Horror movies are terrifying in their own right, as it probably goes without saying. But sometimes, the making of these movies proves just as unsettling. The American horror movie series known as Poltergeist was filmed during the 80s, and many people don’t realize the dark and tragic behind-the-scenes events that took place.
Wikipedia Poltergeist was a film series in the 1980s that told the story of the Freeling family, a group living out in California who was terrorized by ghosts. The original film came out in 1982 and was directed by Stephen Spielberg himself.
Movieclips Trailer Vault/YouTube In the film, the youngest daughter of the Freeling family, Carol Ann, is targeted through the family’s old television set. She recites one of the film’s most trademark lines, “they’re here.” The premise of the first film is to save Carol Ann from these demonic spirits with the help of professionals and a spiritual medium.
Wikipedia The actress who played Carol Ann was a young child by the name of Heather O’Rourke. She was discovered during a visit to the MGM studios and was cast as the role by Spielberg. O’Rourke appeared in all three Poltergeist movies, and then something unsettling happened. She died due to a misdiagnosed internal septic infection during the filming of the third movie. In the final scene, the actress playing Carol Ann is actually a stunt double. No one could have known that her death would be one of many that transpired over the course of the filming.
Wikipedia Sadly, this was not the only death. Dominique Dunn, the actress who played Dana Freeling, was fatally strangled by her boyfriend just six months after filming the movie. This took place just outside her apartment in Hollywood, and the actress was only 22 years old.
Wikipedia It’s not difficult to see how the supposed “Poltergeist Curse” paranoia came to be. Many people blame the involvement of real skeletons, which were used as props during the original and sequel films. At the time of the filming, it was actually cheaper to use real skeletons than make or purchase fake ones. This adds an incredibly eerie twist to the scenes in which these real skeletons appear.
Funko Creep/YouTube
Funko Creep/YouTube Another disturbing event happened during the actual filming of the movie. Oliver Robbins, who played the middle Freeling child, was acting out a scene where he was strangled in his room by a mechanical clown. While many believed he was delivering an incredible performance, the young boy was actually being chocked by the malfunctioning prop and was saved just in time.
Other actors and actresses involved in the production of Poltergeist felt as though they needed to undergo an exorcism, although not all were successful in avoiding a tragic fate. Whether or not the set of Poltergeist was truly haunted, the sheer number of simultaneous accidents and deaths is undeniably tragic.
Wikipedia
Poltergeist was a film series in the 1980s that told the story of the Freeling family, a group living out in California who was terrorized by ghosts. The original film came out in 1982 and was directed by Stephen Spielberg himself.
Movieclips Trailer Vault/YouTube
In the film, the youngest daughter of the Freeling family, Carol Ann, is targeted through the family’s old television set. She recites one of the film’s most trademark lines, “they’re here.” The premise of the first film is to save Carol Ann from these demonic spirits with the help of professionals and a spiritual medium.
The actress who played Carol Ann was a young child by the name of Heather O’Rourke. She was discovered during a visit to the MGM studios and was cast as the role by Spielberg. O’Rourke appeared in all three Poltergeist movies, and then something unsettling happened. She died due to a misdiagnosed internal septic infection during the filming of the third movie. In the final scene, the actress playing Carol Ann is actually a stunt double. No one could have known that her death would be one of many that transpired over the course of the filming.
Sadly, this was not the only death. Dominique Dunn, the actress who played Dana Freeling, was fatally strangled by her boyfriend just six months after filming the movie. This took place just outside her apartment in Hollywood, and the actress was only 22 years old.
It’s not difficult to see how the supposed “Poltergeist Curse” paranoia came to be. Many people blame the involvement of real skeletons, which were used as props during the original and sequel films. At the time of the filming, it was actually cheaper to use real skeletons than make or purchase fake ones. This adds an incredibly eerie twist to the scenes in which these real skeletons appear.
Funko Creep/YouTube
Another disturbing event happened during the actual filming of the movie. Oliver Robbins, who played the middle Freeling child, was acting out a scene where he was strangled in his room by a mechanical clown. While many believed he was delivering an incredible performance, the young boy was actually being chocked by the malfunctioning prop and was saved just in time.
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