Hollywood is somewhat notorious for horrifying real-life experiences that happen behind the scenes of filming. Between historically awful regulations for actors, like using real asbestos on the set of The Wizard of Oz, to accidental deaths happening on set, the land of cinema is not always made of dreams.

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Horror movies, in particular, get a bad reputation because of their connection with all things spooky and murderous. Within horror, there lies a vicious circle of myths and theories that surround some of its biggest movies and franchises. Most of the time these theories are just that – sometimes though, it seems that there is an air of truth.

The Cursed Set – 'Poltergeist' Trilogy (1982)

Carol Anne looking at the television in 'Poltergeist.'
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The stories surrounding Poltergeist and its sequels have largely overshadowed the movies themselves. People who have never even seen the films have heard the rumors that the set was cursed from start to finish.

Many of the films' actors ended up passing away during, or shortly after, filming. Dominique Dunn played the older sister in the first Poltergeist movie and was sadly murdered a few months after its release. Her platinum-haired little sister in the film, Heather O'Rourke, died of toxic shock on the set of the third movie due to a misdiagnosed chronic illness. Two more cast members also died, actor Will Sampson passed from kidney failure after he performed a real-life exorcism on the set, and Julian Beck died of stomach cancer months before the release.

The Found Footage Was Real – 'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)

Found footage in 'The Blair Witch Project.'

For those who were around during the marketing campaign and subsequent release of The Blair Witch Project, you'll remember how real the rumors surrounding the movie seemed. Although found footage movies existed before it, The Blair Witch Project turned the horror genre into a cultural phenomenon.

At the time of its release, found footage-style films were few and far between, which ensured that many audiences mistook the movie to be a legitimate documentary. The film's team even created fake news stories on the internet that corroborated the film's events. While it's now known that the myth was perpetuated by the film's producers as a marketing ploy, many still believe the footage is real.

Brandon Lee's Death is Shown – 'The Crow' (1994)

Eric Draven in The Crow

As one of the saddest controversies in film, Brandon Lee's death on the set of The Crow still hangs over Hollywood to this day. Despite Lee's tragic death, the movie has cultivated a cult following and remains a bewitching example of a gothic horror revenge story.

Its beloved star was accidentally killed on set during the middle of filming. Production was being rushed and the prop department failed to notice a live dummy bullet remained lodged in the barrel of a gun. Upon the movie's release, there was immediate speculation that the film's director used the actual footage of Lee's death to bring realism to the film. In reality, the footage of his death was destroyed.

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Haunted by Real Ghosts – 'The Conjuring' (2013)

Carolyn Perron holding a match and looking into the basement in 'The Conjuring.'

The Conjuring procured many rumors during its release due to it being based on real events and real people. The part that scared audiences most though was how the movie's cast admitted to being actually haunted during filming.

The movie was filmed at a rustic farmhouse in Rhode Island, one of the scariest horror movie locations. What's even scarier though are the terrifying stories that the cast told during production. According to Vera Farmiga, she saw claw marks on her computer screen during filming, and the same claw marks appeared on her leg shortly after. Shanley Coswell also said that every time she woke up, she felt like she was being watched.

The Movie is About Cancer – 'Annihilation' (2018)

Lena investigating an alligator in the Shimmer in 'Annhilation.'
Image via Netflix

Alex Garland's follow-up to the brilliant Ex Machina became one of the best horror movies of 2018. Annihilation is filled with body horror, excruciating portrayals of animal-human hybrids, and a truly unsettling ending.

One of the most bone-chilling interpretations of Annihilation is that the movie is portraying cancer instead of aliens. It is made clear that the Shimmer, a quarantined zone full of strange and otherworldly circumstances, can refract and mutate cells. Because of this, there have been hypotheses about how it is depicting cancer, partly because of how Annihilation perfectly portrays the human body's tragic self-destructive proclivities.

Michael Myers is the Antichrist – 'Halloween' (1978)

Michael Myers with his butcher's knife at the top of the stairs in 'Halloween.'

Michael Myers is one of the most iconic characters in horror. He is one of the best villains that lives to kill again and again. Many fans wonder how he keeps coming back, despite being burned alive more than a couple of times and even shot to pieces with a shotgun.

Writer, Daniel Farrands, of Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers was the first to introduce the idea of Myers' supernatural origins. Instead of just being a brutal serial killer, Farrand established the Cult of Thorn, a Samhain cult that imbues baby Michael with supernatural abilities. But fans have taken it even further with the theory that Myers is the Antichrist. His roots parallel those of Damien from The Omen, marked from birth to murder and possessing a power that is likely from the devil himself.

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The Curse is Real – 'Noroi: The Curse' (2005)

The monster in 'Noroi the Curse.'
Image Via Cathay-Keris Films

Noroi: The Curse is yet another found footage film that made audiences believe that its footage was real. Much like The Blair Witch Project, the Japanese movie prided itself in creating its own urban legend status.

After its release, the movie remained unavailable to watch in the United States until 2020. Because of this, stories about the movie spread like wildfire on the internet regarding the reason why it was legally unavailable. It was said to be one of the most disturbing found footage films ever made and the movie was banned in the U.S. because of its roots in reality: the curse in the film was real.

Cannibalism Actually Happened – 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)

Leatherface carrying his chainsaw in 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.'
Image via Bryanston Pictures

At the time of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's release, many people believed the film was based on a real-life story because of the home release synopsis that read, “This video cassette is based on a true incident.”

The tagline was only slightly accurate though. Leatherface and his family of cannibalism never existed. The movie was based on the serial killer, Ed Gein, who exhumed corpses from graveyards and fashioned keepsakes from their bones and skin. He notoriously made lampshades out of human skin and soup bowls out of skulls. There were no cannibalistic endeavors found in Gein's crimes though.

A Demon Visited the Set – 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' (2005)

Emily being pulled above her bed by a demon in 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose.'

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is one of the most terrifying supernatural religious horror movies ever made. The movie stars Jennifer Carpenter as Emily, a woman possessed by a demon. It is loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a teenager who died during an exorcism in 1976.

The set was reportedly haunted by its own demon as well. Carpenter has said that during filming, her radio would turn on and off by itself, only playing the part of the Pearl Jam song, “Alive,” that goes “I'm still alive” over and over again. She believed that it was a demon trying to speak to her.

There's a Much Deeper Hidden Message – 'Donnie Darko' (2001)

Donnie Darko, Gretchen, and Frank the Rabbit sitting down in the movie theater in 'Donnie Darko.'

Donnie Darko is a cult favorite among horror fans. The suburban surrealist gothic film follows a teenager who sleepwalks out of his house one night to meet a demonic-looking giant rabbit named Frank. Frank tells him that the world will end in 28 days.

The film's ending ensures that people will be talking about it long after watching. What is with the giant, demonic rabbit? Is Donnie actually dead? Or was it all just a message about... drunk driving? To some, the latter is their chosen belief. In the film, the Halloween carnival is sponsored by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Gretchen dies after being hit by a drunk driver, and director Richard Kelly even fully accepts the theory

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