Inside the real life curse of 1982's Poltergeist after multiple actors died after filming
Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes a time to reminisce about some of the most terrifying horror movies ever made - including 'cursed' productions like Poltergeist
With Halloween fast approaching there's plenty of scary movies out there to terrify yourself with in the spirit of spooky season.
But some cult horror tales are so terrifying that the carnage they depict on screen appeared to even spill over into real-life. One such film is the hit 1982 horror movie Poltergeist, which became known as one of Hollywood's most cursed films after the cast were plagued by a series of tragedies after it wrapped.
Poltergeist tells the haunting story of the Freelings family in California, who are left terrified by a number of paranormal events that turn their lives upside down. It culminates in their little girl, Carol Anne, disappearing into a ghostly portal in the wardrobe with her voice left echoing from the TV set.
The Freelings set out to try and get their daughter back, enlisting the help of a group of paranormal investigators who discover the house was built on a native American burial ground. They manage to get Carol Anne back, but the house is eventually consumed by the demonic forces who haunted it.
At the time of its release movie-goers were left terrified by the cinematic offering, but it was the tragic events followed that really sent shivers down horror fans' spines. The curse of Poltergeist, as it became known, led to many swirling theories over why the film and its sequels were cursed.
One such theory came when it was revealed they had used real human bones in the original film. Actress JoBeth Williams, who played on-screen mum, Diane Freeling, is seen dropping into a pool of skeletons in one spooky scene - and she later revealed the bones were real.
She told TVLand, "In my innocence and naiveté, I assumed that these were not real skeletons. I assumed that they were prop skeletons made out of plastic or rubber . . . I found out, as did the crew, that they were using real skeletons, because it’s far too expensive to make fake skeletons out of rubber."
Here we take a look at some of the most shocking events that plagued the cast in the years following their roles in the movie.
Dominique Dunne
Just four months after the film's release, tragedy struck with actress Dominique Dunne, who played the family's eldest daughter Dana, became the victim of a grisly murder. On the day before Halloween in 1982, the actress, 22, was strangled by her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, outside their home in West Hollywood.
She survived the attack, but was left in a coma. She never regained consciousness and died five days later. Sweeney was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter and spent three and half years behind bars for the killing.
Will Sampson
In the years after the film's release, movie bosses plowed ahead with plans for a sequel, and Poltergeist II: The Other Side hit cinemas in 1986. Among the cast was Will Sampson, best known for playing Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest opposite Jack Nicholson.
The actor - cast as a shaman named Taylor in the movie - was concerned about the use of real skeletons in the first film and offered to perform a real life exorcism. He is believed to have conducted the ceremony alone and in the middle of the night, but the cast reportedly felt relived afterwards.
However, less than a year after the film's release - the curse had claimed another victim. Sampson had longtime health problems as he suffered from a degenerative condition called scleroderma, which affected his heart and lungs.
He underwent a heart and lung transplant in the summer of 1987, but died of post-operative kidney failure on June 3.
Heather O'Rourke
The most famous victim of the Poltergeist curse was Heather O'Rourke. She appeared as Carol Anne in the first two films as well as the third installment, Poltergeist III, which hit cinemas in 1988. She died just four months before the movie's release aged just 12.
In January 1988, Heather fell ill with what appeared to be flu-like symptoms. She collapsed at home the following day and was rushed to hospital. She suffered a cardiac arrest by doctors were able to revive her and doctors diagnosed her with intestinal stenosis - a partial obstruction of the intestine.
She underwent surgery, but went into cardiac arrest again in recovery and doctors were unable to save her. She passed away on February 1988, just weeks after her 12th birthday, and it was later reported she died from congenital stenosis and septic shock.
Lou Perryman
Character actor Lou Perryman became the second cast member to fall victim to murder. He played Pugsley in the original movie and suffered a brutal end in 1992 when he was hacked to death with an axe at the age of 67.
A convict recently released from prison, Seth Christopher Tatum, confessed to killing Perryman at his home after coming off his medication and going on a drinking binge. Tatum pleaded guilty to his murder in 2011 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Richard Lawson
Actor Richard Lawson played one of the parapsychologists, Ryan, in the original film and he came close to becoming another victim of the curse in 1992. He was involved in a terrifying plane crash in 1992 when the USAir Flight 405 crashed into New York City's Flushing Bay on route to Cleveland, Ohio.
The crashed claimed the lives of 27 of the 51 passengers, but Lawson was among the survivors. He put his lucky escape down to a last-minute seat change that saved his life.
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