Top 10 Paranormal Events on Movie Shoots
Script written by Katia Vaccaro
#10: When Life Imitates Art
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“The Conjuring” (2013)
This movie is based on the story of real life parapsychologists trying to deliver a haunted house from evil – nothing weird there. But when the real Perron family – the owners of the original home – came to visit the film set, strange things started happening. Upon their arrival, a huge breeze was felt, but the surrounding trees stood still. Even mother Perron, who wasn’t even on the set, said she felt a presence before fainting and being rushed to the hospital.
#9: The Haunted Alarm Clock
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“The Exorcism of Emily Rose” (2005)
Ever think that, while playing the role of someone who’s possessed, we can somehow become possessed ourselves? In this case, that seems to be true. Jennifer Carpenter, who portrayed Emily Rose, says she felt a weird presence in her hotel room while filming the movie. Even her alarm clock seemed out of whack, randomly turning on during the night and playing Pearl Jam’s “Alive” each time – more specifically, the lyric “I’m still alive”. We know radio stations tend to overplay songs, but come on…
#8: A Haunted Studio
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“Ghost of Goodnight Lane” (2014)
This film is the perfect example of a story within a story. In it, movie theatre employees find one of their coworkers stiff as a board, seemingly killed by a ghost – and the real story isn’t that far off. Back in the 1800s, five people were killed in the very building the movie was being shot in. Crewmembers said they often felt a presence, and lead actor Billy Zane was given the ultimate combo: ghosts screaming his name, flashing lights, and pieces of the ceiling almost collapsing on him.
#7: From Skeptic to Believer
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“The Possession” (2012)
Sometimes, even the biggest cynics can be converted. In this movie, Jeffrey Dean Morgan – known for his roles in The Walking Dead and Supernatural – plays the father of a little girl possessed by a dybbuk demon trapped in a box found at a garage sale. Though he wasn’t initially a believer in paranormal phenomena, he quickly changed his mind during the making of this film. He claims he saw lights exploding for no apparent reason, and felt ice-cold breezes during ghost scenes. Soon after production ended, the movie set caught fire; destroying all the props, including the dybbuk’s wooden box. Firemen were never able to determine the source of the fire.
#6: Demon On Set
“Annabelle” (2014)
A spinoff of The Conjuring, Annabelle is based on a real investigation conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren… and the demon seemed to have left a trace on set! Just as they were about to start filming a scene, director John Leonetti noticed three markings on a dusty window, just like the three fingers of the demon in the film. Producer Peter Safran saw his movie become a little too real when a light fixture fell on the actor playing the janitor… in the exact spot where the demon kills the janitor in the film.
#5: The Curse Continues
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“The Amityville Horror” (2005)
Since its debut in 1979, the Amityville saga has had many spinoffs, including a mini series. But it was during the remake of the original movie that the line between fiction and reality became blurred. From the start of production, many crewmembers began waking up at 3:15 a.m., just like Ryan Reynolds’ character. Even stranger than that is when Kathy Lutz – the woman who lived in the actual Amityville house – died of emphysema during production; closely followed by her husband George, who died of a heart attack after trying to sue the production team.
#4: Ghosts Destroying Cameras
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“The Omen” (2006)
Ghosts can sometimes be pranksters. While filming the 2006 remake of “The Omen”, director John Moore claimed he had lost two days’ worth of footage thanks to a ghost. The interference caused by the spirit prompted the cameras to implode, and it even left a “666” error message on the camera screen. Not only that, but movie buffs say the original version of “The Omen” is one of the most cursed movies to ever be filmed. In fact, many crewmembers died from unexpected circumstances shortly after it was released.
#3: A String of Deaths
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“Poltergeist” franchise (1982-)
Poltergeist is one of the most terrifying franchises in movie history, and the horror doesn’t simply take place on screen. Actress Dominique Dunne was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend the same year the first movie was released. Before the third instalment came out, young actress Heather O’Rourke died of septic shock after suffering an acute bowel obstruction. These deaths would haunt those who took part in the series. The blame was put on the props used, such as real skeletons, which are believed to have cursed the franchise.
#2: The Haunted Dress
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“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” (1999)
Be careful who you borrow clothes from. Halle Berry learned this lesson after filming this TV movie. To get into the groove of portraying Dorothy Dandridge, Halle Berry brought home a dress once owned by the real-life diva. While trying it on, she found it strange that the dress fit her perfectly, as if it were tailor-made for her. She claims to later have heard water boiling, and seeing a doll’s dress float in front of Dandridge’s.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
The Haunted Touch
“Behind the Candelabra” (2013)
Actor Michael Douglas says he felt someone touching his shoulders while no one was around.
Night Terrors
“The Innkeepers” (2011)
During the making of the movie, the filmmaker claims to have seen doors opening and closing by themselves. Crewmembers were also having extremely terrifying and realistic dreams.
#1: The Ultimate Obsession
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“The Exorcist” (1973)
Known for being one of the most terrifying films of all time, The Exorcist has given nightmares to generations – including its entire film crew. Director William Friedkin had to have the set blessed by a priest many times, but the house it was filmed in still ended up burning down, delaying production by six weeks. The only room to survive the fire was that of the possessed little girl, Regan. And let’s not forget about the many injuries that occurred during the shooting, either. But given the major success that came afterward, it was probably well worth it.
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