Deathiversary: River Phoenix (October 31, 1993)

𝟸𝟻 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚅𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚋 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗. 𝙷𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚙𝚜𝚎𝚜, 𝚊 𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗, 𝚌𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚢𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙷𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝟸𝟹. (𝚆𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝚘𝚜𝚝) 

Pick up a copy of the zine Dead in Hollywood: River Phoenix (Issue 4)!

25 years ago...

“I don't want to die in a car accident. When I die it’ll be a glorious day. It’ll probably be a waterfall.” -River Phoenix

Halloween marks the 25th anniversary of River Phoenix’s death. At the age of 23, he od’s on the sidewalk outside of the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.

"He’s having seizures! Get over here please, please, 'cause he's dying, please." -Joaquin Phoenix’s 911 call

Screen Shot 2018-10-26 at 10.08.43 PM.png

Deathiversary: Hattie McDaniel (October 26, 1952)

Hattie McDaniel is born to former slaves in 1893. She becomes the first African American to win the Academy Award for her performance in the 1939 film, "Gone with the Wind.” When McDaniel takes the stage at the 12th Academy Awards in 1940, she is the only black woman in the room. The ceremony that year is held at the segregated Ambassador Hotel where Robert Kennedy is assassinated decades later. She appears in 300 films but is only credited in about 80 of them. As historic as McDaniel's win is… it will take nearly a quarter century before Oscar crowns another black actor - Sidney Poitier wins in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field.” McDaniel dies of breast cancer at age 57 on October 26, 1952. In her will, McDaniel writes: "I desire a white casket and a white shroud; white gardenias in my hair and in my hands, together with a white gardenia blanket and a pillow of red roses. I also wish to be buried in the Hollywood Cemetery.” Hollywood Cemetery, now named Hollywood Forever Cemetery, is the resting place of movie stars like Douglas Fairbanks and Rudolph Valentino. Its owner at the time, Jules Roth, refuses to allow McDaniel to be buried there, because, at the time of her death, the cemetery is segregation and will not accept the remains of black people for burial. Her second choice is Rosedale Cemetery (now known as Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery), where she lies today. 

Screen Shot 2018-10-25 at 9.58.53 PM.png