Poltergeist
Image courtesy of MGM
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So I'm not one to believe in curses, like those weird email chains or text chains that used to go around when I was in middle school. However, one that I might believe in is the Poltergeist curse. The first film had its share of tragedy, but it continued with the sequels as well, almost as if the idea of the film itself was the curse.
The issue begins with the film's plot being inspired by actual events. Combine that with four cast member deaths, solidifying the film's curse status.
The film's main plot, where the developer builds over a cemetery without moving the bodies, is based on a true story. Some believe this is where the curse comes from. Others believe it stemmed from using real skeletons in the pool scene. Or maybe it came from the exorcism performed on the set of the second film. I don't know what to believe, but there is no denying that many deaths are associated with this series.
The death that hit the hardest was Heather O'Rourke, who played six-year-old Carol Anne. Her death was from the sudden onset of a misdiagnosed disease. She sadly passed away during an operation to try and fix an intestinal abnormality that caused her to fall ill in the first place.
Next, from the original film, Dominique Dunne, who played Dana, was murdered by her ex-partner when she refused to take him back.
Two other deaths occurred from those in the sequels. However, these were not as mysterious or unpredictable, as Julian Beck and Will Sampson already dealt with illnesses before signing on to these films.
In addition to the many deaths, JoBeth Williams, who played Diane, claimed that during filming, objects in her house would move on their own, and the pictures hanging on her wall would always be crooked when she came home at night.
Interestingly, this is obviously not the first or only film to have deaths associated with it, but Poltergeist has become infamous for its curse. Is it because it is a horror movie? Or are people just superstitious?
