This story first appeared in the Oct. 24 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach's public-records lawsuit against the Beverly Hills Police Department over access to its case file about murdered film publicist Ronni Chasen raises new questions about the 2010 homicide investigation. (The Bhpd ruled the case closed after suspect Harold Martin Smith killed himself in a Hollywood flophouse; alternative theories persist that he didn't act alone.) Read more Ronni Chasen Legal Fight: Police May Turn Over Limited Files for Documentary Film An Oct. 6 brief filed by Katzenbach in L.A. Superior Court before
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- 10/15/2014
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant has ordered a hearing date in the ongoing legal fight between the Beverly Hills Police Department and filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach over access to the case file of murdered film publicist Ronni Chasen. The move comes five months after the L.A. County Coroner released Chasen's long-sealed autopsy at Katzenbach's behest and against the Bhpd's wishes as part of a related lawsuit. Katzenbach is working on 6:38: The Death of Ronni Chasen, a documentary about the prominent Hollywood figure's highly publicized November 2010 death. She was fatally shot in her Mercedes-Benz
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- 5/28/2014
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A filmmaker is a step closer to revealing new details of the investigation into the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. During a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, Beverly Hills Police Department attorney T. Peter Pierce told Judge James C. Chalfant that his client would share some documents related to its handling of the Chasen murder case -- just not anything about how the investigation itself went down. Documentary filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach, currently working on 6:38: The Death of Ronni Chasen, sued the department for the case file in November, citing the California Public Records Act. He maintains that
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- 3/20/2014
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beverly Hills authorities plan to fight a documentary filmmaker’s lawsuit seeking all police records in the slaying of publicist Ronni Chasen, re-asserting that the records are “exempt from disclosure” and denying that keeping them under seal is a violation, according to legal documents obtained Tuesday by TheWrap. Ryan Katzenbach, who is working on a film about the veteran publicist and awards season consultant’s murder, sued investigators for access to Chasen’s case on Nov. 13. Last week, he dismissed two defendants – the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office and its deputy chief Ed Winter – after they made her autopsy report public late Thursday.
- 12/17/2013
- by Josh Dickey and Pamela Chelin
- The Wrap
The city of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Police Department have filed a motion to remove the judge considering whether to force them to make public the homicide investigation file of publicist Ronni Chasen. The filing comes just days after the L.A. County Coroner's Office released Chasen's autopsy Thursday, more than three years after she was gunned down while driving through Beverly Hills. That document was finally made public to settle part of a lawsuit filed by filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach, who's investigating the killing for a documentary called 6:38: The Death of Ronni Chasen. (An Indiegogo financing campaign is
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- 12/16/2013
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The L.A. County Coroner's Office released the autopsy of Ronni Chasen Thursday, more than three years after the movie publicist was gunned down while driving through Beverly Hills. The document was finally made public to settle part of a lawsuit filed by filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach, who's investigating the killing for a documentary called 6:38: The Death of Ronni Chasen. (An Indiegogo financing campaign is currently underway.) Katzenbach spoke to The Hollywood Reporter Friday about his public records victory, the revelations within the document and the unanswered questions surrounding Chasen's death and the man police said committed the crime, Harold Martin
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- 12/14/2013
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ronni Chasen’s autopsy report reveals that first responders found her barely breathing and emergency surgeons’ desperate attempt to save her life — but the document otherwise provides scant insight into her killing. According to the report, EMTs were dispatched within 3 minutes and arrived on the scene inside of 10 minutes. They found no pulse but did indicate that Chasen was breathing — if barely. She was intubated and operated on at Cedars-Sinai, but pronounced dead minutes later. Ryan Katzenbach, the documentary filmmaker who sued investigators for access to Chasen’s case files has dismissed two defendants – the Los Angeles County...
- 12/13/2013
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
A documentary filmmaker is suing the Beverly Hills Police Department for access to case files in the murder of Ronni Chasen, the longtime Hollywood publicist who was gunned down three years ago on her way home from an after-party following the premiere of “Burlesque.” According to a court document obtained by TheWrap, Ryan Katzenbach wishes to see the entire file for his documentary “6:38,” a reference to the amount of time between Chasen’s final cell phone call and the moment authorities arrived to find her shot to death in her car on Nov. 16, 2010. Also read: Police Close Ronni Chasen Case.
- 11/14/2013
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
Access to the slain publicist's case pits a documentary filmmaker against Beverly Hills police as alternate theories continue to surround her 2010 murder.This story first appeared in the Nov. 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
Exactly three years after Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was gunned down as she drove home from a movie premiere, the saga is taking a new legal turn. Documentary filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach has sued the Beverly Hills Police Department in a battle over access to its case files pertaining to the Nov. 16, 2010, murder of Chasen. Police later tracked down suspect Harold Martin Smith, a 43-year-old ex-convict, who committed suicide when confronted at a flophouse in Hollywood. But Katzenbach believes there remain unanswered questions pertaining to the homicide. He is seeking to review the full investigation file for his Ed Asner-narrated project, 6:38, titled in reference to the time that elapsed between Chasen's final cell phone call and the arrival of police.
Exactly three years after Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was gunned down as she drove home from a movie premiere, the saga is taking a new legal turn. Documentary filmmaker Ryan Katzenbach has sued the Beverly Hills Police Department in a battle over access to its case files pertaining to the Nov. 16, 2010, murder of Chasen. Police later tracked down suspect Harold Martin Smith, a 43-year-old ex-convict, who committed suicide when confronted at a flophouse in Hollywood. But Katzenbach believes there remain unanswered questions pertaining to the homicide. He is seeking to review the full investigation file for his Ed Asner-narrated project, 6:38, titled in reference to the time that elapsed between Chasen's final cell phone call and the arrival of police.
- 11/13/2013
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A version of this story first appeared in the March 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. A documentary about the 2010 murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen could be coming to TV next year. Story: Ronni Chasen Remembered Ryan Katzenbach, an ad exec who has directed a trio of self-distributed docs on the 1974 Amityville killings, tells THR he’s working on 6:38: The Death of Ronni Chasen, a reference to the time between Chasen’s last cell-phone call and the response by the Beverly Hills police. Chasen was shot to death in her Mercedes-Benz while driving home on
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- 3/13/2013
- by Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One film that we're kinda "on the fence" about is director Ryan Katzenbach's documentary Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders which is set to release in (3) 2-hour parts beginning in December of this year. 'Shattered' has been nearly 6 years in the making and features nearly 20 interviewees who share their stories about life in the DeFeo home, the crime, investigation, and every other aspect associated with the case that s…...
- 10/30/2011
- Horrorbid
The first in a series of teasers for Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders has arrived at our desks, and we'd figured we'd share before the voices in our heads demand that we start doing evil things at 3:15 am.
From the Press Release
Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders documentary has launched a new series of teasers this week under a campaign dubbed "Revealed." Each teaser -- a total of approximately 10 -- features interviewees from Part I of the 3-part, 6-hour trilogy which documents the story behind the infamous DeFeo mass murder in November 1974. Each teaser tells an interesting and often new facet of the DeFeo story.
Part I, "From Horror To Homicide," is the first 2-hour installment, which is scheduled to release in early December. Part II ["Mob, Mayhem...Murder"] will follow within a few months of Part I, with Part III ["Forensics and Fraud"] -- the...
From the Press Release
Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders documentary has launched a new series of teasers this week under a campaign dubbed "Revealed." Each teaser -- a total of approximately 10 -- features interviewees from Part I of the 3-part, 6-hour trilogy which documents the story behind the infamous DeFeo mass murder in November 1974. Each teaser tells an interesting and often new facet of the DeFeo story.
Part I, "From Horror To Homicide," is the first 2-hour installment, which is scheduled to release in early December. Part II ["Mob, Mayhem...Murder"] will follow within a few months of Part I, with Part III ["Forensics and Fraud"] -- the...
- 10/29/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
One film that we haven't really talked about too much is Ryan Katzenbach's documentary entitled Shattered Hopes: The True Story Behind The Amityville Murders. The film, which was 10 years in the making, began shooting in 2006. Shattered Hopes takes a look at the DeFeo murders that inspired 1979 film The Amityville Horror. Katzenbach understands Hollywood's desire to rehash films, but he's convinced that they no longer know how to put out a…...
- 10/14/2011
- Horrorbid
Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders , that indie "Amityville" film we told you about in August, has a poster. This exhaustive three-part "documentary" by Ryan Katzenbach (based on Rick Osuna's book "The Night the DeFeos Died") is scheduled for release sometime in 2012. A sneak peek of the first installment in L.A. is scheduled for November. Keep tabs on the film's Facebook page (linked above) for more details. There you can see the filmmakers are keeping it classy by teasing the fact Dimension's new Amityville film has been delayed. Ah, gotta love competition, especially over a subject that has been bled dry. If you missed the trailer for Shattered Hopes , I suggest you see this previous news item .
- 10/14/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
A haunting bit of eye candy for the upcoming Amityville themed docudrama Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders has landed on our desks harder than a giant red-eyed pig along with some equally unusual release news.
From the Press Release
The wait for Shattered Hopes, a documentary trilogy five years in the making, is almost over. Part I of the film, at just under 2 hours, is heading to DVD before the end of November 2011, says producer, writer and director Ryan Katzenbach.
Additionally, the general public will get an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the installment, entitled "From Horror To Homicide", on the 37th anniversary of the mass murder of the DeFeo family, November 13. The matinee screening will be held at a small venue in Los Angeles with details to follow. The screening was slated for October 30, but had to move because of a schedule conflict.
From the Press Release
The wait for Shattered Hopes, a documentary trilogy five years in the making, is almost over. Part I of the film, at just under 2 hours, is heading to DVD before the end of November 2011, says producer, writer and director Ryan Katzenbach.
Additionally, the general public will get an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the installment, entitled "From Horror To Homicide", on the 37th anniversary of the mass murder of the DeFeo family, November 13. The matinee screening will be held at a small venue in Los Angeles with details to follow. The screening was slated for October 30, but had to move because of a schedule conflict.
- 10/14/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Tucker and Dale are gearing up to fight evil, but thankfully they've got some help from comic book artist Tony Moore. The "Walking Dead" co-creator supplied this fantastic poster for "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil," which debuted exclusively over at our brother blog Splash Page earlier today. Click the teaser below to see the full poster:
Sink your teeth into the rest of this week's horror news after the jump!
Universal's Halloween Gets Horrifying
Lady Luck has seen better days in a new promo for Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. The director for the haunted house, scarezone, and live show extravaganza delivers a message about the new attractions for this year's event. Halloween experts have crafted scenes from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, "The Thing", and more. Your luck begins to run out on September 23, but you have until October 31 to pay your debt. Dig into the teaser trailer for more haunted shenanigans.
Sink your teeth into the rest of this week's horror news after the jump!
Universal's Halloween Gets Horrifying
Lady Luck has seen better days in a new promo for Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. The director for the haunted house, scarezone, and live show extravaganza delivers a message about the new attractions for this year's event. Halloween experts have crafted scenes from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, "The Thing", and more. Your luck begins to run out on September 23, but you have until October 31 to pay your debt. Dig into the teaser trailer for more haunted shenanigans.
- 9/1/2011
- by Alison Nastasi
- MTV Movies Blog
There is another Amityville movie on its way, but this one will be different. Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders will be a docudrama about the tragedy that happened to the Defeo family. The film asks the question did Ronald “Butch” Defeo really take a rifle and kill his whole family? Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders is written, directed and produced by Ryan Katzenbach, narrated by Edward Anser and stars Jon Huybrecht, Jon Southwell, Susannah Hart Jones. The docudrama is based on the book “The Night the Defeo’s Died” by Ric Osuna. Additional research, interviews with medical examiners, investigators and additional material will be shown in the film.
- 8/30/2011
- Best-Horror-Movies.com
It’s a tad ridiculous at the sheer number of Amityville films shooting or prepping right now. Hell, I can’t even keep track on which I’m posting or have posted! And it’s time to add another. This one, despite my silly news title, actually sounds neat. Most films have focused on the Lutz family, but Ryan Katzenbach’s new film, Shattered Hopes – The True Story of the Amityville Murders, is a docudrama concerning the tragedy that befell the Defeo family.
Narrated by Edward Asner and starring Jon Huybrecht, Jon Southwell, Susannah Hart Jones, and a host of real life medical examiners and investigators, Shattered Hopes – The True Story of the Amityville Murders is looking to prove that truth can be way more terrifying than fiction. Cool.
Check out the trailer below from Dread Central:
Click here to visit the official site and “like” the film on Facebook.
Narrated by Edward Asner and starring Jon Huybrecht, Jon Southwell, Susannah Hart Jones, and a host of real life medical examiners and investigators, Shattered Hopes – The True Story of the Amityville Murders is looking to prove that truth can be way more terrifying than fiction. Cool.
Check out the trailer below from Dread Central:
Click here to visit the official site and “like” the film on Facebook.
- 8/30/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
Another week. Another Amityville movie ... however, this one has our attention for different reasons. Instead of focusing on whatever happened the night the Lutz family fled, Ryan Katzenbach's new film, Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders, is a docudrama concerning the tragedy that befell the Defeo family.
Narrated by Edward Asner and starring Jon Huybrecht, Jon Southwell, Susannah Hart Jones, and a host of real life medical examiners and investigators, Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders is looking to prove that truth can be way more terrifying than fiction. Look for more on this one soon. In the interim check out the lengthy trailer below.
Can't get enough? Visit the official Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders website, and "like" Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders on Facebook!
Synopsis
On A Cold November...
Narrated by Edward Asner and starring Jon Huybrecht, Jon Southwell, Susannah Hart Jones, and a host of real life medical examiners and investigators, Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders is looking to prove that truth can be way more terrifying than fiction. Look for more on this one soon. In the interim check out the lengthy trailer below.
Can't get enough? Visit the official Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders website, and "like" Shattered Hopes - The True Story of the Amityville Murders on Facebook!
Synopsis
On A Cold November...
- 8/30/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Because one Amityville-related project in-the-works isn't enough, a few more are popping up on the horizon. Two are in development, another one...well, it's shot. It's called Shattered Hopes: The True Story of the Amityville Murders and a teaser has hit the web via the film's official site. Ryan Katzenbach teamed with Ric Osuna, author of the 2002 book "The Night The DeFeos Died," teamed for the film and this union is recounted in great, trivial detail (did we need to know they were having dinner in Las Vegas when they hatched their plan?) right here . Apparently, if this is ever released, the film will be four hours long...in case you haven't wasted enough hours watching the many, many Amityville films that have come before this one.
- 8/30/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
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