EP 141 - The Curse & True story of the Poltergeist!

To wrap up our series of the true stories behind scary movies for the Halloween season we are going to look into the movie Poltergeist. We didn’t just find the true story, but we uncovered an alleged curse haunting the cast. So in this episode we learn about how the Herrmann family went through their own version of a poltergeist. And then there's this curse, so apparently the cast has been afflicted by an eerie feeling from being part of this classic film and then there are other accounts of 6 people who had life threatening or ending situations. Now with all that said it's time for us to get into this week's episode.    

The Herrmann Family

LIFE Magazine Article

THE CAST LINKED TO THE CURSE

HEATHER O'ROURKE

DOMINIQUE DUNNE

JULIAN BECK

WILL SAMPSON

The Skeleton pool scene

SOURCE MATERIALS:

For the story:

1. Psychology Today. (n.d.). Parapsychology. Psychology Today. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/parapsychology?amp

2. Britannica. (2023, September 25). J.B. Rhine | Psychic Research, ESP & Parapsychology. Britannica. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-B-Rhine

3. Ghost Walks. (2022, March 9). The Real Poltergeist | Ghost Story behind the 80's Movie. Ghost Walks. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://ghostwalks.com/articles/real-poltergeist-ghost-story#google_vignette

4. Ferlita, G. (2022, October 25). Four actors in Poltergeist died and people think the film is 'cursed'. UNILAD. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/curse-poltergeist-movie-cast-20221025

5. Panos, M. (2022, October 28). Poltergeist Movie Curse True Story. POPSUGAR. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.popsugar.com/amphtml/entertainment/poltergeist-curse-true-story-37392582

6. Mythgyaan. (2023, September 10). Full Story of John Thomas Sweeney Who Killed Actress Dominique Dunne But Served Only Three and Half Years in Prison. Mythgyaan. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://mythgyaan.com/dominique-dunne-killer-john-thomas-sweeney/#google_vignette

7. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. (n.d.). What Is Crohn's Disease? Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-crohns-disease

8. Columbia University Department of Surgery. (n.d.). Congenital Malformations of the Digestive Tract | Conditions and Treatments | Division of Pediatric Surgery. Columbia University Department of Surgery. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/congenital-malformations-of-the-digestive-tract

9. White, M. (2020, June 17). The 'Poltergeist' Curse: Inside the Mysterious Cast Deaths and Oddities On Set. Biography (Bio.). Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/the-poltergeist-curse-its-heeere

10. Russell, C. (2022, October 22). The eerie true story behind Steven Spielberg's 'Poltergeist'. Far Out Magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/terrifying-true-story-steven-spielberg-poltergeist/

11. Cioffi, R. (2023, September 28). The Horrifying True Story That Inspired Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist. Screen Rant. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://screenrant.com/poltergeist-movie-true-story-inspirations-herrmann-house/

12. Sengwe, S., & Tackett, M. (2023, October 30). Horror Movies Based on Real-Life Stories. People. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://people.com/horror-movies-based-on-real-life-stories-8362841

For the Video:

1. Henderson, A. (2014, February 28). Poltergeist (1982) Official Trailer - JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson Horror Movie HD. YouTube. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://youtu.be/9eZgEKjYJqA

For the Image:

1. Oklahoma Historical Society. (n.d.). Sampson, William | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=SA012

2. The Movie Database. (n.d.). Julian Beck — The Movie Database (TMDB). The Movie Database. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.themoviedb.org/person/130723-julian-beck

3. Pilato, H. J. (2022, November 13). Dominique Dunne: The Tragic Death of the "Poltergeist" Star | Herbie J Pilato. NewsBreak Original. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://original.newsbreak.com/@herbie-j-pilato-1590342/2818572339479-dominique-dunne-the-tragic-death-of-the-poltergeist-star

4. The Heather O'Rourke Forest Conservation. (n.d.). The Heather O' - Life, Memorial, Life, Donation | The Heather O'. The Heather O'Rourke Forest Conservation. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://heatherorourkefc.org/about-heather

5. Ghost Walks. (2022, March 9). The Real Poltergeist | Ghost Story behind the 80's Movie. Ghost Walks. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://ghostwalks.com/articles/real-poltergeist-ghost-story

6. SHOP. (2022, October 2). Review: Poltergeist Slant Magazine. SHOP. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://bmxlovesk.xyz/product_details/7584635.html

7. Vidiots. (n.d.). Poltergeist – Vidiots. Vidiots. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://vidiotsfoundation.org/movies/poltergeist/