The third episode of HBO's brilliant I'll Be Gone in the Dark takes the case -- and the story of author Michelle McNamara -- into a chilling new space. Titled Rat In a Maze, the episode is book ended with a recording of an actual phone call made by the East Area Rapist right before he became the Golden State Killer. The phone call was recorded by police as it was made to an intended victim. And it's frightening. "Gonna kill you... gonna kill you... gonna kill you... Bitch!" The first time we hear it, the recording is meant to be an introduction to the culprit's switch from rapist to killer. And he did brutally murder some 10 people on top of the 50 rapes he committed. We hear it again at the episode's conclusion when McNamara, faced with an early deadline on the book that became I'll Be Gone in the Dark, has doubts about her ability to finish it. By then, she had the entire catalog of crimes in her head, and was driven to do right by the vict...

The second episode of HBO's I'll Be Gone in the Dark presents some of the most harrowing moments of television I've ever seen. The episode, titled Reign of Terror, chronicles the East Area Rapist's transition from a rapist of women, to targeting couples and, finally, his transition to a serial killer. And it does so through a series of interviews with the victims which, at times, can be hard to hear. The level of trauma these poor people experienced during, and often after the assault, is unimaginable. Director Elizabeth Wolff enhances the interviews with creepy imagery that's meant to set the scene, not re-enact the crimes. These moments are eerily effective. She uses light and shadow and a slow moving camera, which evokes a disturbing atmosphere. The visuals will stick in your mind long after the episode ends. Equally as disturbing are a series of PSAs from the 70s that are interspersed throughout the interviews. These maddeningly reflect society's att...

Michelle McNamara's true-crime book I'll Be Gone in the Dark is easily one of the best -- if not the best -- of its kind. It's an exhaustive and fascinating dissection of the crimes committed by the Golden State Killer, a violent criminal responsible for some 50 rapes, and 10 sadistic murders, back in the 1970s and 80s. I reviewed the book right here , and encourage true-crime addicts like myself to give it a read. Or, if you're like Shawn and don't do reading, you should definitely check out HBO's adaptation, which debuted Sunday night. I caught the first of six episodes last night, and was hooked. The series is actually two stories; the first being an examination of the Golden State Killer's crimes, with the second an equally detailed look into McNamara's obsession with the case. McNamara died before she could finish the book. Her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, helped complete it, and get it published. The first episode scratches the surfac...

I reviewed Michelle McNamara's brilliant true-crime novel I'll Be Gone in the Dark right here . Obviously, the use of the word brilliant tells you exactly what I thought of her work. One of the scariest things about McNamara's account of The Golden State Killer is how these crimes -- which were committed in the 70s and 80s -- aren't more in the public spotlight. This story should be as well known as the Zodiac and Son of Sam, but it's not. HBO is going to change that with this six-part series, which begins June 28. The episodes will chronicle McNamara's tireless investigation, as well as cover her death and efforts by husband Patton Oswalt to finish the book, which was released in 2018. The killer was caught months after the book came out. Check out the trailer: Looks good! And, if you haven't read the book, get on it now! Source: HBO