Fascination Angelo D'Agostino

What do Tennessee Williams and Herodotus have in common? The story of a woman named Nitocris, a pharaoh, a queen - perhaps entombed or created by folklore itself...but a legend passed on through generations. While disputed (and some would say disproved) it wouldn't be the first time a patriarchal system tried to erase a woman from history completely.

What is it they say about revenge being best served cold...well, it must have been on the menu - this is a story about a royal banquet where the guests got tanked...literally.

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"Did you ever hear of the phantom train?"

On Saturday September 6th 1879, readers of The Wichita Kansas Herald were treated to a good ol' fashioned ghost story. What set it apart (aside from it being published and republished nationwide) was the type of ghost, the central character to an old railroad switchman's tale - a phantom train. Not just any train, the funerary train of arguably the most important person in United States History...President Abraham Lincoln.

As mentioned in the introduction, there is an amazing book by author Peter Manseau entitled; The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and the Man Who Captured Lincoln’s Ghost. The book explores the influence (and importance) of photography in this particular era - and while unrelated to this particular story, it illuminates a confluence of cultural, technological and sociological factors that might help explain it...

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As the summer fades and the promised autumnal chill comes creeping, we're reminded of the ghoulish traditions of Halloween...

Do you know the Irish tale of Stingy Jack? Before you place a candle in your gourd this year...come with me to a sleepy village in the 1700's - where a miserly old blacksmith, with pint in hand and prank in mind - unwittingly seals his fate, forever.

Park your PSL and gather 'round for a fully realized retelling of the story - a story where we learn that the Devil doesn't always make you do it - when you do it to yourself.

Special thanks to actor Mark Manning for voicing the authentically Irish - Stingy Jack.

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As Charlie Chaplin once said of Valentino, he was; "...now one of the immortals..."

Thirteen years after arriving in America, "The Great Lover", Hollywoods first Matinee Idol, was struck down at the height of his fame. At just thirty-one years old, the mononymous Italian actor had burned through the hearts of millions - and dismantled the foundation of American masculinity.

Unlucky in his own pursuits with love, professionally Valentino was poised for even greater heights, but some believe his fate was sealed when he purchased a jinxed ("cursed") ring - one he wore for a film that would become the worst flop of his career.

Was beauty actually the curse that plagued him? Was it the ring that ushered in such swift misfortune? Did the death and tragedy that followed the passing of his fabled "Destiny Ring" wreak supernatural havoc among those who wore it...or were they all just a series of dark coincidences?

S2 Ep 1 - The Curse of Valentino

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©℗2021 Pickle & Pie Productions

Introducing Season Two!

Your host Angelo D'Agostino is back with all the sizzling details this second season has to offer...

Okay, so an entire season dedicated to Marilyn Monroe wasn't your bag? Yah, we heard you...we heard you (sheesh)!!! Hold onto your hats and pigtails, because THIS season, we're switching gears and going full-on episodic! That's right, individual episodes dedicated to the weird, wonderful and fascinating (of course). It all kicks off with the season premiere "The Curse of Rudolph Valentino"

It was 1962 and Marilyn Monroe was en route to Mexico City. Landing to a flurry of activity, it was announced that day, she'd been awarded a Golden Globe and would be presented with the honor at the awards show that season...

The trip, initially meant to be a quick, necessary getaway to purchase furniture and décor for her new home - evolved into a prolonged celebration. Her first night in CDMX, a cocktail reception was held in her honor at the Continental Hilton Hotel, in the following days she visited Luis Buñuel on the set of “El Angel Exterminador” (The Exterminating Angel), lunched with legendary film star Silvia Pinal, attended a party given by Emilio “El Indio” Fernández and spent time visiting local orphanages.

It was on this trip that she met a young, handsome, wiry screenwriter named Jose Bolaños. A bit of a playboy, Bolaños was married Italian actress Venetia Vianello, but his whirlwind affair with Monroe would forever be a part of his own legacy…Having died in 1994, Bolaños was relatively quiet about his relationship with the star, especially after her death. Hardly any interviews exist today - but I've managed to piece together a full narrative of his story with Marilyn, gratefully assisted by actor Bernardo Vega.

Visit @bervega on Instagram to see more of his work.

This Season One Finale brings a quiet end to our look at Marilyn Monroe. Massive thanks to everyone who gave their time and talents to help me bring this story to life.

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