By Kristi O’Toole

As we all know the making of a Hollywood blockbuster can take many months or even years to produce; but have we ever given any thought to what the long term affects could be on those involved in the making of a horror film? Maybe as it turns out dealing with things of a supernatural nature can affect more than just the imagination.

After discussing, ‘THE EXORCIST’ last time, I feel it appropriate to begin with that particular movie. Over the past forty years there have been rumors circulating that child star Linda Blair, then only thirteen years old, suffered from a complete mental breakdown after the filming of the movie. While she has come out many times and refuted those accusations, what she couldn’t deny was her addiction to alcohol and drugs after her time on the set and the release of the film. Okay, sure there are a lot of child stars that get messed up after great success, but not all can say their breakout role has haunted them for the past four decades.

Demonic possession is always a touchy subject, even more so in 1973 when times were just a little more innocent and the American public had not been too often subjected to such horrors. Even director, William Friedkin knew he was dealing with something much more than just a movie. Friedkin went to the extreme length of asking Rev. Thomas Bermingham to exorcise the set, however Bermingham refused the exorcism stating that it might incite further hysteria among the actors and crew. He did however visit the set and give it, ‘a blessing’.

Tales of ominous events surround the year long shoot, including the deaths of nine people associated with the production; two of the deceased were actors Jack MacGowran and Vasiliki Maliaros who passed before the film was released. Then the mysterious fire that destroyed the set one weekend put all those involved with the production on edge.

Then lastly, or dare I say the Devil’s last laugh, when the film made its premier at the Metropolitan Theater in Rome, just across the way from the theater stood two 16th-century churches, each adorned massive crosses. As audience members filed in torrential rain pounded the area, and shortly before the start of the film a horrendous sound was heard from outside. What was discovered was that one of the crosses, eight feet long and over 400 years old, had been struck by lightning and landed in the center of the plaza below.

‘POLTERGEIST’: After the release of, ‘POLTERGEIST’ in 1982 more clown toys hit the trash than could be counted, every teenager for miles uttered the words, “Outside In…” and no one, I mean no one, went swimming in a pool. We were entertained, horrified and forever fated to use a night light.

Much like, ‘THE EXORCIST’, ‘POLTERGEIST’ was also plagued with bad luck and death. While coincidence is always a viable option, four deaths associated with the film fueled the rumor of a Poltergeist curse. Dominique Dunne, Heather O’Rourke (Carol Anne), Will Sampson and Julian Beck all lost their lives after filming.

Directors Hooper and Spielberg felt the curse stemmed from the use of real cadavers in the filming of I and II, which is a little ironic when you consider the premise of the films is what happens when you disturb the dead. Is it just me?

‘THE OMEN’: Easily one of the most terrifying films of its day, ‘THE OMEN’ a thriller based on the birth of the Antichrist was said by many to be a film that the devil would not allow to be made. Unfortunately many surrounding events would bring acceptance to that ominous statement.

Firstly, lead actor Gregory Peck’s son committed suicide just two months before filming began. That tragedy in itself could have stopped production entirely as Peck would have been extremely difficult to replace. There were two incidences involving animals, handlers were attacked on set by the trained Rottweiler’s used on set and a professional tiger handler used to assist with the dogs died two weeks after filming when he was pulled headfirst into a lion’s cage and was eaten alive.

Think lightning can’t strike twice? Well it did in The Omen. On his way to begin filming, Gregory Peck’s plane was hit by lightning over the Atlantic while a few weeks later, executive producer Mace Neufeld left on a flight from Los Angeles which was too struck by lightning. It seemed the curse of The Omen had begun.

But that’s not all, the hotel in which Neufield and his wife were staying was bombed by the IRA, as well as the restaurant where the actors were expected to have dinner. In another incident involving planes, Peck had a brush with the curse when a flight he and others were scheduled to take was switched at last minute; the original flight went on to crash killing all on board.
However, the most harrowing example of the curse came when Visual Effect Supervisor, John Richardson and his assistant were involved in a car crash that claimed the life of his assistant and sent him to the hospital in very serious condition. When Richardson came to after the crash the one thing he remembered seeing was a road sign marking the distance to the next Dutch town, ‘Ommen 66.6km’. I can imagine his horror.

All of these accounts of ‘curses’ are just as terrifying as the movie that spawned them, it’s almost as if the evil spirits conjured in the imaginations of the film directors reached out into the real world to claim what they might see as their rightful victims. But sure, that isn’t possible. Or is it?

Next time I would like to start discussing famous, and some not so famous hauntings. If you would like to contribute I’m just an email away.

Until then, leave the night light burning.

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