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HOLLYWOODLAND

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Hollywoodland is a podcast that takes place at the intersection of Hollywood and True Crime. It's where you'll hear the stories about our most beloved actors, directors, and other icons of movie history through the lens of the crimes that have impacted them. The mysterious death of Brittany Murphy. The obsessive murder of Dorothy Stratten. Woody Harrelson's father's connection to the JFK assassination. The three conspiracies surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death. Steve McQueen's brush with Charles Manson. The indecent arrest of John Waters. Dennis Hopper's easy riding and raging '70s Hollywood. The shocking small town murder that inspired David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Heath Ledger's overdose. Robert Downey Jr. hitting rock bottom, only to stage the greatest comeback in movie history. From the Golden Age of Hollywood to New Hollywood all the way to contemporary moviemakers, Hollywoodland features tales of murder, kidnapping, organized crime, curses, disappearances, prison escapes, and hauntings. You know, the kind of stuff that makes for the best movies.

True to its subject matter, Hollywoodland is a cinematic brand of audio storytelling. Think less of a Ken Burns documentary, and more of a fast-paced, highly transgressive Martin Scorsese film, co-hosted by movie and true crime buffs Jake Brennan and Zeth Lundy. Fully scripted, sound-designed episodes from our archive are released every Monday. These "movies for your ears" are narrated by Jake and feature Double Elvis' edge-of-your-seat audio storytelling. On Wednesdays, we drop brand new "Wrap Party" episodes, a chat-style show in which Zeth responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from listeners, while also talking more about that week's subject and themes (including guest appearances by Jake for weekly recommendations). And then on Fridays, we release new "Screening Room" episodes, in which Zeth deep dives into one film – after which, the audience is encouraged to watch that film over the weekend, and then call or text the show so that we can discuss it further in the following week's Wrap Party.

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Avg 42 min
English

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#43
Today · 33 min
Sharon Tate Pt 2: Rape, Drugs, and Murdering New Hollywood
Sharon Tate’s entanglement with Charles Manson and her husband, filmmaker Roman Polanski, as well as her involvement in some of the long-rumored hedonistic events at her home on Cielo Drive put her at the center of a counter-narrative that explosively disrupts the supposed motive for the Manson family murders. Was Sharon Tate blissfully ignorant of the darkness that had been bubbling beneath Hollywood’s shiny veneer for years? Or is there more to this story than we’ve been told in the past? This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#42
Today · 37 min
Sharon Tate Pt 1: Wild Parties and Dangerous Company
Sharon Tate was a sophisticated beauty who literally stopped traffic when she walked down the street. She began her movie career when America was becoming sexually liberated, and despite the ease with which she was made a sex symbol, she aspired to be respected as a serious actress. Decades later, however, she is perhaps best-remembered as one of the victims found brutally murdered at her Cielo Drive home, the one she shared with her husband, director Roman Polanski. Sharon and Roman welcomed regular guests to that home, including Sharon’s friend, Mama Cass Elliot, who was at the center of the Manson murders and whose actions may be why the motive for the murders that America has come to accept as fact is actually false. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan Group TikTok See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#28
Friday · 41 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – Woman of the Hour
This week in the Screening Room, Zeth is breaking down Anna Kendrick’s 2024 directorial debut Woman of the Hour, which tells the story of serial killer Rodney Alcala appearing as an eligible bachelor on The Dating Game TV show, as seen through the eyes of the show’s “bachelorette,” Sheryl Bradshaw. Plus we make a mixtape inspired by the film with songs by St. Vincent, Aimee Mann, the Kinks, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- Transcript
#28
Wednesday · 52 min
Bonus Episode: TV Party!
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about the Dating Game Killer in the US, the Bullseye Killer in the UK, and just how in the hell serial killers find themselves contestants on TV game shows in the first place. Plus, dirty recs with Jake Brennan for movies and songs about TV, and your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#28
August 24 · 36 min
The Dating Game Killer: Persuasion, Charm, and a Depraved Murderer at Large
Rodney Alcala, AKA The Dating Game Killer, was a depraved murderer who eluded authorities for years. He hid his true identity behind charm and persuasion. He worked as a summer camp counselor while on the lam for the savage assault of an eight-year-old girl. He convinced his parole officer to let him take a vacation to the other side of the country, where he proceeded to commit another of his many murders. While New Yorkers were watching their backs for the Son of Sam in the summer of ’77, he killed again. And at the height of his killing spree, he managed to star in one of the creepiest moments in Hollywood history as a contestant on a popular television game show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#44
August 21 · 40 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – The Fisher King
This week in the Screening Room, Zeth is breaking down Terry Gilliam’s 1991 film The Fisher King, starring Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, and Amanda Plummer. Plus we make a mixtape inspired by the film with songs by Simon & Garfunkel, The Smiths, Queens of the Stone Age, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#44
August 19 · 51 min
Bonus Episode: The Robin Williams Flow State of Mind
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about flow states, improvisation, stolen jokes, and the late, great Robin Williams. Later in the episode, Disgraceland’s Jake Brennan joins to give flow state-themed movie and music recommendations. Plus, your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#44
August 17 · 36 min
Robin Williams: A Manic Mind at Breakneck Speed, an Addiction to Laughter, and the Devil’s Dandruff
Robin Williams’ manic mind moved at such a breakneck speed that cocaine had the opposite effect than it had on most other people: it slowed him down. Robin’s primary addiction, however, wasn’t cocaine. He was addicted to the dopamine rush of being on a stage, where he could let his mind run wild with free association, and be rewarded with uproarious laughter. He was addicted to proving himself as a dramatic actor, even if that meant attempting to trigger his own mental breakdown by running in place for hours. And when he died tragically at the age of 63, the cause of his death was surprisingly not what anyone suspected. It still isn’t. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide. If you're thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#4
August 14 · 37 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – Star 80
This week in the Screening Room, Dr. Lundy is conflicted on how he feels about Bob Fosse’s 1983 film Star 80, starring Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts. Plus we make a mixtape inspired by the film with songs by the J. Geils Band, the Mountain Goats, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#4
August 12 · 54 min
Bonus Episode: The Death of a Unicorn
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about director Peter Bogdanovich and his disgraceful behavior following the murder of 20-year old model and actress Dorothy Stratten in 1980. Later, Jake Brennan of Disgraceland joins to give private investigator-themed movie and music recommendations. Plus, your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#4
August 10 · 33 min
Dorothy Stratten: A Playboy Pinup, a Private Investigator, and a Chilling Murder
From Dairy Queen counter girl to Playboy pinup to murder victim – in just two years. Hugh Hefner called her the next Marilyn Monroe. A major Hollywood director wrote a role in his new film just for her, confident that she would make the leap from centerfold to starlet. But all of that was cut short on August 14, 1980, when a private investigator stumbled upon a brutal murder scene that shook the entertainment industry to its core. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#2
August 7 · 37 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – River of No Return
This week in the Screening Room we’re taking a ride down a raging river with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum while talking about the 1954 Otto Preminger film ‘River of No Return.’ Plus we make a mixtape inspired by the film with songs by Taj Mahal, David + David, the Escape Club, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#2
August 5 · 1 hr
Bonus Episode: Marilyn Monroe’s Disclosure Day
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about the conspiracy theories that continue to surround Marilyn Monroe’s death – including a wild one about Roswell and UFOs and another that a new TV show produced by TMZ attempts to prove. Later, Jake Brennan of Disgraceland joins to give UFO-themed movie and music recommendations. Plus, your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#2
August 3 · 30 min
Marilyn Monroe (Part 2): The Three Deaths of an Iconic American Actress
The conspiracy theories surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962 continue to entertain the imaginations of those obsessed with celebrity and scandal. The stories, many of them fantastical and one of them true, feature cameos by the likes of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford. Somewhere in the pile of countless rumors, innuendos, and crackpot theories is a closer understanding of exactly what happened and why the world lost its most iconic American actress at the young age of 36. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#1
July 31 · 39 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – Niagara
This week in the Screening Room we’re talking about delayed honeymoons, tourist traps, murder plots, Marilyn Monroe’s first top billing, and the 1953 Henry Hathaway film ‘Niagara.’ Plus we make a mixtape inspired by the film with songs by Big Star, The Hollies, L7, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#1
July 29 · 53 min
Bonus Episode: The Problem with Biopics
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about Marilyn Monroe at 100, and why Hollywood has yet to make a definitive Marilyn biopic. Later, Double Elvis Head of Production Matt Beaudoin joins to talk more about music and movie biopics. Plus, your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#1
July 27 · 34 min
Marilyn Monroe (Part 1): Who killed Marilyn? JFK? RFK? The KKK? Probable Suicide and a Conspiracy Theory That Won’t Quit
Marilyn Monroe is one of the greatest Hollywood stars of all time. She rose from orphan to icon by creating an on screen character America could not peel their eyes away from. And she did it all while battling anxiety, depression and addiction. Along the way she bedded, married, and otherwise conquered America’s most impressive men — Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, Frank Sinatra and President John F. Kennedy to name a few. And her relationship with JFK and his younger brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, would prove disastrous and result in long-running rumors and conspiracy theories about her death that are as hard to debunk as they are to dismiss. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#22
July 24 · 35 min
Bonus Episode: The Screening Room – I Shot Andy Warhol
This week in the Screening Room we’re talking about manifestos, art movements, outsiders, would-be societies, and the 1996 film ‘I Shot Andy Warhol.’ Plus another Hypothetical Theoretical Metaphorical Potentially Possible Mixtape with songs by Swamp Dogg, Pet Shop Boys, Lou Reed, and more. Become an All Access member and get ad-free listening by visiting disgracelandpod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#22
July 22 · 58 min
Bonus Episode: The Mystical Magical Odyssey
In this week’s Wrap Party, Zeth is talking about the new Christopher Nolan film, The Odyssey, the appeal of its otherworldly nature, and the IMAX dilemma. Later, Disgraceland’s Jake Brennan joins to give music and movie recommendations inspired by art. Plus, your voicemails, texts, and emails. Become an All Access member today by visiting disgracelandpod.com. Check out our archive for more great stories, like our episode on George Reeves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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#22
July 20 · 37 min
Andy Warhol: Fame, the Future, and Back from the Dead
Andy Warhol was the first artist to achieve rock star status. He was a Beatle with a silkscreen printer. His work and play space, the Factory, attracted people of all ages; rich and poor, straight and gay, sane and…not so sane. It was in the Factory that he was shot by a would-be assassin. He was rushed to a hospital and pronounced clinically dead. But Andy Warhol's second life began the moment he was resurrected on an operating table. As soon as his heart began to beat again, he became a true cultural icon – bigger than his paintings or his Polaroids or his experimental films, bigger than life itself. Andy Warhol became the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Showing 1–20 of 23 episodes