Ghosts of 1219

GHOSTS OF 1219 is a psychological horror mystery steeped in scandal, satire, and supernatural dread—where history doesn’t just haunt the present, it wants a starring role. Arty Buckminster is a rising stand-up comic on the cusp of breakout stardom. With an indie hit in the can and a flirtation with serious roles on the horizon, Arty is looking to shed both his weight and his reputation as a funny fat guy. When he discovers he’s distantly related to silent-era comedy giant Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, he becomes fixated on the 1921 scandal that destroyed Arbuckle’s career—and perhaps cursed his lineage. The story of Arbuckle’s Labor Day weekend bash in San Francisco’s St. Francis Hotel, and the suspicious death of actress Virginia Rappe, becomes more than historical curiosity; for Arty, it’s personal. With his film premiere scheduled in San Francisco, Arty’s provocative friend Reid dares him to do the unthinkable: recreate Arbuckle’s party, livestreamed, in the exact hotel suite where the scandal occurred—Room 1219. Arty, intrigued by the dare and the potential career buzz, agrees. Joined by Reid and their mutual friend Norm, a sardonic screenwriter, they rent out the rooms, dress in 1920s fashion, and invite a wave of influencers, scenesters, and fellow performers to what they brand a "tribute-seance bash." They even drive up the coast in a replica of Arbuckle’s 1920s roadster to seal the deal. But this is more than a party. When Arty meets an eerie old man named Conklin, who suggests a long-lost Arbuckle film may be hidden in the hotel, the mood darkens. That film—Fool’s Masquerade—was rumored to have been shot under disturbing circumstances, and whispers claim it’s cursed. Once the guests arrive, the livestream ignites. Hashtags trend. Booze flows. But behind the velvet and champagne, something stirs. Arty begins to notice odd details—patterns in the wallpaper, voices behind doors, reflections that aren’t quite right. Guests begin to echo figures from 1921. And then, Arty glimpses him: a grotesque figure in a too-small bowler hat and ill-fitting suspenders. A cartoonish specter of gluttony and madness. A living caricature of Arbuckle’s “Hayseed” persona—twisted into something demonic. When a rusted film reel is discovered hidden within the walls—Fool’s Masquerade—the true horror begins. Against Conklin’s warnings, Arty screens it. The images are grotesque: grainy vaudeville, blurred faces, ancient rites of violence and debauchery. The line between past and present blurs. The guests fall into fugue states. Reality loops. Elevators return to the same floor no matter what’s pressed. No one can leave the 12th floor. As the demonic “Fatty” stalks the halls with a meat cleaver, Arty must piece together what’s happening. Is it possession? A curse? A supernatural echo? Or a test designed just for him? With Reid, Norm, and Penny—the actress Arty longs for—caught in the madness, Arty uncovers a deeper truth: Fool’s Masquerade wasn’t just a film, but a ritual. Arbuckle’s identity may have been split, his worst instincts summoned and personified in a shadow self. And now, a century later, Arty faces the same fate. Is he destined to repeat history, or break the loop? As bodies fall and timelines collapse, Arty must confront his own demons: ego, envy, pride, self-indulgence. To stop the curse, he’ll need more than clever jokes or viral attention—he’ll need to burn what brought him here, literally and figuratively. Ghosts of 1219 is a genre-blending descent into madness, drawing on the mythos of The Shining, 1408, and The Ninth Gate while offering biting commentary on fame, social media, cancel culture, and the price of reinvention. It asks: when the ghosts of the past go viral, how do you fight for your future? GHOSTS of 1219 This Labor Day, party like it’s 1921.