The Stories We Tell in the Dark

Adam wraps up the season with Thirteen Women (1932) - the only film of tragic actress Peg Entwistle, more secrets behind the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the real-life viewers who thought Gilligan's Island was a documentary, and Britain's famous "Spaghetti Tree" hoax. Plus: the 1970s CIA rumors surrounding The Exorcist's author William Peter Blatty, and a bonus field guide to the Shinto spirits of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

Before The Exorcist terrified the world, its creator was writing comedy. This episode traces William Peter Blatty's journey from humorist to theologian of horror - his mother's influence, the real 1949 exorcism case, the film's alleged curse, and the true story of the boy who inspired it all. Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:e9f740cd-314f-467b-b11e-3a7e9b936809-6" data-testid= "conversation-turn-4" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Host Adam Charles unpacks the 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the harrowing true story behind it - the 1970s case of Anneliese Michel, a young Bavarian woman whose tragic death followed dozens of sanctioned exorcisms. This is a haunting exploration of faith, suffering, and how Hollywood turns real horror into entertainment for the masses. Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

Take a haunted walking tour of Hollywood with Adam. Along the way, meet spectral projectionists, Marilyn Monroe's haunted mirror, the ghosts of the Roosevelt Hotel, and Peg Entwistle, the tragic actress who walks forever beneath the famous "H." Tour Stops: El Capitan Theatre TCL Chinese Theatre Hollywood Walk of Fame Roosevelt Hotel The Magic Castle Hollywood Sign Movies mentioned: Citizen Kane (1941); Anything Goes (1936, stage musical, later film); The Rocketeer (1991); Aladdin (1992); King of Kings (1927); Thirteen Women (1932); From Here to Eternity (1953). Personalities mentioned: Will Rogers; Joan Fontaine; Clark Gable; Orson Welles; Sid Grauman; Mary Pickford; Douglas Fairbanks; Howard Schenck; Norma Talmadge; Victor Arthur Killian; Charles Wagenheim; Errol Flynn; Carole Lombard; Montgomery Clift; Marilyn Monroe; Suzanne Leonard (Roosevelt Hotel staff); Harry Houdini; Roland B. Lane; Catherine Lane; Peg Entwistle; Robert Keith; Brian Keith; Irene Dunne; Myrna Loy. Other media & pop culture references: All in the Family (1971–1979); Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–1977); The Jeffersons (1975–1985); Kojak (1973–1978); Gunsmoke (1955–1975); Planet of the Apes (TV series, 1974); The Brady Bunch (1969–1974); Family Affair (1966–1971); Hotel California (Eagles album, 1976). Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

A 1978 thriller accidentally supercharges a conspiracy - and a Hollywood icon's life spirals into a true-crime saga. We explore Peter Hyams' Capricorn One - why Buzz Aldrin disapproved, how it was saved by Superman, and how moon-hoax theories grew from fringe chatter to mainstream mania. Then we trace the 2001 murder of Bonny Lee Bakley - and actor Robert Blake's criminal trial. Movies mentioned: Capricorn One (1978); T.R. Baskin (1971); Busting (1974); 2010 The Year We Make Contact (1984); Outland (1981); Timecop (1994); Lost Highway (1997); Baretta (1975-1978); The Little Rascals & Our Gang (1922 to 1944); In Cold Blood (1967); Superman (1978). People mentioned: Peter Hyams; Elliot Gould; James Brolin; Sam Waterston; Brenda Vaccaro; Hal Holbrook; Karen Black; Telly Savalas; O. J. Simpson; Buzz Aldrin; Robert Blake; Bonny Lee Bakley; Christian Brando; David Lynch. Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

Adam explores several strange and chilling tales at the crossroads of movies, music, and true crime. Folk-rock singer Jim Sullivan vanished in the New Mexico desert after appearing in Easy Rider and releasing his album UFO. Iron Butterfly bassist Philip "Taylor" Kramer, a tech pioneer in video compression, disappeared after a cryptic 911 call - his story later featured on Unsolved Mysteries. And Blondie's Debbie Harry, known for her role in Cronenberg's Videodrome, recalls a chilling near-abduction in 1970s New York she later linked to Ted Bundy. Also: Michael Jackson's Brother Randy Kidnapped by South American Guerillas! Links & Extras: Show notes and past episodes: https://magicalmystery.media Follow the podcast for more stories where film, folklore, and the unexplained collide.

What do radioactive fallout, cannibal rats, and a flying turtle have in common? In this episode, Adam explores the dark origins of Japan's most iconic monsters. From the real-life 1954 Lucky Dragon incident - sometimes called the "third atomic bombing" - to the scrapped rat-horror film that accidentally gave birth to Gamera, it's a wild ride through film, folklore, and Cold War fear. Plus: just how big could a real kaiju actually get? Topics include: Godzilla's link to post-war trauma and Shinto beliefs The Lucky Dragon #5 nuclear disaster How a failed giant rat movie led to Gamera Could a real giant monster actually exist? A monster-sized mix of pop culture, science, and the strange stories we tell in the dark. Movies mentioned: Gojira (1954) Godzilla (1956) King Kong (1933) Godzilla Raids AgainKing Kong Vs. Godzilla Rodan Mothra Them! Tarantula The Day the Earth Stood Still It Came from Beneath the Sea Beast from 20,000 Fathoms Gamera (1965) Giant Horde Beast Nezura (unmade)

What's real, what's not, and what the Warrens never told you. Is The Conjuring: Last Rites a true story? What really happened to the Smurl family - and how involved were Ed and Lorraine Warren? What's the real story of Annabelle the Doll? And what happened to Annabelle's handler in July? Visit https://magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message). ========== For our "lost episodes" archive, check out MAGICAL MYSTERY RADIO: INANE RAMBLINGS FROM THE FRINGE.

Content warning: The first segment covers real-life on-air suicides and may be distressing to some listeners. This week, Adam shares a strange and tragic mix of stories: disturbing on-air deaths (one which anticipated Paddy Chayefsky's Network by two years); the real-life pain behind Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's creation of Superman; and a buried Michael Myers (Halloween) backstory from 1979. Real On-Air Deaths - The tragic story of Christine Chubbuck, the Sarasota news reporter who took her life on-air in 1974. - Budd Dwyer, a Pennsylvania politician who died during a press conference in 1987. - How both events shaped the conversation around broadcast delay. - The unplanned early 2000s event that was the final straw for the FCC. The True Origin of Superman - The truth behind the meme that says Jerry Siegel's father was shot. - How Siegel & Schuster created Superman: from pulp zines to the character's evolution in Action Comics #1. - Influences ranging from Gladiator by Philip Wylie to John Carter of Mars, Zorro, and even early Jewish mysticism (Kal-El, Jor-El). - The heartbreaking legal fight that left Superman's creators broke – despite creating the most iconic superhero of all time. The Forgotten Backstory of Michael Myers - The 1979 novelization of Halloween, long out of print, included a mythic backstory tying Michael Myers to Enda, a cursed Celtic killer. - How the novel's folk horror take differs from John Carpenter's minimalist vision. - Why this supernatural twist was buried – and why it might have made more sense than the later convoluted Halloween sequels. Show notes at https://magicalmystery.media

Adam explores some of film's most infamous curses - from Poltergeist and its real skeletons to the eerie disappearance of the man who may have invented cinema before Edison. Also: a FLESH EATERS resurrection, some Hollywood lore, and the show's evolving format. Movies mentioned: FLESH EATERS, POLTERGEIST, THE FIRST FILM (Roundhay Garden Scene/Accordian Player/Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge), THE OMEN, ROSEMARY'S BABY, THE EXORCIST, CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE, DRAG ME TO HELL, CURSE OF THE DEMON, CURSE OF THE MAN WHO SEES UFOS

In this week's episode of Magical Mystery Media, Adam takes you on a strange journey through pop culture, folklore, and forgotten history – starting with the new film Weapons and ending with the real-life boy who inspired The Exorcist. Visit magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message). For archived episodes of Magical Mystery Radio going back to 2016, search "Magical Mystery Radio: Inane Ramblings from the Fringe."

Adam shares memories of working with Troma Films in 1980s NYC, reflects on THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, and solves two internet mysteries: the real origin of the famous time-travel ad that inspired SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED and the photo that inspired SEVERANCE by way of the eerie Backrooms phenomenon. Visit magicalmystery.media for show notes (or to send a message). For archived episodes of Magical Mystery Radio going back to 2016, search "Magical Mystery Radio: Inane Ramblings from the Fringe."

First, the strange case of Elisa Lam, a Canadian student whose bizarre behavior on hotel security footage went viral before she was tragically found dead in a rooftop water tank - eerily echoing plot details from the horror film Dark Water. Adam recounts his personal visit to the infamous Cecil Hotel in L.A. and reflects on the strange coincidences and conspiracy theories that continue to swirl around the case. Then, a look at the true story of Ed Gein, the real-life killer who inspired Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs. Adam shares what made him walk away from scripting the episode - despite the uncanny parallels to Norman Bates and his infamous "mother." Content warning: Discussion includes graphic details of true crime, mental illness, and disturbing real-world events. Visit magicalmystery.media Contact: [email protected]

What if a dream could kill you? We revisit Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the real-life sleep phenomena that inspired it. We explore how Freddy Krueger emerged from Craven's own childhood fears and reports of mysterious deaths among Hmong refugees. We also get into the strange science of sleep paralysis, the folklore of the "Old Hag," the phenomenon of the Hat Man, and the viral mystery of This Man, a face reported in dreams around the world. Shownotes

Blade Runner is more than a sci-fi classic — it's a meditation on memory, identity, and empathy. We explore Philip K. Dick's 2-3-74 mystical VALIS experience, the meaning of the Voight-Kampff test, and why the film still resonates today as a cinematic awakening. Shownotes

From vodou to viral spores, zombies have always evolved with us. In this week's episode of Film on the Fringe, we uncover the real roots of the undead—myth, science, and metaphor. 🧟 Highlights & References: The Last of Us and the real-world science of Cordyceps fungus White Zombie (1932) and the colonial legacy of the Haitian undead Vodou, slavery, and the soul in Haitian cosmology Clairvius Narcisse, Wade Davis, and The Serpent and the Rainbow Romero's undead allegories: race, consumerism, class warfare 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Warm Bodies, Kingdom, Train to Busan Forgotten classics and deep cuts: Raising Stony Mayhall, Pontypool, The Night Eats the World Shownotes

Dr. Atom takes you behind the scenes of JURASSIC PARK—literally. After a personal story of working alongside the filmmakers, we explore the science of cloning dinosaurs, the truth behind amber-trapped DNA, and modern de-extinction efforts using CRISPR and AI. Then we dig into the 19th-century Bone Wars, Victorian dinosaur mania, and Arthur Conan Doyle's THE LOST WORLD. Along the way, we follow a strange fossil trail into the world of young Earth creationism, Cambodian stegosaurus carvings, and fire-breathing beasts from the Book of Job. It's science, history, and myth—all tangled up in one prehistoric narrative. Shownotes

Gremlins on the wing, goblins in the woods, and strange little beings at your window. From WWII aviation lore to Spielberg's unmade alien siege story, this episode traces the evolution of mischievous trickster creatures through folklore, pop culture, and real-life encounters—including the night something came calling in Kentucky. Featured Films: Shadow in the Cloud (2020) Gremlins (1984) Poltergeist (1982) E.T. (1982) The Twilight Zone (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) Amazing Stories ("The Mission") Shownotes

Venture into the murky space between psychological manipulation and the supernatural. Today, we're talking about The Quiet Ones (2014), a Hammer Films horror throwback inspired by one of the strangest real-world experiments ever attempted: the Philip Experiment. We'll unpack how a group of researchers in 1970s Canada set out to create a ghost, explore Derren Brown's Seance as a modern reinterpretation, and finally, discuss whether collective belief can actually influence physical reality. Shownotes

Let's explore The War of the Worlds — the iconic novel by H.G. Wells and the countless interpretations, adaptations, and conspiracy theories it inspired. We discuss: The 2005 Spielberg movie and the 1953 George Pal version The long-forgotten SEQUEL published only a year after the original The 1938 Orson Welles "panic broadcast" Wernher von Braun's alleged warning of a staged alien invasion Project Blue Beam And finally, we ask: What would a real alien invasion look like? The War of the Worlds continues to fascinate because it reminds us of the fragility of our dominion over this Earth. It humbles us with a creeping dread that the universe may be – almost certainly is – teeming with ancient, unknowable threats. Shownotes