Stories

The rumors surrounding the alleged "curse" of the films series are as follows: What is seen as an unusually large number of deaths have occurred among the former cast of the Poltergeist trilogy. This occurrence has given rise to the rumor that the productions themselves were in some way cursed due to the nature of the films themselves, as if the evil spirits conjured up in the make-believe world of the cinema have since reached out into the real world to claim what they might see as their rightful victims. An extreme version of the curse rumor asserts that everyone who appeared in these movies is now dead (Mikkelson). Various urban legends surrounding the film have been attributed to the potential cause of the curse. The most widely blamed is that allegedly real human skeletal remains were used as props in the first film, causing the angry spirits of the deceased to wreak havoc (Movies-Poltergeist Curse). In my next post, I will investigate the facts that have been uncovered and see what evidence (if any) exists to support these rumors.

• Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. "Poltergeist Deaths." Snopes.com. 17 August 2007. Web. 8 April 2011. http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/poltergeist.asp.


• "Movies-Poltergeist Curse." Ebay. Web. 8 April 2011. http://listing-index.ebay.com/movies/Poltergeist_curse.html

Background and History

"Poltergeist" is a German word meaning "noisy spirit." Current research indicates, however, that poltergeist activity may have nothing to do with ghosts or spirits. Since the activity seems to center around an individual, it is believed that it is caused by the subconscious mind of that individual. It is, in effect, psychokinetic activity. The individual is often under emotional, psychological or physical stress (even going through puberty). Effects can include rappings on walls and floors, the physical movement of objects, effects on lights and other electric appliances--even the manifestation of physical phenomena (Wagner). Many of these activities occur in the Poltergeist film series. The first Poltergeist film, written by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, was released in 1982. This classic haunted house story was well-reviewed and included eerie special effects that were considered quite innovative in the early '80s (Dirks). The movie's plot centers around a young family who are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then the ghosts turn nasty and start to terrorise the family before they kidnap the youngest daughter (Hartill).

• Dirks, Tim. "Poltergeist (1982)." Filmsite. Web. 7 April 2011. http://www.filmsite.org/polt.html.


• Harthill, Rob. "Poltergeist (1982)." Internet Movie Database. Web. 7 April 2011. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/


• Wagner, Stephen. "What Is a Poltergeist?" About.com Paranormal Phenomena. Web. 7 April 2011. http://paranormal.about.com/cs/ghosthunting/f/blfaqs_ghosts02.htm

Proposal

When I was about ten years old, my parents took me to see the movie Poltergeist, which gave me nightmares for years to come. While I have often questioned their parental decision to let me (even encourage me) to watch such a terrifying film, I am also grateful to them for their open-mindedness. I believe the movie sparked in me an interest in the supernatural (not to mention a fear of clown dolls) that has stayed with me throughout my life. The movie spawned two sequels, neither of which was anywhere near as good as the original (which is a pretty common problem with sequels), and it also spawned many rumors that I have heard over the years. I remember hearing the following urban legends surrounding the Poltergeist franchise: the set itself was somehow haunted or cursed, the skeletons in the swimming pool were real human skeletons, the actors encountered many strange occurrences while making the film, and all of the children in the original film suffered unusual and untimely deaths. I also remember the character of Carol Anne--an angelic, tow-headed little girl--looking oddly strange and bloated by the third film due to (what I had heard was) a mysterious illness. I decided to create this blog in order to investigate these legends and find out if there is any truth to the rumors surrounding these films.