Over the years, the curse of the Poltergeist movies has been one of the most retold rumors in Hollywood; three films in the franchise, four of the principal actors dead within years- or even months- of the films' release. Now, we all know the Poltergeist films were not done on or strictly for Halloween, but the spooky stories on and off the set are said to have been the result of some sinister props that set off a gory chain of events.

In 1982, months after the release of the first Poltergeist, Dominique Dunne (the older sister) was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend. In 1985, Julian Beck (the "bad spirit") of Poltergeist II died of stomach cancer. ​​​​​​​In 1987, Will Sampson (the "good spirit") of Poltergeist II died after a heart-lung transplant failed to take. ​​​​​​​Finally (so far), in 1988, Heather O'Rourke, who appeared in all three films, died of a septic infection that caused severe bowel blockage. She went through all the filming of Poltergeist III with symptoms of the condition, and eventually died of cardiac arrest en route to the hospital to remove the blockage. She was 12.

People die, yes, but why so many from this one franchise? Was something done on the sets of the film to anger the spirit world? Was something done to tempt the ire of other world while filming the movies? It was all in the props.

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As has been revealed in interviews with the surviving cast and crew over the years, real bones were used as set decorations in Poltergeist I and II. A weird fact that was not revealed to the actors in the first movie until they had already filmed their scenes, and which led to actor Will Samson performing a ritual on the set of the second movie to exorcise the spirits that might be present during filming.