Mini-Countdown: Cursed Movies

There's something about certain types of films that elicit a lot of talk about "curses". Movies which have seen turbulent productions, unexplained on- or off-set happenings, even sudden deaths. As human beings, we seek order and reason, even in the face of seemingly random coincidences. Sometimes, in order to find meaning in chaos, we attribute a supernatural/otherworldly reason. Hence why certain films have been called "cursed". 

This Halloween, here's a countdown of five such movies - including one so cursed, the film has never seen the light of day...

1. The Exorcist (1973)
dir. William Friedkin, starring Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb, Max Von Sydow, and Mercedes McCambridge

There are so many stories of bad fortune attached to the making of this seminal horror film that it could be a full article in itself. It got to the point where William Friedkin asked technical advisor Reverend Thomas Bermingham S.J. (who played the President of the University) to exorcise the set! [Rev. Bermingham did not perform an exorcism, but did give the set a blessing]. But to give you some of the highlights: 

• Ellen Burstyn received a permanent spinal injury, during a scene where she is thrown away from the possessed Regan; the harness was jerked hard and the fall damaged her coccyx. Rumours persist that her scream of genuine pain, as she hits the floor, is in the final cut

• Linda Blair was similarly injured as she was thrown about on her bed in an early scene, when part of the rig broke.

• Vasiliki Maliaros (Karras' mother) and Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings) both died shortly before the film's release. There were several deaths of crew members as well, including the man who was responsible for refrigerating the set, and a nightwatchman. 

• Paul Bateson, who assists the doctor during the medical scenes, was convicted of the murder of a film critic in 1979, and also confessed to the gruesome murders of six gay men whose dismembered bodies were found in plastic bags throughout (this would inspire the 1980 film Cruising, which was also directed by William Friedkin)

• A mysterious fire razed the MacNeil home set to the ground, apart from Regan's bedroom

• At the Italian premiere at the Metropolitan Theatre in Rome, a lightning strike hit a church nearby and destroyed the 400-year-old cross– which fell to the ground in the centre of the piazza. 

Maybe televangelist Billy Graham was right when he claimed “there is a power of evil in that film, in the fabric of the film itself”?

2. The Omen (1976)
dir. Richard Donner, starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, Patrick Troughton, and Harvey Stephens

According to producer Harvey Bernhard, the original idea for The Omen came from an advertising executive named Robert Munger who suggested that a movie about the Antichrist would be cool, but that no one should actually make it because “the devil was at work and he didn’t want that film made.”

The amount of tragedies and bizarre occurrences that took place before, during, and after the film might make even the most rational and level-headed person take pause.  

Prior to filming starting, Gregory Peck's son sadly took his own life. As Peck flew to the UK to begin filming, his plane was struck by lightning. Screenwriter David Seltzer's plane was similarly struck by lightning when he travelled to the set. During filming, the hotel at which director Richard Donner and executive producer Mace Neufeld were staying at was bombed by the IRA. The first day of filming saw two separate car-crashes involving members of the crew (luckily, no fatalities). Terry Walsh, David Warner's stunt double, had to be hospitalised after being badly injured while filming the dog attack scene in the cemetery- despite being properly prepared for the stunt. 

However, one of the most poignant tragedies associated with The Omen didn't happen on set of that film. After working on The Omen- and providing one of the most impressive visual effects with the decapitation of Keith Jennings (David Warner)- special effects designer John Richardson went on to film A Bridge Too Far in the Netherlands. Richardson and his assistant, Liz Moore, were involved in a head-on collision in which Moore sadly died. She was decapitated in the crash. 

3. The Poltergeist trilogy (1982-1988)
dir. Tobe Hooper, Brian Gibson, and Gary Sherman, starring JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Zelda Rubinstein, Oliver Robins, Tom Skerritt, and Heather O'Rourke

Mention "cursed films" and the Poltergeist franchise will be soon quickly mentioned. Much like the other films in this countdown so far, the tragedies associated with these films are well-known and (sadly) numerous. 

During the filming of the first film, Oliver Robins (Robbie Freeling) was nearly strangled into unconsciousness when the clown arm that was choking him became extremely tight. Both JoBeth Williams (Diane Freeling) and Zelda Rubinstein (Tangina Barrons) experienced supernatural happenings

There have been a number of tragic deaths associated with this film franchise:

• Dominique Dunne: the 22-year old actress who plays Dana Freeling in the original film was murdered by her abusive, jealous ex-boyfriend in November 1982, less than three weeks before her 23rd birthday

• Julian Beck: the gaunt, imposing Reverend Henry Kane is the major antagonist in Poltergeist II, and the actor who played him- Julian Beck- passed away due to stomach cancer in September 1985

• Will Sampson: the actor who played Native American shaman Taylor in Poltergeist II passed away in June 1987 after complications from heart and lung transplant surgery

• Heather O'Rourke: the actress, who played Carol Anne Freeling in all three Poltergeist films, died in February 1988 at the age of 12 due to complications arising from intestinal stenosis, which was originally misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease

• Lou Perryman: the actor who plays construction worker "Pugsley" in the original Poltergeist was murdered in April 2009

But what could be the cause of such tragedy? Well, one theory is that the franchise was cursed due to the use of real human skeletons in both Poltergeist and Poltergeist II. 

In Poltergeist, JoBeth Williams was not informed that the skeletons that emerge in the swimming pool scene were real until after the scene was finished. When cast and crew members of Poltergeist II realised that several of the cadavers were real skeletons, they insisted on an exorcism which was performed by Will Sampson (who was a shaman in real life).

4. The Conjuring (2013)
dir. James Wan, starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, and Mackenzie Foy

Who says that curses and bad luck can only happen to classic movies? There were more than enough spooky happenings on the set of The Conjuring that even they called for an exorcism on set. 

Based on the real-life paranormal investigation conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren into the Perron farmhouse in the 1970s, Lorraine Warren acted as advisor to screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes. Their phone-calls were repeatedly interrupted by strange sounds and static before the line would abruptly cut dead.

This is the film that introduced the creepy doll Annabelle. The "real" Annabelle was known for leaving notes on parchment when there was no parchment around but also attacked someone by mysteriously leaving claw marks on his chest. Vera Farmiga, who plays Lorraine Warren, claims she woke up one morning to find three slashes on her laptop screen.

When the Perron family visited the set in North Carolina, they claimed to have been followed by a sudden, intense gust of wind which did not move or shake the trees. 

5. Atuk

Our final film in this countdown is so cursed... it's never been made. Moreover, it's not a horror film. It's meant to be a fish-out-of-water comedy.

The Incomparable Atuk is a 1963 satirical novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler in which an Inuit poet travels to the big city (Toronto) and has all sorts of shenanigans. The screenplay makes Atuk Alaskan and the big city New York, but otherwise keeps to the original story. Nothing supernatural, nothing paranormal. 

Here's where things start to get a bit freaky. The lead role was offered to four different actors. All four actors died shortly after entering negotiations to star in the film. 

First up, John Belushi. The Blues Brothers and Animal House star was due to take the lead role, but died of a drug overdose in March 1982. The production entered what may be generously described as "production hell" afterwards but a second attempt to make the film saw Sam Kinison (Savage Dawn, Back To School) offered the role. In April 1992, he died in a drink-driving accident.

After Belushi and Kinison, the role was offered to John Candy. The star of Uncle Buck and Cool Runnings entered negotiations - but had a heart attack and sadly passed away in March 1994. Producers then approached Chris Farley (Tommy Boy, Wayne's World 2) to play Atuk - but he passed away in December 1997 (also of a drug overdose). 

Were not all of this tragic enough, there's an added poignancy to this story. Allegedly, Chris Farley gave a copy of the script to a friend who may have been interested in the role. That friend? Phil Hartman (The Simpsons). In May 1998, Hartman was shot and killed by his wife, who went on to take her own life hours later. 



Are such things as curses real? Who knows... but perhaps we would do well to remember this piece of advice from Hamlet:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Happy Halloween, everyone.

13 Films For Halloween

Back in 2012, The Watchers did a Halloween special where we did a Top 10 countdown of our favourite scary movies where films such as Halloween (1978), Scream (1996), The Wicker Man (1973), The Exorcist (1973), Saw (2004) and Interview With The Vampire (1994) are all mentioned. 

Obviously there's a lot of horror films out there- from The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920) to Get Out (2017)- so I decided (in the spirit of the season) to give some recommendations. I'll be honest, I'm not a massive horror fan- that's really more Watcher Matt's arena- but these 13 films are, for one reason or another, definitely worth a watch in my opinion.

Don't Look Now (1973)
dir. Nicolas Roeg; starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland

1973 was a banner year for horror movies: The Exorcist, The Wicker Man, and Theatre Of Blood were all released this year, as was the haunting and brilliant Don't Look Now. Adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier, the film sees married couple Laura and John Baxter travel to Venice to try and get over the death of their young daughter. Whilst Laura gets a mysterious message from a psychic old woman, John starts to see a small figure in a red coat running around the streets. Could it be their daughter? The film is as famous for the passionate sex scene between Sutherland and Christie (which was rumoured for years to have been real) as it is for its pervading sense of dread and a shocking twist ending. 

The Omen (1976)
dir. Richard Donner; starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens

An American ambassador and his wife have a beautiful baby boy. But, as the child grows up, mysterious things start to happen around him. Could the boy actually be the Antichrist? There are a couple of truly shocking moments: the death of Damien's first nanny, and a death by decapitation, may stay with you after the film has finished. Peck and Remick are great as the struggling parents. There's a terrifying performance by Billie Whitelaw as Damien's nanny Mrs Baylock, and good support from David Warner and Patrick Troughton. The 2006 remake with Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles is also fairly good (which, for a horror remake, is high praise) but- as a rule- I'd always recommend the original.

The Shining (1980)
dir. Stanley Kubrick; starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd

A writer, struggling with alcoholism, takes a job as a winter caretaker for the Overlook Hotel and moves in with his wife and young son. However, the young boy has a paranormal gift- the shining- and, soon, the dark past of the Overlook comes back to haunt them all. There are strong performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall (who really goes through the wringer), along with several shots and set-pieces that have now passed into cultural memory. Stories of Kubrick's obsessive perfectionism and his mistreatment of Duvall are as known as the film itself. Incidentally, Stephen King is not a fan of this adaptation, comparing it to 'a great big beautiful Cadillac with no motor inside'.

Poltergeist (1982)
dir. Tobe Hooper; starring JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke

The Freeling family home is haunted by a malevolent spirit who seems to fixate on the youngest daughter Carol Anne. As the spirit begins to make its presence felt, a team of paranormal investigators and a psychic come to help cleanse the house. So much of the language of this film has permeated into pop culture- from the tree attack, to the killer clown, and Carol Anne's amazingly creepy 'they're heeeere!'. Zelda Rubinstein is brilliant in a supporting role as diminutive psychic Tangina Barrons.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
dir. Jonathan Demme; starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn

Is it a horror? Guess it depends on your definition. It's not a slasher flick by any means, but it utilises a lot of the same tools that horror films do, and that's good enough for me. Ably directed by the late Jonathan Demme, this adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel is a masterclass in tension. Whilst the presentation of Buffalo Bill (the killer) is somewhat problematic, brilliant- and Oscar winning- performances by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins make this worth a few hours of your time. 

The Craft (1996)
dir. Andrew Fleming; starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True

Released the same year as Scream, The Craft helped to herald a revival in teen horror; other good examples are I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Urban Legend (1998) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998). This twisted tale of a coven of teen witches whose powers get out of hand is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine- Fairuza Balk is great as the increasingly unhinged Nancy and there's a kick-ass soundtrack too. 

Perfect Blue (1997)
dir. Satoshi Kon; starring Junko Iwao, Rika Matsumoto (voices)

Again, the argument could be made that this isn't exactly a horror film in the strictest sense. But it's a psychological trip that's deeply unsettling. A young popstar, Mima, retires from singing and takes up acting. However, not everyone is happy with this decision. Mima starts getting stalked by an obsessive fan but also seems to be haunted by the ghost of her former self. It's not an easy watch in places but it's a strong piece of film-making. Darren Aronofsky is a big fan, and you can see its influence in Requiem For A Dream (2000) and Black Swan (2010).  

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
dir. Daniel Myrick & Educardo Sanchez; starring Heather Donohue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard

Well, it had to be, didn't it? A true sleeper hit that kickstarted the vogue for 'found footage' horror. Three students making a film about the legendary Blair Witch disappeared during filming and their footage was found a year later. Coupled with a canny publicity campaign- which actually convinced some people that the actors were indeed missing- this film is a slow burner but, as they get into the woods and the weirdness starts happening, it really grips you. Heather's breakdown has been parodied and sent up relentlessly ever since but the final shots of the film are chilling. 

The Others (2001)
dir. Alejandro Amenabar; starring Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston 

A ghost story with a twist, this might not be an obvious choice for a list of horror films but the wonderfully atmospheric setting and direction provides more than its fair share of surprises. Nicole Kidman is stunning in the central role as a mother who has retired to a mansion on Jersey towards the end of the Second World War with her two children, waiting her her husband to return. When three servants arrive to help the family, the strangeness begins. Who are the strange people that the family keep seeing in the house? The twist at the end is quite inventive and I remember being impressed by it. 

My Little Eye (2002)
dir. Marc Evans; starring Kris Lemche, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Sky

Five people apply to live in an old house together for six months whilst their every move is recorded and broadcast. If one person leaves, they all lose. There's a million dollars up for grabs... but what will people do in pursuit of that prize? There are some genuinely unsettling moments throughout this film, which- for the time, as 'reality TV' was really getting its hooks into the cultural landscape- had an alarmingly prescient hook.Similar in style to The Blair Witch Project (with the use of various camera angles, including night vision), it's definitely worth a look as a bit of a curiosity.

The Descent (2005)
dir. Neil Marshall; starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid

Six friends go spelunking in the mountains, but get cut off from their entrance point. As they descend further into the cave complex, it's clear they're not alone. The tension and claustrophobia created in The Descent is, at times, almost unbearable. The relationship and interchanges of the six women is as vital a part to the tension as the location and the unseen threat. If anything, once the Crawlers are revealed, the film loses some of that tension. But the ending... oh my God, the ending. An exquisite- but wholly depressing- gut-punch. Something it has in common with the next film on my list. 

The Mist (2007)
dir. Frank Darabont; starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Andre Braugher

When a strange mist engulfs a small American town, the townsfolk hole up in a local supermarket. Tensions begin to rise amongst the inhabitants whilst they search for answers to what's caused the mist... and what's hiding in it. A terrifying look at mob mentality and the petty nature of mankind, this isn't a film that will affirm your belief in the inherent goodness of people. People act selfishly, horribly, for their own preservation. There's a really unnerving performance by Marcia Gay Harden as the religious zealot Mrs Carmody (who sees the mist as a herald of the end of days) and the film ends on a despairing, downbeat note.

Tucker & Dale Vs Evil (2010)
dir. Eli Craig; starring Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden

A molasses-black horror-comedy in a similar vein to Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark (1988) or The Cabin In The Woods (2012), this smart, funny, but also remarkably gory flick tells the story of a typical crazy redneck slasher film... from the redneck perspective. Tucker and Dale just want a quiet weekend at their cabin in the woods. No trouble, no drama. However, when they stumble across a group of college students, the students automatically see them as stereotypical mad hillbillies who want to slaughter them. Nothing could be further from the truth. You'll need a slightly sick sense of humour to really enjoy this, but it's definitely worth a watch. 

So, there's some food for thought. Whilst the blog's been running, we've also discussed some classic horror movies at length, such as the original Psycho, the Evil Dead films, both versions of Carrie, and Alien. Check out our thoughts on these classics and have a very happy Halloween!

Tez