Anna Daniels
Cursed Films, Shudder’s new series about the urban legends surrounding classic horror films, is a must-watch. They’ve already debuted an episode on The Exorcist, and this week they’ll be premiering a new ep devoted to Richard Donner’s 1976 classic, The Omen. We’re debuting an exclusive Cursed Films clip that features Donner and more talking about some of the spooky happenings that surrounded The Omen‘s production.
Cursed Films Clip
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc9jyDm7HTw?feature=oembed&w=740&h=416]
Do you believe in curses? I don’t, but I sure love hearing about them. Especially when they’re curses associated with classic horror films. Shudder’s new series Cursed Films covers this very topic, and it’s a wonderful show. Rather than just sensationalize the material, the series – directed by Jay Cheel – actually takes the time to dig for the truth, and get to the bottom of it all.
One of this week’s new Cursed Films episodes focuses on The Omen, and in the clip above, you can hear all about the admittedly alarming amount of plane-related mishaps surrounding the pic. We learn that star Gregory Peck’s plane was struck by lightning when he was flying to England to shoot the film. Then, just a few days later, screenwriter David Seltzer was also flying to England and his plane was also struck by lightning. Lastly, we learn that still another plane Peck was supposed to be on actually crashed. And not just crashed, but crashed into a car carrying the wife and child of the plane’s pilot. Is that extremely bad luck…or the work of a sinister, supernatural curse? Cue the spooky Jerry Goldsmith music.
Cursed Films is a “five-part documentary series that explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously “cursed” horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen, to the rumored use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary amongst film fans and filmmakers alike. But where does the truth lie? Cursed Films reveals the events that haunted these productions through interviews with experts, witnesses and the cast, directors and producers who lived through the real-life events. Were these films really cursed, as many believe, or just the victims of bad luck and bizarre circumstances?”
The episode devoted to The Omen (and another episode focusing on Poltergeist) premieres on Shudder April 9.
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