It was a serendipitous meeting with writer/director Barbara Schroeder at the Palisades Farmers Market in June.
Years before, this editor had interviewed Schroeder when her documentary film “Talhotblond” had opened in 2009. It was a fascinating tale of an internet love triangle between a teenage vixen “talhotblond” and two men she had lured into her life — with disastrous results. Schroeder had explained, “it was like a romance novel, and then it turned into a horror story.” (It is available on Amazon.)
Three years after the documentary came out, Courteney Cox of “Friends,” directed a TV movie version with the same title that ran on Lifetime. Schroeder was given writing credit.
Schroeder, a Palisades resident, told CTN that she had just completed a podcast “Bad, Bad Thing,” that was going to air on June 30.
Once again, Schroeder has taken a story, a true crime podcast beyond the realm of what a listener might expect, because the director was working from actual recordings.
The six-episode program tells the story of a loving wife, Jennair Gerardot, who spirals into darkness when she suspects that her husband of 24 years, Mark, is having an affair with his younger and beautiful boss. Jennair begins recording herself, and then writes a suicide letter outlining a plan for vengeance.
PodcastOne President Kit Gray said about the show, “Barbara’s extensive background in true crime storytelling combined with unbelievable, exclusive, and jaw dropping assets makes this a podcast that cannot be missed.”
Schroeder told CTN she had been given the recordings that Jennair had left behind. “We were able to do more than just tell the story of a horrible crime. ‘Bad, Bad Thing’ becomes a cautionary tale about mental health and the fallout that can happen when love goes wrong.”
Schroeder also wrote and directed the 2018 Netflix true crime series, “Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist,” about an unsolved FBI case in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Schroeder, who graduated from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in communications, started her career as a reporter and television anchor in Michigan. She moved to Los Angeles in 1992 and was assigned to the anchor seat for Fox during the L.A. riots.
In addition to winning several Emmys for her television work, she has co-authored the book ‘The Diet for Teenagers Only.’ Her first short documentary “Six (and a Half) Secrets of Love” was a 2007 Winner for Best Documentary at the Hollywood DV Film Festival.