Haunted Films in Haunted Places | Houdini Silent Short Films @ 7:30pm (Halloween!)
For the daring film viewer only! Join GHOULA and Echo Park Film Center as we brave the haunted ruins of the Bess Houdini estate in Laurel Canyon for a screening of Houdini short films on the anniversary of his death.
You will face mildly daunting parking scenarios... winding roads uncharted by gps...you may encounter uncomfortable seating... you may feel a chill creep across your delicate cheeks as you shiver...and wait... and watch. This film screening is not for everyone....but it is FOR YOU.
Here's a map to the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Willow Glen Road, just one block up from Laurel Canyon and Lookout Mountain. Look for parking on Willow Glen Road (Watch out for the phantom carriage!).
WARNING: The little "A" that appears on the google map is not our exact location....just come to the intersection at Willow Glen and look for us!
WARNING: Do not go to the house that claims to be the Houdini Mansion, we won't be there! We'll be on the ruins of the estate where his beloved wife lived for many years.
Don't forget a chair and/or blankets! See you there...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Haunted Films at Haunted Places!
Date: October 31 (Sunday, Halloween)
Time: 7:30
Movie: "Haunted Silent Shorts"
Time: 7:30
Movie: "Haunted Silent Shorts"
GHOULA is working with the EPFC's Filmmobile to present a series of free outdoor screenings every Sunday in October at a different haunted site. Each evening will consist of a "haunted" movie, guest speaker, a discussion of the location's ghost(s), and maybe some other activities. (Don't forget to bring a chair.)
(Note: GHOULA and the EPFC Filmmobile will only disclose the actual location 24 hours before showtime. So, check out their facebook page for the exact directions to this screening, or just check out the GHOULA site the day before.)
This Sunday's bill will feature selected shorts from the silent era pulled from the EPFC's own collection of films.
Oct. 24th's Screening
It takes more than a little rain to keep these Phantom film fans from our screenings. After being shut down because of last week's rain, this determined group (about 40 people) wasn't going to let it happen again. After a brief presentation about the Griffith Park Curse by author Michael Imlay, and a discussion of the park's many ghosts, the movie played (outdoors) amidst the trees as the the rain drizzled, and the coyotes circled the group. Cheap thrills were then had, in the climax of the film, when a skeleton (plastic) appeared next to the screen. Luckily the evening festivities ended just as the rain started to pour.
The ghosts said to haunt this city park are numerous. From men on horseback to women dressed in white. It is said that these are the oldest ghost stories in Los Angeles with sighting dating back to the 1800's. And even today, it is said that there are so many sightings still, that the ranger's office has a special form just for ghostly encounters.
GHOULA's youngest sinister cinephile.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Sunday's Secret Screening Location!
Location: The entrance to Griffith Park
@ Los Feliz Blvd. & Fern Dell Dr. (map)
(also where an ancient burial ground is said to be)
Come out for our fourth (really the third) free outdoor screening tomorrow (Sun, 0ct 24, @7:30pm) and see "House on Haunted Hill" (the 1959 original) at the base of the actual haunted hill of the title. Also, hear about this local landmark's dark history (and ghost stories) from Michael Imlay, author of the upcoming book "The Feliz Curse: An Early Los Angeles Tale of Ghosts, Greed and Griffith Park."
Note: There is no parking on Los Feliz Blvd or Fern Dell Dr, so try the other neighborhood streets in the area.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Haunted Films at Haunted Places
Date: October 24 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30
Movie: "House on Haunted Hill" (1959)
Location: The original Haunted Hill
GHOULA is working with the EPFC's Filmmobile to present a series of free outdoor screenings every Sunday in October at a different haunted site. Each evening will consist of a "haunted" movie, guest speaker, a discussion of the location's ghost(s), and maybe some other activities. (Don't forget to bring a chair.)
(Note: GHOULA and the EPFC Filmmobile will only disclose the actual location 24 hours before showtime. So, check out their facebook page for the exact directions to this screening, or just check out the GHOULA site the day before.)
This Sunday's movie, "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) is the first of William Castle's Horror "gimmick films." When it was originally screened, a plastic skeleton (sometimes an inflatable skeleton) was hoisted over the audience in effort to scare the patrons. Most of the time, people just threw popcorn at it (but had fun all the same). This trick would later be employed at Disneyland's Haunted Mansion (it's debatable whether it works any better there).
Check this site 24 hours before this event to get directions to the haunted location of this screening.
The last "Haunted Films at Haunted Places" will feature....
October 31th, "Haunted Silent Shorts" @ a haunted 1920's hotel.
October 31th, "Haunted Silent Shorts" @ a haunted 1920's hotel.
Sunday Screening Canceled
Tonight's screening of "House on Haunted Hill" (1999) at the haunted Linda Vista Hospital has been canceled due to the weather. We may have a make-up screening of this film at this haunted location in November. Come join us next week for the original "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) on the original haunted hill (weather permitting). Further details to be announced.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Gambling with Ghosts!
(NOTE: This is not a GHOULA event. This event is organized by our friends at GHOST STUDY LOS ANGELES. GHOULA is just passing the information along to those local ghost enthusiasts, who may be interested in such an event.)
Date: Saturday, October 23
Time: 6:30am - 11:00pm
Location: Buffalo Bill's (& Whiskey Pete's)
Location: Buffalo Bill's (& Whiskey Pete's)
Pick-up location: Parking behind Hooters and the Mariposa,
West Covina, off of Garvey on the 10 fwy.
Admission: $30 a person
Admission: $30 a person
(includes transportation, soft drinks, beer, and snacks)
21 AND OVER ONLY
It will be one big celebration all the way to Buffalo Bill's & Whiskey Pete's (a well known haunted casino). "Whiskey Pete" used to own a filling station in this remote desert outside of Las Vegas. As a side business, Pete sold moonshine, earning him his nickname. He was a cantankerous old miner who died in 1933…though his spirit seems to live on. His body was buried in a secret, unmarked location in the desert sands, until it was accidentally dug up during the construction of the monorail that connects the two casinos. His remains were then relocated to a cave (the one where he made his hooch) in a nearby hill. Ever since then, his ghost watches (while smoking a pipe) over those who gamble in his casino. Many people have also reported finding their cars’ empty gas tanks filled up overnight in the parking lot! Also, the Bonnie and Clyde bullet-riddled "Deathmobile" is on display in the casino. Some folks also believe that the famed bank-robber, Clyde Barrow, haunts this building (especially the area near the gruesome display) as well.
21 AND OVER ONLY
It will be one big celebration all the way to Buffalo Bill's & Whiskey Pete's (a well known haunted casino). "Whiskey Pete" used to own a filling station in this remote desert outside of Las Vegas. As a side business, Pete sold moonshine, earning him his nickname. He was a cantankerous old miner who died in 1933…though his spirit seems to live on. His body was buried in a secret, unmarked location in the desert sands, until it was accidentally dug up during the construction of the monorail that connects the two casinos. His remains were then relocated to a cave (the one where he made his hooch) in a nearby hill. Ever since then, his ghost watches (while smoking a pipe) over those who gamble in his casino. Many people have also reported finding their cars’ empty gas tanks filled up overnight in the parking lot! Also, the Bonnie and Clyde bullet-riddled "Deathmobile" is on display in the casino. Some folks also believe that the famed bank-robber, Clyde Barrow, haunts this building (especially the area near the gruesome display) as well.
After boarding the bus it takes three to four hours of continuous party, we arrive at casino or shops and stay for at least 7 hours, we board bus to come back by 7:00pm. By the time we come back everyone is usually pooped out so we watch dvd movies, or we can continue the party. We should arrive back home between 11:00 and midnight, totally exhausted, but Happy.
Please make out checks to Bobby Garcia or Yvonne Martinez, or give payment to one of the GSLA members, also you can contact Yvonne or Bobby at,
yvonne@ghoststudylosangeles.com
bobby@ghoststudylosangeles.com
or just email us here on facebook.
number to contact: Yvonne 626-374-0331
This is one party you don't want to miss...See you there...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sunday's Secret Screening Location!
Location: Linda Vista Hospital
610 South Saint Louis Street, Los Angeles (map)
Come out for our third free outdoor screening tomorrow (Sun, 0ct 17, @7:30pm) and see "House on Haunted Hill" at this real haunted hospital (like the one in the movie). Also, hear about this local landmark's dark history (and ghost stories) from Sarah Troop of the BHPP (Boyle Heights Paranormal Project).
When this hospital (originally built for Santa Fe Railroad employees) opened in 1904, it may have had a simple design on the outside, but it was all state-of-the-art on the inside. Among the many (then) high-tech gadgets found here were automatic elevators (push-button), automatic fire escapes (using body weight to lower slowly), and automatic wheelchairs (???). Some of the revolutionary design elements used in the construction (and now commonplace) were individually heated/cooled rooms, park lands surrounding the hospital, large interconnected halls on each floor and passages to each building (which created one overall structure), so beds and bath tubs could be rolled easily from any room to any other room. Also, within this maze, the walls were curved at each intersection (to make turning easier for wheel chairs). The Hospital also featured tiled surgical rooms so cleaning could be done simply with a water hose. These features made it the most sanitary and best equipped hospital on the Pacific Coast, and one of the largest hospitals in the country at that time.
Unfortunately, these improvements (as with any hospital) are never enough to keep patients from dying within their walls. In over a hundred years, there has been a lot of death and sadness at this site. So, it is no wonder that just about any kind of paranormal experience that one can imagine has happened within these buildings.
Highlights from Oct's SWS
A ghoul time was had by all. It seems when we do these events in hotels, it's hard to gauge how many people attend, since most people want to explore the haunted hotel. One member said that they were part of a small group that sneaked into the basement. When they heard others coming down a corridor, they hid, until they realized the other group also had GHOULA buttons, and had also sneaked down there as well.
A security guard told us a story that he was once walking down a hall on the 11th floor, when he saw an elderly lady slowly walking toward him. Just as they past each other, he decided to see if see needed help, but when he turned around to talk to her, she was gone. The hall was empty. It is also interesting to note, that a young woman just recently fell to her death from the 11th floor.
One of the waitresses also told us that there is a stairway near the pool, where many employees have heard foot steps when no one was there. Thank you all, who came out to the Biltmore, and we'll see you again next 13th.
(to read more about the ghosts of the Biltmore...)
The Great Million Dollar Ghost Hunt!
A special event hosted by GHOULA (Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles) and LAVA Visionary Nick Matonak immediately following the monthly Sunday Salon at Clifton's Cafeteria. To reserve, click this link (reservations are good for one person only-- each person in a group must sign up individually).
Calling all ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, psychics, sensitives, and those interested in getting a glimpse of the "other side." Whether you are acting alone, or in a team, GHOULA wants you! Whether you are a seasoned pro or this is your first ghost hunt, GHOULA wants you!
If you are up for the challenge, come be a part of the biggest "ecto-experiment" ever attempted in Los Angeles (and possibly the world).
On Halloween (Oct. 31st) @ 2:30pm, the doors to the historic, haunted Million Dollar Theater will open, and everyone will have exactly two and a half hours (til 5:00pm), to document anything "out of the ordinary." From electro-magnetic anomalies to shivers down your spine, if you feel it, witness it, or record it, we want to hear about it, and we want to know exactly where it happened. So bring your EMF meters, your EVP recorders, your cameras, or just yourself.
Each participant will receive their own individual map, which will be used to record the location of any "activity." Please keep your info confidential until after the experiment, to discourage copy-cat contamination.The maps will then be returned at the end of the event to GHOULA.
Based on everyone's data, "hot spots" will be determined and posted online. Then, the actual stories associated with this theater's ghost(s) will be revealed, and compared to the collected data. Those that have devices that need time to be reviewed (i.e. digital recorders, infra-red video, etc.) will have one week (til Nov. 7) to report any additional "places of interest" to be included before our big reveal at GHOULA's monthly "Spirits with Spirits" mixer. The results will be posted the next day @ http://www.ghoula.org/.
For this once in a lifetime opportunity to explore this haunted landmark with others from the paranormal community, a $5.00 donation is requested that will go to help preserve Los Angeles' amazing theaters for future generations to enjoy.
This event will also be limited to the first 100 people interested, and the online guest list will be closed at 11am on Sunday, October 31. To reserve, click this link (reservations are good for one person only-- each person in a group must sign up individually). Good luck.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Oct. 10th Screening
The legendary Count Smokula (the vaudevillian vampire) sang soulful songs of his homeland, Smokeslyvania (with his accordion of death), while standing in front of the San Fernando Valley's most famous Gothic castle. His Svengali-like powers were strong that night as the crowd of 40 sang along and clapped into the night. Then, as the gathered phantom fans hushed, the ghost stories of this local landmark were told. Afterward, the movie Haunted Castle was screened in front of an actual haunted castle.
Castle Park may be a place for family fun during the daytime, but late at night, after the park closes, golfers of another kind appear. According to the night shift, most of the paranormal activity occurs along the northern border of the property, parallel with the southern bank of the Los Angeles River. One encounter involved a giggling little boy, playfully hiding and peeking up from behind the bushes (next to the miniature castle) who vanished when told that the park was closed. Other sightings of this mischievous lad have occurred in the Castle's arcade and the restrooms. Also, a woman dressed in black with her head down has been seen near the fake "haunted house" on the 6th hole of course #3 walking along the fence. She then disappears when a flashlight is shined on her. The origin of these ghosts (as past down through the decades) is that one night, while playing a round of mini-golf, a mother and her child met with an unfortunate end (apparently without any of the staff noticing). The next morning, both were found at the bottom of the central pond with head injuries. Whether these deaths were the result of a tragic accident or foul play is still a mystery. Although no one has ever verified this story, the legend still persists to this day. It is also interesting to note that this tale is not unlike the legend of "La Llorona" ("The Weeping Woman"), the ghost of a crying Mexican mother (dressed in black), who wanders the banks of rivers and other bodies of water in the South-Western United States and Mexico, grieving for her own drowned children. Could there be a connection?
For more info about Count Smokula
(or to buy his CD) go to
http://www.countsmokula.com/
(photos by Kristin Bedford)
Ghostswanted: Putt-Putt Poltergeist
(more info on this haunted location)
Castle Park may be a place for family fun during the daytime, but late at night, after the park closes, golfers of another kind appear. According to the night shift, most of the paranormal activity occurs along the northern border of the property, parallel with the southern bank of the Los Angeles River. One encounter involved a giggling little boy, playfully hiding and peeking up from behind the bushes (next to the miniature castle) who vanished when told that the park was closed. Other sightings of this mischievous lad have occurred in the Castle's arcade and the restrooms. Also, a woman dressed in black with her head down has been seen near the fake "haunted house" on the 6th hole of course #3 walking along the fence. She then disappears when a flashlight is shined on her. The origin of these ghosts (as past down through the decades) is that one night, while playing a round of mini-golf, a mother and her child met with an unfortunate end (apparently without any of the staff noticing). The next morning, both were found at the bottom of the central pond with head injuries. Whether these deaths were the result of a tragic accident or foul play is still a mystery. Although no one has ever verified this story, the legend still persists to this day. It is also interesting to note that this tale is not unlike the legend of "La Llorona" ("The Weeping Woman"), the ghost of a crying Mexican mother (dressed in black), who wanders the banks of rivers and other bodies of water in the South-Western United States and Mexico, grieving for her own drowned children. Could there be a connection?
For more info about Count Smokula
(or to buy his CD) go to
http://www.countsmokula.com/
(photos by Kristin Bedford)
Ghostswanted: Putt-Putt Poltergeist
(more info on this haunted location)
Monday, October 11, 2010
October's SPIRITS with SPIRITS
GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.” All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you.
THE DATE: October 13th, 2010 (Wednesday)
THE PLACE: Gallery Bar, Biltmore Hotel
(506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles) Map
THE TIME 8:00pm to 11:00pm
THE GHOST(S):
When the Biltmore Hotel opened in 1923, it was the largest hotel west of the Mississippi. Five years later they expanded, and built the world's largest ballroom. Everything about this place is big and ornate, from the repeating angel motif carved into the moldings (to represent Los Angeles) to the hotel's nautically-themed health club and indoor pool, which was modeled after the decks of the (famously haunted) Queen Mary. Even the ghost stories are numerous and bigger than life.
Most famously the ghost of legendary murder victim, Elizabeth Short (better known as "The Black Dahlia") has been seen (wearing a black dress) through out the lobby, elevators, and halls of this famous hotel. The bar is said to be last last public place she was seen alive.
There is also a lost little girl that has been seen in the lobby, who vanishes into thin air when staff approach her to help.
There are two ghosts trapped in the basement, a young red-haired woman, and a solemn nun, who probably dates back to the late 1800's when St. Vincent's College occupied this land (which later became Loyola Marymount University). Or, could this be two sides of the same ghost? Could the nun actually have red hair under her habit?
The oddest apparition that has been reported in the hotel is that of a well-dressed male phantom that loiters on various floors, but always near an ice machine. When a hotel guest approaches (and steps around the "man") to fill his ice bucket, he will feel a hand slide into his pocket (as if an attempt to steal it contents or "pick-pocket"). Once caught in the act, the phantom man vanishes into thin air.
Additionally, there is a man in a tuxedo that has been seen by bartenders over the years, but only in the reflection of one of the many mirrors in the bar room. When they look at the actual part of the room where he should be standing (or sitting) there is no one, but when they look back at the mirror, there he is.
There have also been reports of knocks coming from inside the walls. Apparently during a renovation, rooms were combined to create larger suites. In such cases, the extra bathrooms were walled in, instead of removed. So, every now and then, someone will hear desperate pounding on the other side, as if someone was trapped inside one of those hidden rooms.
The most well known ghost story amongst the employees is that of "Mrs. Baker," who it is said lived in the hotel for over sixty years. She apparently had a deal with the management, that she would only pay the prices (including all hotel services, food, and even rent) as they were set sixty years previous, when she originally moved in. This agreement was supposedly written into every contract for sale for every subsequent owner of the property. The legend goes that when she was old and senile, a previous owner (who wanted more money for her suite), unceremoniously moved her into retirement home, where she died shortly there after. Ever since then, her elderly ghost continues to occupy her old suite.
Why do so many of the spirits that reside in the hotel seem to be trapped here?
Is it any mystery that when the film Ghostbusters needed a location for the very haunted "Sedgewick Hotel" (the home of "Slimer"), the location mangers turned to the very haunted Biltmore?
(to see last month's location...)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Haunted Films at Haunted Places (3 of 5)
Date: October 17 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30
Movie: "House on Haunted Hill" (1999)
Location: A real Haunted Hospital
GHOULA is working with the EPFC's Filmmobile to present a series of free outdoor screenings every Sunday in October at a different haunted site. Each evening will consist of a "haunted" movie, guest speaker, a discussion of the location's ghost(s), and maybe some other activities. (Don't forget to bring a chair.)
(Note: GHOULA and the EPFC Filmmobile will only disclose the actual location 24 hours before showtime. So, check out their facebook page for the exact directions to this screening, or just check out the GHOULA site the day before.)
This Sunday's movie, "House on Haunted Hill" (1999) is an odd (but fun) remake of the 1959 classic. In addition to adding more blood in the scenes, the producers inexplicably set the story in a hospital on a hill (as opposed to a "house" like the title suggests). Geoffrey Rush (who must reprise the role created by the great Vincent Prince) delivers his own great scenery-chewing performance that surely would make Vincent Price's corpse smile. It is also interesting to note, that this time around the main character designs theme park attractions for a living. Is this a nod to the influence William Castle (the creator of the original "House on Haunted Hill) had on the development of Disneyland (for more info...)
Future "Haunted Films at Haunted Places" will feature...
October 24th, "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) @ the original haunted hill.
October 31th, "Haunted Silent Shorts" @ a haunted 1920's hotel.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sunday's Secret Screening Location!
Location: Castle Park
Come out for our second free outdoor screening tomorrow (Sun, 0ct 10, @7:30pm) and see "Haunted Castle" at this actually haunted castle. Also, hear about this local landmark's ghost stories in the very place where the apparitions have been seen. Then, after the picture (its a short movie) join us for a round of "Paranormal Putt-Putt." ($4.50 for 18 holes)
The screen will be within Castle Park adjacent to Course #1
This miniaturized merry-land, originally called GOLF LAND II, first dropped its draw-bridge for the public in July of 1975 at a cost of $705,000, and covered five acres of land owned by the city of Los Angeles, but never developed because of its “undesirable nature." Due to its highly visible site at the north-west corner of the intersection of the 405 and 101 freeway (the busiest interchange in the world), most Angelinos know this place even if they have never set foot inside the fanciful oasis. For the uninitiated, this miniature golf kingdom consists of a mighty castle surrounded by three royal courses designed by the putt-putt savant, William Rameson, who not only figured out each hole, but also designed all the fanciful structures. Over the years, it has been the home to various celebrity miniature golf tournaments.
Monday, October 4, 2010
"Haunted" Films at Haunted Places! (2 of 5)
Date: October 10th (Sunday)
Time: 7:30 Movie: "Haunted Castle" (1921)
Location: An actual Haunted Castle
GHOULA is working with the EPFC Filmmobile to present a series of free outdoor screenings every Sunday in October at a different haunted site. Each evening will consist of a "haunted" movie, guest speaker, a discussion of the location's ghost(s), and maybe some other activities. (Don't forget to bring a chair.)
(Note: GHOULA and the EPFC Filmmobile will only disclose the actual location 24 hours before showtime. So, check out their facebook page for the exact directions to this screening, or just check out the GHOULA site the day before.)
This Sunday's movie, "Haunted Castle" is the earliest surviving example of horror pioneer, F.W. Murnau's work (that has been released to video). Of his 21 films, nine are lost, nine are with us and on video and three exist only in archives. At a weekend gathering in a castle, a man suspected of murdering his own brother (but never convicted) shows up suddenly. His brother's widow also shows up with her new husband and resents the man's presence but for reasons other than what we assume. There are family secrets and our anti-hero is here to expose them and the real murderer.
Check this site 24 hours before this event to get directions to the haunted location of this evening's screening.
Future "Haunted Films at Haunted Places" will feature....
October 17th, "House on Haunted Hill" (1999) @ a real haunted hospital.
October 24th, "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) @ the original haunted hill.
October 31th, "Haunted Silent Shorts" @ a haunted 1920's hotel.
(Note: GHOULA and the EPFC Filmmobile will only disclose the actual location 24 hours before showtime. So, check out their facebook page for the exact directions to this screening, or just check out the GHOULA site the day before.)
This Sunday's movie, "Haunted Castle" is the earliest surviving example of horror pioneer, F.W. Murnau's work (that has been released to video). Of his 21 films, nine are lost, nine are with us and on video and three exist only in archives. At a weekend gathering in a castle, a man suspected of murdering his own brother (but never convicted) shows up suddenly. His brother's widow also shows up with her new husband and resents the man's presence but for reasons other than what we assume. There are family secrets and our anti-hero is here to expose them and the real murderer.
Check this site 24 hours before this event to get directions to the haunted location of this evening's screening.
Future "Haunted Films at Haunted Places" will feature....
October 17th, "House on Haunted Hill" (1999) @ a real haunted hospital.
October 24th, "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) @ the original haunted hill.
October 31th, "Haunted Silent Shorts" @ a haunted 1920's hotel.
Haunted Lit!
Meet “Weird Hollywood” in a haunted bar!
(Their "ladies room" is said to be haunted)
Date: October 5 (Friday)
Date: October 5 (Friday)
Time: 8:00pm
Location: Boardners bar
1652 North Cherokee Ave., Hollywood (map)
The newest in the “Weird” series of books is officially out today, this one focusing on the weirdest city of all… “Weird Hollywood.” (including a section on local ghost stories).
This Friday night, writer Joe Oesterle, a number of the book’s subjects, and other special guests will be at the legendary Boardners bar off Hollywood Blvd. to mingle, sign books, and share some of the weirder tales Los Angeles has been host to.
CreepyLA is co-hosting this crazy shindig and we’d love all of our readers to stop by and check out this free event.
Confirmed appearances so far include:
Karie Bible (from Film Radar, and more notoriously rumored to be the Lady In Black)
Scott Michaels (celebrity death expert, owner/operator of Dearly Departed Tours)
Count Smokula (horror host, songwriter)
Dennis Woodruff (yeah, that guy with the cars)
Richard Carradine (GHOULA founder, author of The Park After Dark: An Unauthorized Guide to the Happiest (Haunted) Place on Earth)
Christopher Dennis (Hollywood Blvd.’s “Superman”)
Steve Goldstein (author of LA’s Graveside Companion: Where the VIPs RIP)
Donna Lethal (sassy Hollywood afficionado and writer)
Lynn Garrett (founder, Hidden LA)
David Markland (creator, CreepyLA)
Pending: Angelyne (billboard queen)
Pending: Legendary celebrity interviewer and public access host Skip E. Lowe
More to be added – feel free to check back here for additional updates, or visit the event’s Facebook page.
Karie Bible (from Film Radar, and more notoriously rumored to be the Lady In Black)
Scott Michaels (celebrity death expert, owner/operator of Dearly Departed Tours)
Count Smokula (horror host, songwriter)
Dennis Woodruff (yeah, that guy with the cars)
Richard Carradine (GHOULA founder, author of The Park After Dark: An Unauthorized Guide to the Happiest (Haunted) Place on Earth)
Christopher Dennis (Hollywood Blvd.’s “Superman”)
Steve Goldstein (author of LA’s Graveside Companion: Where the VIPs RIP)
Donna Lethal (sassy Hollywood afficionado and writer)
Lynn Garrett (founder, Hidden LA)
David Markland (creator, CreepyLA)
Pending: Angelyne (billboard queen)
Pending: Legendary celebrity interviewer and public access host Skip E. Lowe
More to be added – feel free to check back here for additional updates, or visit the event’s Facebook page.
Grab a copy of the book at your nearest Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, or directly from Joe at the event.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Oct. 3rd Screening.
As the sun set over the boulevard of broken dreams, a group of thirty people braved the weather, and the narrow, winding roads of the Hollywood Hills, only to abandon their cars and walk up a dirt path to a secret location under the haunted "H" of the world famous Hollywood Sign. Their purpose was to enjoy the magic of cinema (courtesy of the EPFC Filmmobile) on the very spot said to be haunted by Peg Entwistle. The tales of her ghost were shared. David Markland, the creator of Creepyla.com (that night's guest speaker) told those in attendance his favorite creepy places in L.A., as well as the Halloween highlights to look forward to this October. Then, as if it were pre-ordered, the fog rolled in, and the wind whistled, to create the perfect atmosphere just as the movie began.
77 years earlier (at the same time of year), a sad, depressed, possibly drunk, unemployed actress left her home on Beachwood Drive and started walking up the road to the Hollywood sign. On that treacherous hike, that probably took her most of the night, she eventually made it to her destination, the fifty-foot letter "H" at the beginning of the internationally recognized Hollywood sign (then the Hollywoodland Sign). She climbed a ladder that was attached to the backside of the flat metal structure, and leaped to her death once she reached the top. It is thought that she did not die instantly, but instead lingered for hours in the brush below, where her corpse was eventually discovered by hikers. For a short time she was simply known as "The Hollywood Sign Girl," until her published suicide note was recognized by her uncle. Her name was Peg Entwistle. Miss Entwistle's note read
"I am afraid I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain."
When people tell her tale, they always point out the ironic twist that occurred shortly after her death. A letter arrived at her address, stating that she had landed the lead role in a new play about a woman who commits suicide. However, there's seems to be a bigger irony that very rarely is mentioned. This act of desperation over the lack of a show-biz career, ended up making her more famous (or infamous) than any of her working contemporaries. Not everyone can easily name the stars of the early 1930's, but most people know the Hollywood Sign Girl.
Her legend seems to grow with each passing year, and as it does, so do the stories of her restless ghost near the famous landmark. Most people describe her apparition as a young woman dressed in a 1930's style white gown walking along a trail (sometimes dazed). She is most commonly seen by hikers (not unlike those that originally found her body) and dog walkers in the very early or very late hours. Witnesses claim that she is accompanied by the strong scent of the gardenia flower (thought to be her favorite perfume). Some accounts even describe her reenacting her final moments stepping off of the top of the "H" only to vanish as she falls. She seems doomed to repeat the last moments of that last night over and over again, just as we also seemed doomed to repeat those last moments with each retelling of her story.
77 years earlier (at the same time of year), a sad, depressed, possibly drunk, unemployed actress left her home on Beachwood Drive and started walking up the road to the Hollywood sign. On that treacherous hike, that probably took her most of the night, she eventually made it to her destination, the fifty-foot letter "H" at the beginning of the internationally recognized Hollywood sign (then the Hollywoodland Sign). She climbed a ladder that was attached to the backside of the flat metal structure, and leaped to her death once she reached the top. It is thought that she did not die instantly, but instead lingered for hours in the brush below, where her corpse was eventually discovered by hikers. For a short time she was simply known as "The Hollywood Sign Girl," until her published suicide note was recognized by her uncle. Her name was Peg Entwistle. Miss Entwistle's note read
"I am afraid I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain."
When people tell her tale, they always point out the ironic twist that occurred shortly after her death. A letter arrived at her address, stating that she had landed the lead role in a new play about a woman who commits suicide. However, there's seems to be a bigger irony that very rarely is mentioned. This act of desperation over the lack of a show-biz career, ended up making her more famous (or infamous) than any of her working contemporaries. Not everyone can easily name the stars of the early 1930's, but most people know the Hollywood Sign Girl.
Her legend seems to grow with each passing year, and as it does, so do the stories of her restless ghost near the famous landmark. Most people describe her apparition as a young woman dressed in a 1930's style white gown walking along a trail (sometimes dazed). She is most commonly seen by hikers (not unlike those that originally found her body) and dog walkers in the very early or very late hours. Witnesses claim that she is accompanied by the strong scent of the gardenia flower (thought to be her favorite perfume). Some accounts even describe her reenacting her final moments stepping off of the top of the "H" only to vanish as she falls. She seems doomed to repeat the last moments of that last night over and over again, just as we also seemed doomed to repeat those last moments with each retelling of her story.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Sunday's Secret Haunted Location!
The Hollywood Sign is perhaps this city's only true icon (like London has "Big Ben" and Paris has the Eiffel Tower). If you cut to the Hollywood Sign in a movie, it easily establishes the location for any audience. Then again, it does spell it out for them.
This world famous landmark also has a ghost story.
Come out for our free outdoor screening tomorrow (@7:30pm) and hear the Hollywood Sign's ghost story in the actual location where the apparition has been seen.
We will be screening "Haunted Honeymoon" at the end of Canyon Lake Drive, where the trail begins under the Haunted "H." (map)
An easy way of getting there is to take Lake Hollywood Drive from Barham Blvd. in the Cahuenga Pass.
Park on the street, but please be respectful of the neighborhood. See you there!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Real Ghosts with Reel Ghosts!
THE DATE: October 31th (Sunday)
THE TIME: 11:00pm
THE MOVIE: House On Haunted Hill (1959)
THE PRICE: $10.00
Come out and see a movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater!
The Silent Movie Theater is said to be the home of a phantom projectionist and a disappearing/reappearing blood stain in the lobby... (read more)
Real Ghosts with Reel Ghosts!
THE DATE: Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 23, 24)
THE TIME: 9:20
THE PLACE: The New Beverly Cinema
(7165 W. Beverly Blvd.) map
THE MOVIE: Ghost Breakers (1940)
plus second feature Cat and the Canary (1939)
THE ADMISSION PRICE: $7.00
Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about.)
The New Beverly Cinema is said to be the home of a phantom projectionist, and an audience member apparition... (read more)
THE PLACE: The New Beverly Cinema
(7165 W. Beverly Blvd.) map
THE MOVIE: Ghost Breakers (1940)
plus second feature Cat and the Canary (1939)
THE ADMISSION PRICE: $7.00
Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about.)
The New Beverly Cinema is said to be the home of a phantom projectionist, and an audience member apparition... (read more)
Real Ghosts with Reel Ghosts!
THE DATE: October 23 (Saturday)
THE TIME: 8:00pm
THE PLACE: The Alex Theater
216 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale (map)
THE MOVIE: Hold That Ghost (1941)
THE PLACE: The Alex Theater
216 North Brand Boulevard, Glendale (map)
THE MOVIE: Hold That Ghost (1941)
THE PRICE: $13.50
Come out and see a movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater!
The Alex Theater is said to be the home of phantom bride and ghostly couple... (read more)
The Alex Theater is said to be the home of phantom bride and ghostly couple... (read more)
GREYSTONE GHOST TOUR!
FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHT NIGHT
Where: Greystone Park (map)
When: Fridays, October 22 & 29, Saturdays, October 23 & 30
Admission: $25 per person (SOLD OUT!)
Do you have the nerve to join the Park Rangers for a scary night time tour of Greystone Mansion? Learn about the strange activities that have occurred in this deserted mansion. Are the haunting rumors true? Find out for yourself…..if you dare.
Where: Greystone Park (map)
When: Fridays, October 22 & 29, Saturdays, October 23 & 30
Admission: $25 per person (SOLD OUT!)
Do you have the nerve to join the Park Rangers for a scary night time tour of Greystone Mansion? Learn about the strange activities that have occurred in this deserted mansion. Are the haunting rumors true? Find out for yourself…..if you dare.
REAL GHOSTS with REEL GHOSTS!
DATE: October
TIME: Various (check showtimes)
PLACE: Westwood Village Theater
961 Broxton Avenue Los Angeles (map)
MOVIE: The Hereafter (2010)
ADMISSION: $11.50
Your chance to see this movie about ghosts in an actual haunted theater! (Note: this event is not hosted by GHOULA, and is just an event our members should know about. Thus, the event staff may not answer any questions regarding their ghosts.)
The Villiage is said to be haunted by a phantom gunman (to read more about this theater's ghost...)
(for more info on this event...)
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