Three Unique Podcasts: A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast; Keeping It Real on Purpose; REDRUM True Crime

 These three podcasts presented today are markedly different, yet that is what they have in common -- their uniqueness. How many podcasts are there about Russian cinema? Read this article and you'll know one.

The Edna White podcast is unique because of, well, Edna White. She's a brilliant tour guide to resilience and redemption. 

Finally, Grace Cordell's true-crime podcast stands out from the plethora of similar shows because of Ms. Cordell's focus on the victims. Sensationalism gives way to sensitivity.

 

 A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast

A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast with Ally Pitts is a dedicated podcast exploring contemporary and Soviet-era Russian language cinema, featuring film discussions and expert interviews. The show covers a wide range of genres, from classic masterpieces to modern films, providing in-depth analysis of Russian culture and history through cinema. Just to be clear, Mr. Pitts is a supporter of Ukraine and vocal critic of Putin's repression. 

Host Ally Pitts, a British cinephile and one-time Moscow resident explores both Soviet-era classics and contemporary Russian cinema, occasionally discussing Western depictions of Russian culture.

The show combines in-depth movie reviews, discussions on historical context, and interviews with experts, including authors, journalists, and filmmakers.

I know there are not a lot of people following Soviet-era classics and contemporary Russian cinema, but this show is another demonstration of the strength of podcasting. It exists in niches no other medium would dare to explore. 

Further, Mr. Pitts is a superb host and narrator. He starts every show with a low-key, "Hello, hello." His voice, while not overly expressive, drips with meaning. His experience (the show has been on for eight years) shows through with his comfort level with history, sociology, political intrigue, and psychology. One of his most recent episodes was a departure -- a discussion about a short but hard-hitting novel about a Russian journalist whose life is thrown into chaos when a figure from his past suddenly comes back into his life as the leader of a terrorist group. 

I realize that this show may be an acquired taste, but it's worth a listen because of Ally Pitts and his masterful use of film analysis and historical context to craft a compelling narrative. 

 

  Keeping It Real On Purpose

 

Keeping It Real on Purpose is a podcast hosted by Edna White that features honest, vulnerable conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, and everyday people about real-life struggles, trauma, and the journey toward healing, resilience, and living with purpose. It focuses on unfiltered stories of recovery and turning pain into purpose. 

 Edna White holds candid, raw, and authentic discussions that move beyond "sugarcoated" success stories to explore the "messy middle" of life and business. Episodes cover topics like navigating trauma, overcoming setbacks, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose after a crisis.

My favorite episode was the December 31st show with Bob and Tammy Cranston, who biked through all 50 U.S. states—documenting the journey in what they call The Blank Journal to talk about what it really means to begin again after loss. After each losing their first spouses to cancer, Bob and Tammy found healing, connection, and renewed purpose from the trip. Powerful stuff there.

The podcast aims to highlight the hidden potential in people, focusing on the strength gained from, and the lessons learned through, difficult experiences.

 

REDRUM True Crime Podcast

 

REDRUM True Crime

is a podcast written and presented by Grace Cordell that focuses on real-life crime stories, emphasizing the stories of the victims. Each episode features a new, distinct, and often disturbing case. 

 REDRUM True Crime podcast focusing on real, in-depth true-crime stories with a focus on the victims.

The show covers various true crime cases, including international cases. The podcast features detailed, research-driven episodes that explore how detectives solve cases using forensics, CCTV, and phone data.

 As well as producing the successful REDRUM True Crime Podcast and YouTube Channel, Grace Cordell is an actress - you can see her in two films in 2025. I'm not sure how this is related, but she also has a cookie business. Ms. Cordell studied an MA in theater directing at Birkbeck, University of London.

As a guest on another true-crime podcast, Grace Cordell was asked about the most interesting episode she has done? 

Grace answered: "I covered Denise Huskins in episode 63, who is a woman who was kidnapped at gunpoint and abducted for days, only to be returned to her childhood home many miles away.

"The police didn't believe her story and came out publicly, accusing her of lying. She and her boyfriend had to fight hard to get justice, but they eventually found the perpetrator and were proved to be innocent victims in all of this. The details of the case, and the police errors that allowed it to get so far, and the injustice caused, were quite incredible and harrowing to research."

Check out this true-crime show because of Grace Cordell. She's the wild card who makes the show stands out from all the other true-crime shows.