10 Cursed Movies, From The Exorcist to The Twilight Saga

Sometimes the behind-the-scenes stories are scarier than the movie itself.

The film industry has always been interested in telling stories that explore the curse. Whether it's the videotape in The Lord of the Rings that kills you after watching it for 7 days, or the sad tropes in Smile, curses are a common trope in the media. Arguably, the concept of a curse is scarier than a killer in a hockey mask, because once you're marked by it, it'll grab you no matter what you do.

Perhaps even more fascinating than exploring the curses depicted on screen is the curse that takes place behind them. There will always be a subset of films that someone will claim to have experienced a cursed production, whether it was a set mishap, a bizarre coincidence, or the death of a cast and crew in the months and years that followed. Typically, these cursed productions take place in the horror realm, but they have been known to appear in films of all types.

'The Exorcist (1973)

The most notorious "cursed production" of all time, some believe that the set of The Exorcist was visited by an actual demonic being. When young Regan McNeil (Linda Blair) begins to show signs of demonic possession, Her mother recruits a group of priests to help her daughter, and together they fight to save the girl's soul.

Production was influenced by every event imaginable. Cast and crew died (though not on set), while others were wounded for life. Almost the entire set of the MacNeil house had to be rebuilt after a fire destroyed it, and to this day, audiences swear by the satanic message hidden in the movie.

The Exorcist is available on HBO Max.

'Apocalypse Now' (1979)

Long hailed as one of the greatest war films of all time, Apocalypse Now also proved to be one of the most difficult films ever made. When an American colonel turns rogue and starts a cult in Cambodia, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent to the war zone with orders to assassinate the dangerous fanatic.

When the documentary about the difficulties of making movies (Hearts of Darkness) was done, you knew it was a bad time. "Apocalypse Now" suffered many disasters, including monsoons destroying expensive sets, leading actor Sheen suffered a heart attack, and Marlon Brando appeared unprepared and overweight for his role as Colonel Kurtz. ^A A cult classic of the '90s, The Raven is still revered for its unique style and emotional resonance in action movies. After being murdered along with his girlfriend, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) is resurrected by a supernatural force to hunt down the killer.

'The Crow' (1994)

The Crow is notorious for Lee's accidental death at the scene, the result of live ammunition from a prop gun. Lee's death adds an extra layer of bittersweet to the film, as his character's brooding over death fails to impress his character's brooding on one of the most poignant and affecting action films ever made.

The Crow is available on Paramount+.

When a family moves into a new home, they are quickly tormented by evil spirits and strange occurrences. The ghosts take a special interest in five-year-old daughter Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke), and the Freelings are forced to turn to an eccentric medium as they band together to save her young spirit.

'Poltergeist' (1982)

Poltergeist is notorious for using real skeletons in the scene where Mother Diane (JoBeth Williams) falls into a pool full of corpses. This has led some to believe that the curse was placed on O'Rourke died of a bowel obstruction six years later, and Dominic Dunn, who played her sister Dana, was murdered by her boyfriend the same year the film was released.

Poltergeist is available on Tubi.

A psychedelic, meditative art film from Russia, Stalker follows the titular character as he is hired by two men to escort them across a dangerous wasteland to the "room". It is said that this room can satisfy the deepest longing of anyone who manages to reach it.

'Stalker' (1979)

More an oversight than a cursed production, the Stalker used two disused power plants as sets. Several scenes were also filmed in nearby rivers, which unknowingly contain contaminated water. This resulted in the death of many cast members from cancer over the next few years, including director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Stalker is available on HBO Max.

A project so cursed that it never went into production, Atuk is a script that has been circulating in Hollywood circles for years, based on the novel Atuk the Incomparable. The script follows an Inuit hunter who is forced to adapt to life in New York City, As a "fish out of water" story.

'Atuk'

Atuk's curse stems from the fact that many of the actors interested in the lead role died soon after. John Belushi was the first to join the project, but died of a drug overdose shortly afterwards. He was followed by Sam Kinnison (car crash), John Candy (heart attack) and Chris Farley (overdose).

A culturally insensitive production that won't be released today, The Conqueror sees very American actor John Wayne playing Mongol emperor Genghis Khan. The film is pitched as an epic love story, seeing the Khan fall in love with the daughter of a rival clan leader and steal her away, leading to war between the two armies.

'The Conqueror' (1956)

Like Stalker, Conqueror was filmed at the downwind nuclear testing site, exposing the cast and crew to unnecessary risks, although such danger was not even considered at the time. Over the next few years, 41 percent of the film's production crew, including Wayne and director Dick Powell, developed cancer.

The big-screen adaptation of the hit TV series The Twilight Saga: The Movie consists of four short stories. most notorious The story stars Vic Morrow as Bill Connor, a racist who is sent back to times such as World War II and the American South in the 1950s, when Connor, a white man, was forced to go through The persecution of innocent Jews and blacks. those respective periods.

'Twilight Zone: The Movie' (1983)

John Landis directed the segment, and his gross negligence resulted in the deaths of Morrow and two child actors (Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen) after a stunt went wrong and the helicopter crashed.

After his newborn son is declared stillborn, American diplomat Robert Thorne (Gregory Peck) agrees to trade an orphan for the child, without his wife's knowledge. As their child, Damian, grew up, he began to exhibit threatening behavior that resulted in several deaths as Robert came to believe he was the Antichrist.

'The Omen' (1976)

Omen had a number of bizarre incidents during its production, including lightning striking the plane carrying the cast and crew, zookeepers being injured by their charge, and even several fatal accidents. The most gruesome event was the death of Liz Moore, who died in a car accident in a similar scene to that of her husband, special effects designer John Richardson, for the film.

The Omen is available on HBO Max.

One of the most popular stories of all time, The Wizard of Oz is still quoted today despite being nearly a century old. When a hurricane takes young Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog Toto to the strange land of Oz, they encounter a motley cast of characters as they look for their way home.

'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Less cursed and more an example of a controller who abused his power, The Wizard of Oz is full of preventable accidents and mistreatment of its actors, especially Garland. In later years, the actress was physically and sexually abused by fellow cast and crew members, casting a shadow over the storied film.

The Wizard of Oz is available on HBO Max.

Continue reading: 10 Surprisingly Cult Classic Movies