What do you think of horror movies? Their ability to evoke fear and suspense is what can make them so great, but what if the horror is not only seen in the movie, but is also experienced on set?
Some productions have been plagued by strange events, accidents, and even tragedies that occurred during filming, giving rise to rumors of cursed horror films. Let’s take a closer look at some of these movies where the horror unfolded both on-screen and behind the scenes, sometimes even leading to death.
Poltergeist
This movie came out back in 1982 and follows a family whose home is haunted by spirits. The real horror didn’t even happen in the movie, but on the set itself. Many think the reason why this movie is cursed is because of the use of real human skeletons during filming. The reason why they used real human skeletons was because this was cheaper and more cost-effective than creating and using plastic fake ones. We will never know for sure what cursed this movie, but what actually happened?
Heather O’Rourke, the young actress who played Carol Anne in Poltergeist, tragically passed away at just 12 years old due to a misdiagnosed illness. Her condition took a shocking turn. She succumbed to complications from a septic shock caused by a bowel obstruction. The swiftness and severity of her illness, compounded by the initial misdiagnosis, leaves an unsettling feeling that her fate was somehow foreordained. Why did doctors fail to notice the severity of her condition sooner, and why did her illness suddenly escalate?
Then there’s Dominique Dunne, who portrayed her older sister. Her life came to an abrupt and brutal end only five months after Poltergeist premiered. Dunne’s ex-boyfriend, John Sweeney, harbored an obsessive and violent fixation on her, leading to a horrifying incident in which he attacked her outside her own home. Dunne’s murder feels eerily like the workings of a darker force, an unrelenting presence that haunted her even beyond her role in Poltergeist.
These tragic events; Heather's sudden, misdiagnosed illness and Dominique’s untimely death at the hands of a possessive lover led many to believe the Poltergeist films somehow attracted or invoked dark energies. As eerie as it sounds, it wasn't just these two stars who experienced misfortune; other cast members also reported eerie happenings, strange accidents, and unexplained illnesses. Could it be coincidence, or did the very theme of Poltergeist somehow blur the line between reality and the unknown?
The Omen
Considering the definition of an Omen; ‘‘a sign or event believed to predict a significant future occurrence, which is often seen as bad luck’’ - this movie might have been an omen itself, and you will probably think so too after hearing what happened during the production of this classic.
The Omen seems to have a curse related to vehicles, as all the accidents we are about to discuss involve some form of transportation.
After completing the script for The Omen, screenwriter David Seltzer survived a terrifying plane crash - but he wasn’t the only one from the film to experience a flight-related incident. Director Richard Donner and actor Gregory Peck faced close calls as well. Gregory Peck’s plane was even struck by lightning mid-flight. These chilling accidents added an eerie, real-life twist to the dark themes of the film.
But the most terrifying thing that happened was the death of special effects artist John Richardson’s girlfriend. She was killed in a car crash a year after the release of The Omen, and the accident looked a lot like the car crash scene from the movie.
The Conjuring
The movie was inspired by real events, though many elements were fictionalized for dramatic effect. However, strange occurrences continued both during production and after the film’s release.
While filming, several crew members reported witnessing strange occurrences, such as flickering lights and doors slamming on their own. Joey King, who played Christine, had bruises all over her body after just a few weeks of shooting. No one had any idea where they came from, but oddly enough, these bruises were strikingly similar to the ones that appeared on Christine’s mother Carolyn in the film.
There were also unexplainable technical difficulties on set, lights would flicker or fail, cameras and other equipment would malfunction and reset. Some crew members thought this was because of the true events that the film was based on, but no one truly knew why this happened.
Vera Farmiga, who portrayed Lorraine Warren experienced a particularly eerie occurrence. She found herself mysteriously waking up between 3 and 4 am in the morning. Not only is this known as the witching hour, but it was also the specific time in which the witch character died in the movie. The witching hour is the time, usually around 3 a.m, when supernatural forces are believed to be strongest. Folklore says this is when spirits, witches, and dark entities are most active, as the barrier between worlds is thinnest. Vera Farmiga found it so strange that she kept waking up at 3 am that she told the director. Her sleep troubles continued, even after the movie production was over.
