Post by boxman on Apr 8, 2006 15:02:28 GMT -5
Here's some interesting tie-ins that I've discovered about Cold Case episode titles from posts here on the board and some research at imdb.com and elsewhere on the net.
2000: 3.14 Dog Day Afternoons
The case of a female bank teller shot to death in her work in 2000 is reopened when the same bank is robbed again by perpetrators wearing identical masks and equipped with identical weapons as six years earlier.
"Dog Day Afternoon" is the name of a 1975 Al Pacino movie, based on a real-life botched bank robbery.
1985: 2.09 Mind Hunters
The headless torso of a woman who disappeared in 1985, on the same day she filed domestic-abuse charges against her husband, is found by hikers in a wildlife preserve. The investigation quickly leads to the grisly discovery of 8 more decapitated bodies, the victims of a serial killer.
"Mindhunters" is the title of a 2004 movie about a group of FBI detectives who also were looking for a serial killer. Kathryn Morris appeared in the movie, playing the part of Sara Moore.
1976: 2.12 Yo, Adrian
When a dying boxing referee makes a confession about a 1976 fight, the team re-opens the case in which an underdog fighter, arranged to fight against a much more qualified boxer, took a heavy beating in the match and died only moments afterwards.
Obviously, the title refers to the series of "Rocky" movies about a Philadelphian boxer that first began in 1976.
1954: 3.05 Committed
In 1954, 9-year-old Otis Petrowski last saw his mother in a mental institution. Now over 50 years later, after the death of an elderly woman who had been using Otis' mother's identity, Det. Rush sets out to discover what happened to the boy's real mother.
"Committed" is the name of a movie about the life of actress Frances Farmer. ("Frances" is also another biopic about the actress.) Frances Farmer was a Hollywood starlet in the 1930s, but by the 40s her bizarre anti-social behavior landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Nurses say she very likely received electroshock therapy (which was common at that institution), but there are conflicting reports on whether she received a lobotomy.
1985: 1.20 Greed
The team reopens the 1985 case of a wealthy stock broker. At the time it was deemed that Charles Danville was killed when someone attempted to steal his car, but new evidence suggests that he may, in fact, have been murdered.
"Greed" was the working title of the 1987 Oliver Stone movie, "Wall Street". The word "Greed" as well as the phrase "Greed is Good" refers to a pivotal speech in the movie by the corporate raider Gordon Gekko. The movie's scene was itself inspired by a similar real-world speech given by the Wall Street 'arbitrageur', Ivan Boesky.
2003: 2.01 The Badlands
Lilly returns to her last case before joining the Cold Case Squad as she re-investigates the brutal triple homicide of a restaurant owner and his family, murdered in the restaurant bathroom in 2003. Also the other team member have personal reasons to closing the case; Jeffries grew up in the predominantly black neighborhood while Vera was the one assigned to the case when Det. Rush left.
"The Badland" was a temporary name of a 1999 Philadelphia-based TV cop drama that takes place in the same North Philly neighborhood as the CC episode. The show title "The Badland" was eventually changed to "Ryan Caulfield: Year One" because local Philadelphia groups felt the original name would give a bad impression of the city. "Ryan Caulfield" only lasted two episodes. Ironically, CC's reference to "The Badland" (in Philadelphia), occurs at the premiere of both season one and season two; but Cold Case, as we know, lasted more than two episodes for each season.
1985: 2.20 Kensington
"Kensington" --The murder case of a young mill worker is re-opened when Rush learns that a recent parolee admitted to stealing money off the victim's body.
"Kensington" is the name of an actual neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia.
1963: 2.19 Strange Fruit
The unsolved 1963 murder of a black teenager, whose body was discovered by the then-young Will Jeffries, is reopened.
"Strange Fruit" is the name of a poem by Abel Meeropol (a.k.a. "Lewis Allan"), that was eventually put to song by Billie Holiday. (!) The piece condemns the lynching and burning of African-Americans in the early 20th century. According to wikipedia.org, other artists in the late-20th century also performed the song:
"The song became an instant success and came to be the piece most identified with Holiday, though it has been performed by countless others including Josh White, UB40, Tori Amos, Pete Seeger, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cassandra Wilson, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Cocteau Twins, and The Twilight Singers and remixed by Tricky."
In 2002, a movie also titled "Strange Fruit" was made about the original poem and how Billie Holiday came to sing it.
1983: 2.07 It's Raining Men
An HIV-positive gay man asks Rush and Valens to re-investigate the case of his dead partner who died of strangulation in 1983. Not only was the victim outspoken in his views about AIDS education within the 1980's secretive gay community, he was also the member of a very prominent family, disowned by his father for his sexual orientation.
An obvious reference to the gay-anthem "It's Raining Men" originally performed in 1982 by The Weather Girls. (The song was remade recently by both Kelly Clarkson and Geri Halliwell.) Apparently, the song was originally co-written by Paul Schaffer, David Letterman's bandleader.
1978: 1.15 Disco Inferno
Construction workers discover a skull with bullet hole under the ruins of a disco club burned down in 1978. 22 people died in the fire. Rush and Valens come to the conclusion that the burning of the club was arson, meant to cover up a murder leaving them with not one, but 23 cold cases.
The episode title is a clear reference to the disco anthem, "Disco Inferno", most recognized as being performed by The Trammps. Other artists such as the Bee Gees, Cyndi Lauper, and Tina Turner have performed versions of this song too. I doubt the show's title has any connection to 50 Cent's song. ha ha ha.
1980 (and 2006): 3.16 One Night
Lilly and the cold case team will have to decode the clues given by a twisted killer in order to save the life of a young boy who has been left to die alone. But first they must find the boy and for that they need to dig a little deeper into their own pasts.
(Minor *spoiler* warning)
Midway through the episode, we learn that the killer is dying of "M.S.", or "Multiple Sclerosis". The description of the killer's disease, though, is not accurate and more like ALS or MD. The discrepancy could be a veiled reference to the departure of "Meredith Stiehm" from the series, and Veena Sud's new responsibilities as CC producer. Ms. Sud not only wrote the episode, "One Night", but in 2000 also directed a short movie called "One Night" as well.
1998(?): 1.03 Our Boy is Back
A serial rapist sends a letter to the squad announcing his return to Philadelphia after five years and his plan to strike again. Lilly's best hope of catching the rapist comes from a victim who is able to provide a composite sketch.
The original title for this episode was apparently "Useless Cats". The episode was obviously based on the real-world "Center City Rapist" in Philadelphia. The real-world serial rapist used the phrase "useless cats" often in a letter he wrote to taunt detectives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Chilling.
1964: 1.07 A Time to Hate
Lilly investigates the case of Daniel Holtz, a college baseball player who was found beaten to death in an alley behind a gay bar in 1964. Daniel's mother comes to Lilly in the hopes that his killer can be brought to justice before she dies. Lilly discovers the maltreatment gay victims received in the 60's, when her investigation discloses that it may have been a policeman's nightstick that made the lethal blows.
The title of this episode is vaguely similar to "Anatomy of a Hate Crime", a 2001 TV movie about the murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly-gay college student who met his murderers at a bar.
2000: 3.14 Dog Day Afternoons
The case of a female bank teller shot to death in her work in 2000 is reopened when the same bank is robbed again by perpetrators wearing identical masks and equipped with identical weapons as six years earlier.
"Dog Day Afternoon" is the name of a 1975 Al Pacino movie, based on a real-life botched bank robbery.
1985: 2.09 Mind Hunters
The headless torso of a woman who disappeared in 1985, on the same day she filed domestic-abuse charges against her husband, is found by hikers in a wildlife preserve. The investigation quickly leads to the grisly discovery of 8 more decapitated bodies, the victims of a serial killer.
"Mindhunters" is the title of a 2004 movie about a group of FBI detectives who also were looking for a serial killer. Kathryn Morris appeared in the movie, playing the part of Sara Moore.
1976: 2.12 Yo, Adrian
When a dying boxing referee makes a confession about a 1976 fight, the team re-opens the case in which an underdog fighter, arranged to fight against a much more qualified boxer, took a heavy beating in the match and died only moments afterwards.
Obviously, the title refers to the series of "Rocky" movies about a Philadelphian boxer that first began in 1976.
1954: 3.05 Committed
In 1954, 9-year-old Otis Petrowski last saw his mother in a mental institution. Now over 50 years later, after the death of an elderly woman who had been using Otis' mother's identity, Det. Rush sets out to discover what happened to the boy's real mother.
"Committed" is the name of a movie about the life of actress Frances Farmer. ("Frances" is also another biopic about the actress.) Frances Farmer was a Hollywood starlet in the 1930s, but by the 40s her bizarre anti-social behavior landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Nurses say she very likely received electroshock therapy (which was common at that institution), but there are conflicting reports on whether she received a lobotomy.
1985: 1.20 Greed
The team reopens the 1985 case of a wealthy stock broker. At the time it was deemed that Charles Danville was killed when someone attempted to steal his car, but new evidence suggests that he may, in fact, have been murdered.
"Greed" was the working title of the 1987 Oliver Stone movie, "Wall Street". The word "Greed" as well as the phrase "Greed is Good" refers to a pivotal speech in the movie by the corporate raider Gordon Gekko. The movie's scene was itself inspired by a similar real-world speech given by the Wall Street 'arbitrageur', Ivan Boesky.
2003: 2.01 The Badlands
Lilly returns to her last case before joining the Cold Case Squad as she re-investigates the brutal triple homicide of a restaurant owner and his family, murdered in the restaurant bathroom in 2003. Also the other team member have personal reasons to closing the case; Jeffries grew up in the predominantly black neighborhood while Vera was the one assigned to the case when Det. Rush left.
"The Badland" was a temporary name of a 1999 Philadelphia-based TV cop drama that takes place in the same North Philly neighborhood as the CC episode. The show title "The Badland" was eventually changed to "Ryan Caulfield: Year One" because local Philadelphia groups felt the original name would give a bad impression of the city. "Ryan Caulfield" only lasted two episodes. Ironically, CC's reference to "The Badland" (in Philadelphia), occurs at the premiere of both season one and season two; but Cold Case, as we know, lasted more than two episodes for each season.
1985: 2.20 Kensington
"Kensington" --The murder case of a young mill worker is re-opened when Rush learns that a recent parolee admitted to stealing money off the victim's body.
"Kensington" is the name of an actual neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia.
1963: 2.19 Strange Fruit
The unsolved 1963 murder of a black teenager, whose body was discovered by the then-young Will Jeffries, is reopened.
"Strange Fruit" is the name of a poem by Abel Meeropol (a.k.a. "Lewis Allan"), that was eventually put to song by Billie Holiday. (!) The piece condemns the lynching and burning of African-Americans in the early 20th century. According to wikipedia.org, other artists in the late-20th century also performed the song:
"The song became an instant success and came to be the piece most identified with Holiday, though it has been performed by countless others including Josh White, UB40, Tori Amos, Pete Seeger, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cassandra Wilson, Nina Simone, Jeff Buckley, Cocteau Twins, and The Twilight Singers and remixed by Tricky."
In 2002, a movie also titled "Strange Fruit" was made about the original poem and how Billie Holiday came to sing it.
1983: 2.07 It's Raining Men
An HIV-positive gay man asks Rush and Valens to re-investigate the case of his dead partner who died of strangulation in 1983. Not only was the victim outspoken in his views about AIDS education within the 1980's secretive gay community, he was also the member of a very prominent family, disowned by his father for his sexual orientation.
An obvious reference to the gay-anthem "It's Raining Men" originally performed in 1982 by The Weather Girls. (The song was remade recently by both Kelly Clarkson and Geri Halliwell.) Apparently, the song was originally co-written by Paul Schaffer, David Letterman's bandleader.
1978: 1.15 Disco Inferno
Construction workers discover a skull with bullet hole under the ruins of a disco club burned down in 1978. 22 people died in the fire. Rush and Valens come to the conclusion that the burning of the club was arson, meant to cover up a murder leaving them with not one, but 23 cold cases.
The episode title is a clear reference to the disco anthem, "Disco Inferno", most recognized as being performed by The Trammps. Other artists such as the Bee Gees, Cyndi Lauper, and Tina Turner have performed versions of this song too. I doubt the show's title has any connection to 50 Cent's song. ha ha ha.
1980 (and 2006): 3.16 One Night
Lilly and the cold case team will have to decode the clues given by a twisted killer in order to save the life of a young boy who has been left to die alone. But first they must find the boy and for that they need to dig a little deeper into their own pasts.
(Minor *spoiler* warning)
Midway through the episode, we learn that the killer is dying of "M.S.", or "Multiple Sclerosis". The description of the killer's disease, though, is not accurate and more like ALS or MD. The discrepancy could be a veiled reference to the departure of "Meredith Stiehm" from the series, and Veena Sud's new responsibilities as CC producer. Ms. Sud not only wrote the episode, "One Night", but in 2000 also directed a short movie called "One Night" as well.
1998(?): 1.03 Our Boy is Back
A serial rapist sends a letter to the squad announcing his return to Philadelphia after five years and his plan to strike again. Lilly's best hope of catching the rapist comes from a victim who is able to provide a composite sketch.
The original title for this episode was apparently "Useless Cats". The episode was obviously based on the real-world "Center City Rapist" in Philadelphia. The real-world serial rapist used the phrase "useless cats" often in a letter he wrote to taunt detectives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Chilling.
1964: 1.07 A Time to Hate
Lilly investigates the case of Daniel Holtz, a college baseball player who was found beaten to death in an alley behind a gay bar in 1964. Daniel's mother comes to Lilly in the hopes that his killer can be brought to justice before she dies. Lilly discovers the maltreatment gay victims received in the 60's, when her investigation discloses that it may have been a policeman's nightstick that made the lethal blows.
The title of this episode is vaguely similar to "Anatomy of a Hate Crime", a 2001 TV movie about the murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly-gay college student who met his murderers at a bar.
.jpg)
