Scary movies can leave viewers terrified for days. But think of how the people who make the movies feel. Something about horror seems to attract dark forces to movie sets. That's probably why there are so many true stories about creepy things happening behind the scenes of scary movies. In some cases, injuries, deaths, fires and even ghosts have cursed film sets. But you don't have to take our word for it, because we have proof. Here are 20 of those stories.
The Sixth Sense
Actor Toni Collette recalled that, while filming this ghost story, she kept waking up at times with repeating numbers. "1:11, 3:33, 4:44. That started to really spook me."
The Possession
At the centerpiece of this horror film is a "Dybbuk box", a home to evil spirits rooted in Jewish culture. After the film wrapped, its props, including its fake Dybbuk box, were kept in a Vancouver storage unit in case of reshoots. The storage unit ultimately burned to the ground, and an investigation concluded it wasn't an electrical fire or even arson. It mysteriously started from within.
Poltergeist (Part One)
During one setup of the terrifying film's shoot, child actor Oliver Robins was supposed to pretend to be choked by a possessed clown doll. The crew stood in awe at how authentic Robins' performance was, until they realized the clown puppet had "malfunctioned" and was actually choking him.
Poltergeist (Part Two)
Actor JoBeth Williams was staying in a rented apartment during the shoot. One night she noticed the pictures on the wall were crooked, so she straightened them. The next night she returned to the apartment only to find the pictures were crooked again. No matter how often she straightened them, they always made themselves crooked again.
The Amityville Horror
Before production onthis 2005 remake began, the body of a dead fisherman washed up on the shore of the set. When cameras started rolling, actor Ryan Reynolds couldn't help but wake up in the middle of the night at the exact same time his possessed character did.
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose
Jennifer Carpenter, who played the titular role, recalled an otherworldly message from, of all things, her stereo. "When we were shooting... my stereo kept turning itself on in the middle of the night," she told MTV News. "It freaked me out, because it started playing Pearl Jam's 'Alive' — just the 'I'm still alive' part. It stayed with me for a while."
The Omen (Part One)
Here's a rule of thumb:If someone who worked on The Omen tried to travel, they were quickly punished. Actor Gregory Peck, producer Mace Neufeld, and screenwriter David Seltzer took separate plane rides during production -- all three planes were struck by lightning. Later, Peck canceled a planned flight. He found out later that plane crashed, leaving no survivors.
The Omen (Part Two)
While this technically didn't happen on set, it's too eerie not to include. Set designer John Richardson, who was responsible for the infamous decapitation sequence, was driving home from a gig on A Bridge To Far. He got into a horrific accident where his wife was identically decapitated... on Friday the 13th... next to a sign that read "Ommen, 66.6km.”
The Omen Remake
Director John Moore's remake (released 06/06/06) had its own scary phenomenons occur. Moore lost over 13,500 feet of film unexplainably, including the moment Damien's birthmark, a 666, is revealed. Also, actor Pete Postlethwaite's brother died during filming after playing a card game in which he drew three sixes.
The Exorcist (Part One)
Early in production of this horror classic, the house used as the MacNeill's home mysteriously caught on fire, which delayed the shoot. The only room that remained unscathed? Reagan's bedroom, where the bulk of the demonic possession and exorcism scenes took place.
The Exorcist (Part Two)
A litany of strange deaths and accidents also plagued the set. Actor Max Von Sydow's brother and Linda Blair's grandmother died, while Jason Miller's son was hospitalized due to a freak motorcycle accident.
The Passion Of The Christ
You might say director Mel Gibson's controversial Biblical film received a message from the source they were filming about. Actor Jim Caviezel and assistant director Jan Michelini were struck by lightning during a shoot near Rome. Smoke even came out of Caviezel's ears.
The Conjuring
While researching her role as real-life paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren, actor Vera Farmiga found "digital claw marks" embedded into her laptop. The day after the shoot wrapped, she found three similar slash marks on her thigh.
The Conjuring 2
Based on the spooky on-set events of the first film, producers had a Catholic priest bless the set of the sequel the first day. However, actor Patrick Wilson still dealt with a haunted curtain that moved violently with no visible motivation.
Annabelle (Part One)
Of course the doll-centered spinoff of The Conjuring had some terrifying incidents. While shooting in an old apartment building, director John R. Leonetti noted “three fingers drawn through the dust along the window, and our demon has three fingers and three talons... It was sick!"
Annabelle (Part Two)
Later in the shoot, an accident mirrored the ghostly dynamic of the film. During a scene where a janitor is nabbed by the demon, the actor playing the janitor was hit by a light fixture just as the actor playing the demon walked by it.
Behind The Candelabra
Apparently, Liberace's ghost wasn't happy with the direction of this biopic, as actors Matt Damon and Michael Douglas reportedly felt unexplained whooshes of cold air and ghostly grazes of shoulders. Crew members also dealt with lights that flickered uncontrollably, seemingly for no reason.
The Crow
Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, was killed during a shooting scene when a metallic object was lodged into his abdomen due to an error in the preparation of the gun. The film was completed with Lee's stunt double standing in for remaining scenes.
Twilight Zone: The Movie
During a Vietnam War battle scene, a helicopter crash caused the deaths of three actors: 53-year-old Vic Morrow, six-year-old Renee Shinn Chen, and seven-year-old Myca Dinh Le. Director John Landis and his crew were charged and eventually acquitted of involuntary manslaughter.