Indie filmmaker and occasional actor Eli Roth, one of the Splat Pack, a loose collection of filmmakers known for their gleefully gory and ultra-violent low-budget horror films, has put his dramatically sited home in the Hollywood Hills up for grabs at close to $3.5 million. The horror genre specialist— his film “Cabin Fever” was the highest grossing horror film of 2003, though the franchise’s fourth installment in 2016, which he co-wrote and executive produced, was a dud — purchased the updated 1920s Tudor just over 13 years ago for $2.54 million.
Set on a rare doublewide parcel in the foothills near the mouth of Laurel Canyon, and cleaved to a precipitous slope amid verdant foliage where it benefits from tons of natural light and expansive views over the city, the slightly shy of 3,500-square-foot faux-timbered Tudor combines vintage charm, relaxed sophistication and a plethora of modern-day creature comforts. Listed with Darian Robin at The Agency, the three-bedroom and three-and-a-half-bath home has dark and lustrous, ashy-brown hardwood floors throughout, traditional ceiling moldings and multiple flagstone terraces accessed by French doors.
It’s a daunting and undeniably arduous, multi-story hike up from the street to the front door that opens directly into the light and bright living room. A dour, antique carved stone fireplace is worthy of a spooky castle, a window seat between full-height bookshelves frames an open view over the city and French doors lead to the pool. Zhuzhed up with a glitzy, drum-shaped crystal chandelier, the adjacent dining room gets a midcentury vibe thanks to a vintage credenza and eight Eames-style chairs covered in rose-colored fabric, while an adjacent breakfast room flows easily into a gleaming, up-to-date cook’s kitchen. Known for maintaining a rigorous workout routine, Roth converted a large room behind the kitchen into a dedicated gym complete with free-weights, a punching bag and a mirrored wall for obsessively monitoring progress.
One of the top floor guest bedrooms has been converted to a media lounge with a movie screen that drops from the ceiling, and another is furnished as an office/study with full-height bookshelves opposite French doors to the yard. The main bedroom’s premium position provides it with a bird’s eye view, along with an elegant stone fireplace, a fitted walk-in closet and a skylight-topped bathroom. Outside the office/study, and also accessible through French doors in the main bedroom’s bathroom, a large stone terrace features arched niches embellished with patterned tiles. A long and cushioned stone bench carved into the hillside stretches out beneath picturesquely arched canopies of trees, while a sun-splashed lower terrace outside of the living room hosts the swimming pool. Discretely tucked underneath the terracing that surrounds the pool are a cave-like curtained nook for secret canoodling alongside a full-size sauna.
Roth, divorced from Chilean model and actor Lorenza Izzo in 2019 after about four years of marriage, has numerous acting gigs under his belt, including the 2009 film “Inglourious Basterds,” for which he earned a SAG Award. Some of his more recent credits as a writer, director and/or producer include the erotic thriller “Knock Knock” (2015), the “blunt-witted” Bruce Willis starring action thriller “Death Wish” (2018) and, his first PG-rated movie and the highest grossing film of his career, the Cate Blanchett and Jack White staring dark fantasy comedy “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” (2018). Roth currently hosts AMC’s “Eli Roth’s History of Horror,” during which he dissects the tropes of his chosen genre and interviews a who’s who of the horror world.