series follows the efforts of the women as they fight powerful forces to get recognition and compensation on behalf of their children. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews writer and series creator Jack Thorne. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Toxic Town yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com. This week: actresses Jodie Whittaker and Aimee Lou Wood sit down with the real mothers of Corby who they play in Toxic Town. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    34 min

  7. FEB 26

    Surviving Black Hawk Down

    In October 1993, US soldiers operating in the middle of a civil war in Somalia were on a mission to capture high ranking militia leaders linked to the fighting. But their extraction from the streets of Mogadishu was blocked by an unexpected counter attack from Somali warriors resulting in an all-out urban firefight. While the Army Rangers were pinned down in the streets, resistance fighters shot down two Black Hawk helicopters. What became known as the Battle of Mogadishu lasted for hours, with the US suffering heavy casualties and seeing a pilot taken prisoner. The failed mission altered the course of American involvement in the conflict. The Netflix series Surviving Black Hawk Down takes us back to the battlefield as told from the perspective of Americans on the ground and in the air. It also brings us the voices of Somali militants who took up arms and of civilians caught in the crossfire. It not only recounts what happened during those many hours of combat. It tackles what it meant for the soldiers who made it out alive.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews former US special forces soldiers and series subjects Tom Satterly and Brad Thomas. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched title yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com! This week they go even further into what happened during the Battle of Mogadishu. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

    36 min

  8. FEB 19

    American Murder: Gabby Petito

    In 2021, Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie set off in a van for a cross country adventure they’d document for a travel vlog. Despite images of a carefree journey she posted online, the trip was beginning to sour. Then - Gabby’s parents couldn’t reach her. And police discovered Brian had returned home in the van…with his girlfriend nowhere to be found. The Netflix documentary series American Murder: Gabby Petito dives deep into the true crime mystery that captivated the Internet - and the nation. Using Gabby’s never-before-seen videos, texts, and journal entries, the series takes us inside the couple’s troubling relationship, the missteps by authorities who encountered them, and the nationwide search for answers. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews producers Julia Willoughby Nason and Mike Gasparro. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched American Murder: Gabby Petito yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at Tudum.com! You can hear more from Gabby’s parents on what they’re doing to honor her memory through legislative advocacy. If you or someone you know has experienced relationship abuse, information and resources are available at wannatalkaboutit.com.

    35 min
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Hear the incredible real stories behind the making of the biggest documentary series & films on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie leads in-depth interviews with creators and subjects, exploring how these stories are produced & their impact, while uncovering new information. New episodes every Wednesday.

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