Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

SUBSCRIBER FREEBIE! The Haunted Hollywood Wax Museum

As we take a few days off to enjoy the holidays, enjoy this Patreon episode from December 2023.
Founded in 1965 by entrepreneur Sapuran “Spoony” Singh Sunder, the Hollywood Wax Museum on Hollywood Boulevard has delighted visitors for decades. Even if the famous wax figures aren’t considered the most artistic, the Museum has a charm that keeps people coming through its doors. The building that houses the Museum used to be an old brassiere and luggage factory, and of course was a front for a speakeasy in the 1920s. So, naturally, it’s HAUNTED AF. Hear the history of Spoony Singh, the Hollywood Wax Museum, and the ghosts that linger among the wax…with suitcases filled with bras!Episode Sources:
“Los Angeles’ Most Haunted Places” by CBS Los Angeles, October 15, 2015, KCAL News, CBS
“Hollywood Wax Museum” by Eduardo Brugman, November 10, 2021, Small Business Development Corporation of Orange County
“Hollywood Wax Museum” website
“Spoony Singh” Wikipedia
“Hollywood Wax Museum” Wikipedia
“Spoony Singh, 83, Dies; Created Hollywood Wax Museum” by Douglas Martin, October 25, 2026, The New York Times
“Spoony Singh, 83; Established Wax Museum” by Valerie J. Nelson, October 21, 2006, Los Angeles Times
“Haunted Hollywood” by Evelyn Ciattei Monica Barge, LA Tourist
“Ghosts of the Stella Adler Theatre” by admin, October 13, 2011, Creepy LA
“An Open Letter to the Worst Wax Museum in America” by Jamie Lee Taete, December 27, 2013, Vice
“Brandstatter brought the party to old Hollywood” by Charles Perry, April 14, 2011, Los Angeles Times
“10 Creepy Places to Visit in Los Angeles” by Harry Stewart, Hotels.comSend us an email:
horrorwoodpodcast@gmail.com
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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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When Tippi Hedren Made the Most Unhinged Movie Ever, aka "Roar" (1981), aka WTF?!

It's a tale as old as time: Girl meets lion, lion moves in, girl gets a few dozen more lions, puts them all in a movie and gets bitten numerous times, fractures a leg, develops gangrene, is nearly scalped, loses all her money, ends her marriage and continues to...*checks notes*...live with lions.
If you'd like to donate to the Roar Foundation, visit https://www.shambala.org/donate_preserve.htm
 
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Episode Sources:
“The Cats of Shambala” The Extraordinary Story of Life with the Big Cats” by Tippi Hedren, Tiger Island Press, 1985, updated 1991
“Fifty Shades of Grrrrrr: The insane story of ‘Roar’" by Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly, Apr 15, 2015
“In 1981, 70 People Were Mauled On The Set Of The ‘Most Dangerous Film Ever Made’—A Biologist Tells The Story” by Scott Travers, Forbes, Feb 19, 2025
“Surviving 'Roar': The Most Dangerous Film Ever Made” by Randolph Sellars, Stage 32, 2014
Review: “Roar” Variety, Dec 31, 1980
“‘Roar’: Cast and crew risked life and limb in the most dangerous movie ever made, 1981” by Bart Bealmear, Dangerous Minds, Apr 14, 2015
Roar website
“‘We were stupid beyond belief to have that lion in our house’: Tippi Hedren reveals her regrets at letting beast share family home” by Tom Leonard, Daily Mail, Oct 17, 2014
“Dakota Johnson reveals grandmother Tippi Hedren, 90, still lives with '13 or 14' big cats” by Alyssa Newcomb, Today, May 24, 2020
“EPISODE 19: ROAR with SPECIAL GUEST JOHN MARSHALL” Frank Mengarelli, Podcasting Them Softly, Nov 6, 2015
“‘Roar’: The Most Dangerous Movie Ever Made” Atlas Media Corporation, 2017
“Before Tiger King, Tippi Hedren was the Tiger Queen of Hollywood” by Brooke Marine, W Magazine, Mar 27, 2020
 
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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
 
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RERUN: "Gremlins" - It's a Wonderful Lizard of Oz in Hell

Hello Misfits! Our lives have been a teeny bit bananas lately so we're taking the week off and bringing back an episode from this time last year. We're talking about the 1984 holiday classic "Gremlins." We've got WWII fighter pilots, inspiration from Playboy, and lots of mice and cockroaches. Who knew?
 
Episode Sources:
“Gremlin Trouble!: The Cursed Roald Dahl Film Disney Never Made” by Jim Korkis
“Creature Feature: The Oral History of ‘Gremlins’” by Alan Siegel, The Ringer, Jun 6, 2024
“Sexual Anxiety? Racism? The Vietnam War? No One Knows What ‘Gremlins’ Is a Metaphor For” by JM McNab, Cracked, May 23, 2023
“The 50 Most Racist Movies” Complex, May 9, 2012
“Roald Dahl, Author of Gremlins Book, Visits The Walt Disney Studios” by Lucas Seastrom, WaltDisney.org, Dec 9, 2021
“Why Gremlins Didn't Use Monkeys To Create The Special Effects” by Gregory Wakeman, CinemaBlend, Jun 22, 2015
“Chris Columbus on why 'Gremlins' is a Christmas movie — and the dark Santa story the studio wanted to cut out” by Kevin Polowy, Yahoo! Entertainment, Dec 18, 2020
"'Gremlins' Writer Chris Columbus on His Hard R, Darker Original Script” by Adam Chitwood, Collider, Nov 24, 2020
All the Right Movies Podcast
“21 Crazy Facts Behind The Making Of The Gremlin Movies” by Christopher Hodges, Screen Rant, Aug 24, 2018
“The True Origin of Disney’s Gremlins” by Jim Korkis, Mouse Planet, Apr 5, 2017
“Protecting the Gremlins” by Jim Korkis, Mouse Planet, Jun 27, 2018
“Gremlins Week: The Evolution Of Gizmo” by Nick De Semlyen, Empire, Jun 30, 2014
“Gremlins' Director Had A Wild Theory For The Mogwai Origin” by Murray Ferguson, Screen Rant, Dec 13, 2021
 
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From the Dark: The Aisling "Tucker" Moore-Reed Story

Aisling "Tucker" Moore-Reed was a young writer and indie-film actress, building her life around creativity and advocacy. But behind the scenes her family was locked in a long, bitter struggle over money and property. When tensions boiled over at the Oregon ranch where her family lived, she became the center of a case that blurred the line between truth, performance, and fear.
 
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Episode Sources:
“Actress Who Played Killer in Movie Fatally Shot Her Uncle in Real Life Amid Family Financial Dispute” by Jill Sederstrom, January 17, 2025, Oxygen
“Horror film actress sentenced to 6 years for manslaughter in killing of her uncle” by KTVL, May 27, 2020, KTVL
“Local author charged with murder allegedly caught with heroin in jail” by Newsroom Staff, January 3, 2020, KOBI-TV NBC5
“Actress playing murderer in film charged in real life for killing uncle” by Lauren Botchan, November 8, 2019, ABC News
“Star of indie horror film charged with real-life murder is focus of Friday’s ‘Dateline’” by Ariel Harmer, December 29, 2023, Deseret News
“'SELF-DEFENSE' Who is Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed and where is she now?” by Ashley Vega, December 29, 2023, The U.S. Sun
“From the Dark” on IMDb
“I Spoke Out About Being Raped and Sparked a Movement at My College” by Tucker Reed, August 13, 2014, Cosmopolitan
“Dateline: Killer Role” Season 29, Episode 44, NBC, Peacock Streaming
“Killer Role - Dateline” Podcast from NBC News
 
Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
 
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*BONUS EPISODE* 'Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse'

We've got a special treat for you today, Misfits! We're chatting with some of the cast and crew from the post-apocalyptic comedy "Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse." It's the end of the world and the zombies are attacking, the robots are invading and a wi-fi signal is nearly impossible to come by. Enter Chef John, who wants nothing more than to get his cooking show on the air and broadcast to the world (what's left of it, anyway).
Today we're talking with writer/director Kyle Weingart, actor Kevin Jack (Chef John) and producer/actor Zuzu Weingart (Laura).
WATCH "CUISINE DE LA 'POCALYPSE"
 
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Creeptastic theme music by:
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The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy of 1942

On Thanksgiving weekend, 1942, the city of Boston was abuzz. Men serving in WWII were home on leave for the holiday, movie star Buck Jones was in town on a war bond tour as well as promoting his two upcoming films, and the undefeated Boston College Eagles were eager to celebrate a surefire victory over their rivals, the Holy Cross Crusaders. However, on the morning of Saturday, November 28, when Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason wrote "This is anything-can-happen day," he had no idea how prophetic his statement would prove to be.
 
To donate to the Cocoanut Grove Memorial Fund, visit www.cocoanutgrove.org or click here.
 
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Episode Sources:
“The Story of the Cocoanut Grove Fire” Boston Fire Historical Society
“The Cocoanut Grove Revisited” by Daniel J. Fleming, National Archives, Fall 2017
“The deadliest disaster in Boston’s history happened 75 years ago. Some worry the city is forgetting.” By Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Nov 28, 2017
“Inside the Cocoanut Grove disaster, America's deadliest nightclub fire that killed 492 people in 15 minutes” by James Pasley, Business Insider, Jan 2, 2020
“Cocoanut Grove Fire – Special Section” Boston Fire Historical Society
“Bob Shumway, last known survivor of the deadly Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire, dies at 101” by Bryan Marquard, The Boston Globe, Nov 12, 2025
Report Concerning the Cocoanut Grove Fire of November 28, 1942, William Arthur Reilly, Fire Commissioner, Nov 19, 1943
“The Cocoanut Grove Inferno” by Jack Thomas, The Boston Globe, Nov 22, 1992
“DEATH AT THE COCOANUT GROVE: HORRORS OF AMERICA'S WORST NIGHTCLUB FIRE” American Hauntings
“Hoofbeats”
“SHAME ON YOU” by Dotty Myles; Vin Parlay Ensemble, Harold Aptt
“Next Tokyo Raid to Honor Dancer” The Brattleboro Reformer, Jan 19, 1945
“The Fire That Changed the Way We Think About Grief” by Eva K. Rosenfeld, The Harvard Crimson
Buck Jones blog
“The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire: A Boston Tragedy” by Stephanie Schorow, Oct 31, 2022
Cocoanut Grove Fire - Special Section, Boston Fire Historical Society
“Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire Survivor Stories” National Fire Protection Association
 
Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
 
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"The Innkeepers" & Its Real-Life Haunted Setting

When director Ti West checked into the Yankee Pedlar Inn in Torrington, CT, he had no idea his accommodations would provide the inspiration for his next horror film. "The Innkeepers," set and shot in the historic building, follows two employees on a quest to explore the haunted location. Life began to imitate art, however, when the film's cast and crew began experiencing spooky events while residing at the inn during production.
 
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Episode Sources:
“Torrington’s ‘Yankee Pedlar Inn’ Considered One of America’s Most Haunted Locations” by Ethan Carey, October 4, 2024, i95: The Home of Rock’N’Roll
“The Yankee Pedlar Inn, Torrington” by Ray Bendici, Damned Connecticut
“Connecticut’s Yankee Pedlar Inn Is Among The Most Haunted Places In The Nation” by Lisa Sammons, August 9, 2024, Only In Connecticut
“Yankee Inn-genuity” by BusinessWest Staff, November 26, 2007, Business West
“Ti West On the Real Haunting That Inspired ‘The Innkeepers’” by Nigel M. Smith, February 2, 2012, IndieWire
“Ti West Believed His Set Was Haunted, So He Made His Next Movie About It” by Riley Presnell, August 28, 2023, Collider
“Haunted Historical Horror: Ti West’s The Innkeepers” by C.H. Newell, September 9, 2015, Father Son Holy Gore
“Q&A: Checking In With Ti West On THE INNKEEPERS” by Michael Gingold, February 3, 2019, Fangoria
“The real-life haunting of Ti West and ‘The Innkeepers’” by Thomas Coll, February 18, 2024, Far Out Magazine
“Yankee Pedlar Inn” from Fright Find
“Torrington's abandoned Yankee Pedlar Inn has a buyer, but the sale needs court's approval” by Sloan Brewster, May 12, 2025, CT Insider
“Torrington seeks $6.9M in grants for environmental cleanup of Yankee Pedlar Inn and other sites” by Sloan Brewster, March 17, 2025, CT Insider
“Torrington officials call hotel extension 'disappointing' as owners secure financing” by Emily M. Olson, February 21, 2024, The Register Citizen
“Torrington takes control of Yankee Pedlar's future with receivership ruling: 'Look at possibilities'” by Emily M. Olson, July 31, 2024, The Register Citizen
“The House of the Devil (2009)” from IMDb
“The Innkeepers (2011)” from IMDb
 
Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
 
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The Murder of Model Linda Sobek

One week before Thanksgiving in 1995, model/actress Linda Sobek disappeared. The last people to speak with her - her mom and her roommates - all said the same thing: that she was headed to a photo shoot. Tragically, she never made it back home.
Linda's case inspired Anthony Zuiker to create the television series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
 
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Episode Sources:
“Linda Sobek: Model Gone in a Flash” by Rebecca Reisner, Forensic Files Now, May 19, 2024
“CSI at 25: How a Guy From Vegas Forever Changed TV” by Jim Halterman, Television Academy
“Jury Convicts Rathbun of Model Sobek’s Murder” by Greg Krikorian & Deborah Belgum, L.A. Times, Nov 2, 1996
“She Was an NFL Cheerleader Who Landed a Role on Married... with Children. Then She Vanished Hours Before a Fitting” by Virginia Chamlee, People, Oct 2, 2025
“Photographer Named Suspect in Slaying of Second Model : Crime: A witness reports seeing Charles E. Rathbun with Kimberly Pandelios about a month before her 1992 disappearance. Her body was found in the Angeles Forest.” By Greg Krikorian & Kenneth Reich, LA Times, Nov 30, 1995
“Friends, Others Offer Complex View of Rathbun : Profile: Descriptions of the top auto photographer, suspected in the slaying of a Hermosa Beach model, range from a nice, social guy to a loner with a temper. Investigators find it equally difficult to pin down simple aspects of his life.” By Eric Slater, L.A. Times, Dec 11, 1995
“Magazine Serves as Memorial to Slain Model Sobek” by Eric Slater, L.A. Times, Jan 27, 1996
“Sobek Family’s Nightmare” by Greg Krikorian, L.A. Times, Oct 27, 1996
“Model’s Body Recovered From Angeles Forest” by Lorenza Munoz & Duke Helfand, L.A. Times, Nov 26, 1995
“`DEATH' PHOTOS FOUND IN SUSPECT'S HOME” The Roanoke Times, Associated Press, Nov 28 1995
“Forensic Files - Season 6, Episode 11 - Photo Finish”
“The Real Murders of Los Angeles - S1, E2 - Final Photograph” - Peacock
“People Magazine Investigates: Crimes of Fashion - A1, E2 - Killing of Linda Sobek”
“Criminalist Contradicts Rathbun’s Testimony” by Greg Krikorian, L.A. Times, Oct 23, 1996
“Rathbun’s Defense May Focus on Victim’s Life” by Greg Krikorian, L.A. Times, Sep 16, 1996
 
Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
 
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