Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

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Film at the Rosenheim Mansion

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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

Patreon Freebie! The Rosenheim Mansion, aka The Murder House

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

12/30/24 • 44 min

*Hey, Misfits! We hope you're having a lovely holiday season. Enjoy this episode we did for the Patreon at the start of this year.

Despite the title, this episode is not as gruesome as it sounds. We're easing into the new year with a little history and hauntings. We've got ghost nuns! We've got demon emojis! We've got...mayonnaise? We'll have some real murdery episodes for you soon. In the meantime, enjoy this story about a historic haunted(?) house.

And if you have your OWN story about a real-life haunted house experience, send it to us! We want to feature you on one of our Misfit Monday episodes. Happy New Year!

Episode Sources:

“In Honor of 10 Years of AHS, Here Are 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Real-Life ‘Murder House’” by Margeaux Sippell, MovieMaker Magazine, Oct. 5, 2021

“We Went to the ‘Murder House’ to Learn About its Ghosts” by Juliet Bennett Rylah, We Like L.A., Oct. 30, 2020

“The Owners of the American Horror Story "Murder House" Are Suing the Sellers for Their Unwanted Tourist Problem” by Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, Feb. 23, 2018

“American Horror Story Murder House: The True Story That Inspired Season 1” by Shannon Lewis, Screen Rant, Apr. 12, 2023

“Horror comes home” by Michael Idato, Sydney Morning Herald, Nov. 10, 2011

“'American Horror Story's Evan Peters: 'It Just Gets Worse’” by Rennie Dyball, People, Nov. 16, 2011

“We went inside the ‘American Horror Story’ Murder House ahead of virtual Halloween event” by Kelli Skye Fadroski, Los Angeles Daily News, Oct. 26, 2020

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WTF with Marc Maron - Macaulay Culkin, Jan. 22, 2018

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

Rerun: Everything You Didn't Need to Know About 'Home Alone'

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

12/09/24 • 102 min

**Misfits, Covid has reared its ugly head over here at Horrorwood HQ. While Kate sleeps for the next four days straight, enjoy this episode from last year's holiday season.**

CW: This episode discusses child abuse, domestic abuse and sexual assault.

You probably weren't expecting a content warning on an episode about 'Home Alone', but this is Horrorwood, remember? The film might be a holiday treasure, but behind the scenes things weren't so jolly. The cast of the Christmas classic seemed to have it all: Arrests? Check. Drug addiction? Check. A murder-for-hire plot? Yep, that too. Get cozy, ya filthy misfits, we're diving deep.

Episode Sources:

Bunny Ears website

“Junior” by Macaulay Culkin, Miramar, Mar. 14, 2007

“Macaulay Culkin to Receive Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame” by Jen Juneau, People, Nov. 27, 2023

“Home Alone secrets revealed in Netflix show ‘The Movies That Made Us’” by Andrew Bucklow, Dec. 4, 2019

“How John Hughes Came Up With ‘Home Alone’” by Lily Rothman, TIME, Nov. 16, 2015

“Chris Columbus Directed Home Alone Instead of Christmas Vacation Because He Met Chevy Chase” by Ira Madison III, Vulture, Nov. 10, 2015

“Holy Cow, Home Alone Is 25!” By James Hughes, Chicago Magazine, Nov. 10, 2015

Reviews - ‘Home Alone’ - Roger Ebert, Nov. 16, 1990

Reviews - ‘Home Alone' - by Owen Gleiberman

“'Home Alone' Is My Holiday Connection To Post-Communist Poland” by Nicholas Mizera, HuffPost Canada, Dec. 24, 2018

“Home Alone in Poland: An Unexpected National Tradition” by Bartosz Staszczyszyn, Dec. 20, 2013

“‘Home Alone’ Actor Devin Ratray Under Investigation for Rape” by Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, Aug. 24, 2022

“‘This is how you die.’ Actor who played Buzz in ‘Home Alone’ faces charges for allegedly trying to strangle girlfriend while in Oklahoma City” by Hicham Raache / KFOR, Dec. 22, 2021

“Devin Ratray, ‘Home Alone’ actor, under investigation for alleged rape” by Chloe Melas, CNN, Aug. 24, 2022

“Home Alone actor’s case headed to trial in Oklahoma County” by K. Querry-Thompson / KFOR, Jan. 19, 2023

“'Home Alone' Dad John Heard Various Narcotics in System ... At Time of Death” Jan. 8, 2018

“HEARD GUILTY OF PHONE MISUSE, TRESPASSING” The Washington Post, Mar. 21, 1997

“Joe Pesci says he got "serious burns" to his head in iconic "Home Alone" scene” by Li Cohen, CBS News, Dec. 1, 2022

“Macaulay Culkin: ‘No, I was not pounding six grand of heroin a month’” by Rhik Samadder, The Guardian, July 18, 2016

“The Talk of Hollywood; It Seems the Father Of the Child Star Is the Enfant Terrible...

Tragedy On Set: "They Died with Their Boots On"

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

01/27/25 • 41 min

*If you'd like to bypass our chatter in the beginning skip to around 6:30.

In the early part of the 20th century Hollywood studios weren't too concerned with minor details like "safety" or "animal rights." It was all about the bottom line. Unfortunately this put countless humans and animals in harm's way, and on the set of the 1941 film "They Died with Their Boots On" (the irony of that title is not lost on us) a total of three men lost their lives. Honestly, we're surprised it wasn't more.

Episode Sources:

“They Died With Their Boots On: overdressed, overblown and so over” by Alex von Tunzelmann, The Guardian, Feb 11, 2009

“Behind the scene of They Died With Their Boots On!” By Dan Gagliasso, The Errol Flynn Blog, Jan 14, 2015

“They Died with Their Boots On (1942)” TCM - articles, by Jeff Stafford

“10 Movie Stunts You Didn't Know Had Killed People: The Cavalry Charge - ‘They Died With Their Boots On’” What Culture

Budlong Genealogy

“Variety Confidential’ Revisits the Errol Flynn Trial That Became a Media Circus” hosted by Tracy Pattin and co-hosted by Matt Donnelly, Jan 24, 2024

“My Wicked, Wicked Ways” by Errol Flynn, 1959

“The history of the unions” SAG-AFTRA

“Mention of Aherns in Newspaper Stories 1930-1940”

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“Man who murdered actress gets 40 years to life” San Diego Union-Tribune, May 15, 2003

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

The Murder of Adriana Piñon

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

04/21/25 • 40 min

As a teenager, Adriana Piñon took night classes in addition to her regular high school curriculum so that she could graduate early and focus on her acting and modeling career. At 17 she landed a gig as a recurring extra on "The Young and the Restless," and after her 18th birthday producers informed her they were upgrading her to a speaking role. Adriana was elated, but tragically someone robbed her of that dream before she got to have her moment in the spotlight.

Episode Sources:

“Death by Fame: The Young and the Jealous” Investigation Discovery, S3, E1, Jan 13, 2025

“Two Held in Killing of Aspiring Actress, 19” LA Times, Mar 31, 2002

“Aspiring Actress Shot to Death in Family Home” LA Times, Feb 02, 2002

“Adriana Piñon Murder: Where are Hugo Ariel Jimenez and Brian Aquino Now?” by Naman Shrestha, The Cinemaholic, Jan 12, 2025

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“Hitchcock’s Controversial Method for Directing Actors” by Hannah Wagner, July 4, 2021, Screen Writing in LA

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

Alfred Hitchcock: Birds, Showers and...Eggs?

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

02/05/24 • 53 min

Alfred Hitchcock was a legendary filmmaker celebrated as the Master of Suspense. His six-decade career produced iconic films, innovative techniques and enduring contributions to the thriller and horror genres. He directed actors with a demanding and unconventional style, aiming for "authenticity." We’re covering Hitchcock’s life, his break into the movie business and his directing style...which was certainly questionable to some.

Episode Sources:

“Rules Actors Had to Follow in Alfred Hitchcock Movies” by Joe Allen, January 27, 2023, Looper

“Arts & Culture: Alfred Hitchcock, English-born American director” by Michael Barson and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britanicca, last updated December 29, 2023, Britannica.com

“Biography” on AlfredHitchcock.com

“Tippi Hedren Recalls Alfred Hitchcock’s Harassment for HBO’s ‘The Girl”” by Mikey O’Connell, August 2, 2012, The Hollywood Reporter

“Alfred Hitchcock” by Biography.com Editors, Published April 3, 2014, Last Updated April 15, 2021, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, The Biography.com website

“Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980)” IMDb.com page

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Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

Haunted Theatres: The Huntington in Boston, MA

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

06/12/23 • 41 min

Since spooky season is right around the corner (we know it's June, but we can dream, can't we?), Kate's got a haunted theatre for ya today. The building that houses the Huntington Theatre broke ground 100 years ago, so you KNOW the place has seen its share of spook. We've got a piano-playing ghost named Leo, a spirit that is super protective of the theatre's hats for some reason, and a multitude of shenanigans by the original founder himself.

Episode Sources:

Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Theatre

“No One Is Alone: Theatre Ghost Stories, Vol. 6” by Russell M. Dembin

“Hauntington theater: Staging two ghost stories - one’s fiction, the other ...?” by Francis Ma

“Theater imbued with spirit of founder” by Eric McHenry

“Ghosts Steal the Spotlight at the Huntington”

Ghosts of Boston Town by Holy Nadler

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Learn more about Justice for Homicide Victims and donate here

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

The Brutal Killing of Dominique Dunne - Part 2

Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

02/27/23 • 52 min

“Something weird is going to happen in this trial. I can feel it.”

Kassi is back in the Pod Suite today as Kate takes us through the aftermath of Dominique's murder and the trial of John Thomas Sweeney. We've got a scheduling mix-up at the church, a violent court outburst, a midday mugging and a Tom Cruise wanna be of a judge. Oh, and confetti.

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE

Receive confidential support by visiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline above, calling their number at 1-800-799-7233, or texting START to 88788.

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Episode Sources:

"Justice: A Father's Account of the Trial of His Daughter's Killer" by Dominick Dunne

Actress Dominique Dunne dies of injuries

"Strangled Actress : Did Slayer’s Penalty Fit His Crime?" by Roxane Arnold

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