You Cant Make This Up

In 1980, the Glatzel’s son, David, began having convulsions. A pair of self-styled ghost hunters declared the child was possessed by the devil. The family turned to the church for help, but something went wrong during the exorcism. His sister’s boyfriend challenged Satan to take him on instead. Months later, Arne Cheyenne Johnson was accused of murdering his landlord. The case made headlines when Johnson told the court the devil made him do it. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “The Devil on Trial." Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director Chris Holt. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Devil on Trial" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Soccer legend David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. The four-part Netflix documentary series “BECKHAM” tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon.  On this episode, we’ll turn things over to our friends at Netflix’s “Skip Intro.” Each week, host Krista Smith brings us dynamic conversations with the exceptional people behind your favorite shows, films, specials, and documentaries on Netflix. In this episode, Krista interviews David Beckham and director Fisher Stevens to find out what went into the making of this exceptional docu-series.

It’s common folklore: a sole witness to a mysterious flying object whose tale of their encounter is met with skepticism. But what if dozens - if not hundreds of people say they all saw something in the sky at the same time? The Netflix series “Encounters” goes beyond the reported incidents of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or extraterrestrial contact. Why would groups of unconnected people claim to see the same oddities? And how has telling their stories affected their lives? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Encounters." Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Yon Motskin. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Encounters" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Mike Veeck was a third generation baseball executive, son of the Hall of Fame White Sox owner Bill Veeck. But Mike’s “Disco Demolition” night devolved into an actual riot, with rowdy rock fans charging the field and setting fires. After the debacle, he couldn’t get another job in professional sports. But years later, Mike had the opportunity to purchase a minor league team and put his own stamp on it. Would this be his chance to prove to the world he could make baseball fun? The film “The Saint of Second Chances” follows Mike’s journey from outcast to innovator, chronicling both his professional and personal triumphs and tragedies. Can a man once tarred as a sports pariah get a shot at redemption and change the game? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary film “The Saint of Second Chances" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Morgan Neville and Jeff Malmberg. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Saint of Second Chances" yet, make s

For those who dream of leaping from the top rope and body slamming their opponent, their journey begins at Ohio Valley Wrestling - a Kentucky-based training ground for would-be stars. But the organization is pinned to the mat, drowning in debt. OVW’s new owners have given the team until the end of summer to get into the black…and that starts a grudge match over the league’s future. The Netflix documentary series “Wrestlers” brings us behind the chaotic scenes at OVW, exposing the athlete’s stories in and out of the ring. Can the group bring in enough new fans to keep it going down for the count once and for all? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Wrestlers" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director & Executive Producer Greg Whitely. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Wrestler" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

The Boy Scouts were considered a model youth group, with its emphasis on proud citizenship, self-reliance, and good character. For decades, the national headquarters kept extensive, confidential files on predators within their ranks and their victims. It wasn’t until a legal reckoning that the Scouts were forced to reveal the files’ existence which demonstrated how little they did to address the systemic issue.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Scouts Honor" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Brian Knappenberger. Through exclusive interviews with whistleblowers, survivors, and former employees, “Scouts Honor” exposes how the Boy Scouts of America attempted to cover up one of history’s most horrific child sexual abuse scandals. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Scouts Honor" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

College football is life in Florida. Enter Urban Meyer: the Florida Gators’ demanding new head coach. His take-no-prisoners style breeds a string of legendary victories from 2005 to 2010, but also unrelenting drama that ripples well beyond the locker room.  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Untold: Swamp Kings" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Katharine English. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Untold: Swamp Kings" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Depp v. Heard" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Emma Cooper. When actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for accusing him of abuse, the world was glued to the trial livestream. Fans took sides, lawyers pulled no punches and social media influencers provided hot takes in real time. And the fates of the parties to the lawsuit were decided as much in the court of public opinion as they were in a court of law. “Depp v. Heard” examines the infamous defamation case that captured the world’s attention and became the world's first trial by TikTok. Showing both testimonies side-by-side for the first time, this series explores this global media event, questioning the nature of truth and the role it plays in our modern society. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Depp v. Heard" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producers Raeshem Nijhon and Carri Twigg. Over the past five decades, hip hop has influenced everything from culture to fashion to politics. Its lyrics have tackled discrimination, sexism and violence, and gave voice to the authentic experiences of millions. But from those first mixtapes to streaming audio, women’s contributions to hip hop have too often been marginalized.  “Ladies First” recontextualizes their role in the genre’s 50 years by reinserting them into the canon where they belong: at the center, from day one to present day. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Ladies First" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case," out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Hyoe Yamamoto and producer Rob Sixsmith. Lucie Blackman left her life in England for new experiences in Japan, working as a hostess in a Tokyo nightclub. But her disappearance in 2000 sent shock waves through both nations. Her father launched a media blitz to pressure Japanese authorities; meanwhile, authorities learn a sexual predator has been preying on women undetected for years.  “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case” explores the desperate manhunt and the clash of cultures that resulted. Will Tokyo detectives find the criminal believed to have victimized hundreds of women…and answer the question of what happened to Lucie? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “The Deepest Breath" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews director Laura McGann. Freedivers compete by swimming straight down to the deepests depths and back to the surface, all on a single gulp of air. Alessia Zecchini pushed herself to go down farther than any woman before. But she can’t do it without safety divers like Stephen Keenan, great divers in their own right tasked with rescuing competitors who blackout before surfacing. “The Deepest Breath” follows the pair’s growing bond on land and sea. But their quest for world records and championships will place them both in mortal danger. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “The Deepest Breath" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we revisit our discussion of the Netflix film “Lost Girls," out now on Netflix. Guest host Kevin Flynn interviews director Liz Garbus. True crime fans have heard the news from Gilgo Beach: an arrest has been made this month in the Long Island serial killer case. The development has renewed interest in the crimes that baffled authorities for more than a decade. The case was the basis for 2020 Netflix film “Lost Girls.” Starring Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan, the motion picture follows Mari Gilbert as she searches for her missing daughter, Shannan. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Lost Girls" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Quarterback" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Tim Rumpff, Shannon Furman, and Matthew Dissinger. They are the faces of football! Quarterbacks are the marquee players of the NFL and the success of their whole team rests on their shoulder pads. The eight-part series “Quarterback” follows Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Mariota, and Kirk Cousins from the practice field to the gridiron and back home with their families. What makes a QB great? And what does it take to obtain that ultimate goal: a Super Bowl ring? SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Quarterback" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Next up on You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Quarterback." The series features exclusive, unprecedented access to these marquee players from the beginning of the 2022 season to its conclusion, following them on and off the field, from inside the huddle with teammates to inside their homes with their families.  In our next episode, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews directors Tim Rumpff, Shannon Furman, and Matthew Dissinger. If you haven't watched “Quarterback,” make sure to add it to your watch-list before next week’s episode. Stay Tuned!

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary “WHAM!" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews producer Simon Halfon. In 1982, best friends and teenagers George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley set out to conquer the world as WHAM! By 1986, it was over. Now for the very first time, told in their own words, it’s the amazing story of how in four years they dominated the charts around the world with classic pop songs. With unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid and previously unheard interviews, the Netflix documentary “WHAM!” charts their incredible journey from school friends to superstars. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “WHAM!" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators,” out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Dan “Nitro” Clark and Lori “Ice” Fetrick. In the days before reality TV game shows, one television program invited viewers to win money completing athletic challenges. The catch: they’d have to beat a team of pumped-up, sexy spoilers known as the American Gladiators. The country went wild for the rock’em sock’em action of everyday men and women facing off against characters like Laser and Gemini. Behind the scenes, the troupe of performers dealt with injuries, steroids, and the perils of being young and famous in Hollywood. But resentment grew as the Gladiators were locked in a modest contract while the production company got rich off of merchandise.  Muscles & Mayhem takes us behind the scenes of “American Gladiators.” All the broken bones, screaming groupies, and wild stories of the pioneering tele

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Our Planet II" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Keith Scholey and series producer Huw Cordey. In every corner of our world, at any given moment, billions of animals have someplace important to be. From whales to pumas, from crablets to cranes – almost every animal migrates. They’re driven by instinct and patterns of their ancestors over millions of years – and the health of our planet depends on it. But as the climate warms and the impact of humanity spreads into ever more remote regions of the natural world, can these animals adapt to survive? “Our Planet II” takes us to some of the most remote locations on the globe and gives us never-before-seen images of creatures on the move and on the hunt. And as the animal kingdom moves with purpose, we must ask whether humans will stand in their way or help them get to where they need to be. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Our

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “Arnold" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Executive Producer Allen Hughes and Director Lesley Chilcott. From a tiny village in Austria to the limelight of championship bodybuilding - from conquering Hollywood to capturing Sacramento - Arnold Schwarzenegger's life stands apart. For the first time, Schwarzenegger talks at length about his journey as an athlete and unlikely box office sensation - as well as his jump from public figure to public servant and governor of California. He also opens up about the scandals that rocked his personal life. With commentary from friends, rivals, and colleagues, the series explores Schwarzenegger’s Terminator-like drive to reach a rarefied level of fame - where everyone knows who you are by just one name: Arnold! SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “Arnold" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, we are talking about the Netflix documentary series “MerPeople" out now on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer and director Cynthia Wade. No longer the legends of sailors or the stars of fairy tales. Mermaids exist! With a custom-made fin, a can-do attitude, and some strong swimming skills, you too can splash it up as a merperson. Whether it’s entertaining children at birthday parties, wow-ing spectators at Las Vegas casinos, or turning heads at a merpeople pageant, you can bring the magic of the seas to dry land. “MerPeople” dives into the fascinating world of underwater performers who have turned their love for the mystical sea creatures into real-world careers. Get ready to set sail on an unforgettable voyage and immerse yourself in a world where fantasy becomes reality. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched “MerPeople" yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

Nicole Chase was a young mom with a daughter to support when she took a job at a local restaurant in Canton, Connecticut. She liked the work and was good at her job. But the place turned out to be more like a frat house than a quaint roadside sandwich spot. And the crude behavior kept escalating – until one day she says her boss went too far and she turned to the local police for help. What happened next would put a detective on the hot seat and lead to a legal battle that would drag on for years. The United States Supreme Court would even get involved. Reveal reporter Rachel de Leon spent years taking a close look at cases across the country in which people reported sexual assaults to police, only to find themselves investigated. In this hour, we explore one case and hear how police interrogated an alleged perpetrator, an alleged victim and each other. De Leon’s investigation is also the subject of the documentary “Victim/Suspect,” now on Netflix.