Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Momo and Okarun share a close moment in Dandadan

    Momo And Okarun: The Gold Standard For Shonen Romance

    07/03/2025
    Ironheart Episodes 4 6 But Why Tho 1

    ‘Ironheart’ Explained: Explore MCU’s Bold New Chapter

    07/01/2025
    Buck in 9-1-1

    ‘9-1-1’ Has To Let Buck Say Bisexual

    06/29/2025
    Nintendo Welcome Tour promotional image of the maraca mini-game

    The One “Game” That Justifies The Nintendo Switch 2 Purchase

    06/25/2025
    Destiel Confession in Supernatural - Castiel (Misha Collins) and Dean (Jensen Ackles)

    The Destiel Confession: The Lasting Importance Of Supernatural’s Greatest Ship

    06/22/2025
  • Squid Game
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
But Why Tho?
Home » TV » REVIEW: ‘Cursed Films’ Episode 2 — “Poltergeist”

REVIEW: ‘Cursed Films’ Episode 2 — “Poltergeist”

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez04/09/20204 Mins ReadUpdated:12/23/2023
Cursed Films Episode 2
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series that explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously “cursed” horror film productions. It is produced and released exclusively on Shudder, AMC’s premier genre streaming platform. Cursed Films reveals the events that haunted these productions through interviews with experts, witnesses, the cast, directors, and producers who lived through the real-life events. In its debut episode, “The Exorcist,” we got to see how the series aims to not only answer if the films were really cursed, but to dig deep into the facts around the events that led to urban legends. Now, in episode two, Jay Cheel tackles Poltergeist. 

After the last episode, it’s clear that if you’re just looking for shocks and verification of fan theory curses, this isn’t the docuseries for you. That said, what Cursed Films does in this episode is solidify that the series aims to shine a light on what people bring into these urban legends and the impact that causes on the casts and crews of those films. This is no truer than when you look at the tragedy that surrounded the Poltergeist franchise. While the film franchise is believed to be cursed because of human skeletons on set, something that episode quickly debunks by explaining that human skeletons have been used across Hollywood, this episode offers the very tragic and human stories of those involved and, by doing this made me regret every conversation I had about this “cursed film.”

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

While the human skeletons are a fun fact, the many deaths of different cast members are what macabre horror fans are drawn to when discussing the Poltergeist franchise’s history. Over the course of three films, four of the cast members passed. Will Sampson died from a chronic heart condition, and Julian Beck from cancer, both older in age. Their deaths are a part of the legacy but rarely receive the amount of attention that the others do. While they’re no less a tragedy for the cast and crew of Poltergeist, the talk about curses is seen as complete disrespect, given the deaths of Dominique Dunne and Heather O’Rourke. Dunne was a young woman from a family of actors who was killed by an abusive ex-boyfriend and O’Rourke was a child who was misdiagnosed with Crohn’s Disease which led to her death.

Having listened to true crime, I knew the background of Dunn’s death, but watching those who knew her discuss it, it hit with an all-new weight. It wasn’t just because of her murder; it was because Cheel focused on those close to her, those who worked with her, who knew her, and those who were hurt by fans dismissal of her murder to just a curse. The same was true for the loss of O’Rourke during the filming of Poltergeist III. When speaking with the director and others involved, it was clear how much each death had affected them and specifically how O’Rourke’s led the director, Gary Sherman, to attempt to cancel the film.

As a viewer and a horror fan, watching their pain on screen highlighted the human toll of fan urban legends. It hurt them to talk about the “curse” and to see their friends reduced to just an urban legend for fans to gossip about. In fact, I needed to stop the episode during this section, reflecting on how many times I had contributed to this narrative and just how much I missed the forest behind the trees when discussing the tragedy of the franchise. It was a tragedy, not a curse, and it deserves that respect.

Beyond discussion around the deaths of the cast, Cheel also dives into how fans imbue screen-used objects with power, fear, and more. Additionally, he includes a look at how the house used in Poltergeist has become a spot of pilgrimage for horror fans of every age. As I was watching, I brought back to my time in grad school studying the power of pop culture on people’s lives and how some have religious attitudes towards it. For this episode of Cursed Films, it’s clear that there are sacred objects for fans and that the pilgrimage that gives them a sense of completion and identity in the fandom. This fits into how David Chidester presented pop culture as religion in his book Authentic Fakes which explores the religious dimensions of American popular culture in unexpected places, from baseball, the Human Genome Project, rock’n’roll, and more.

Overall, Cursed Films is a necessary series for horror fans, and in episode 2, “Poltergeist,” it offers up the human cost to fan exaggeration that I never expected. There isn’t a moral plea to stop with cursed myths, but there is a presentation of reality on set that pushes against our ideas as fans and leaves us to decide on what conversation to be involved in.

Cursed Films is available on Shudder and AMC+.

Cursed Films, Episode 2 - "Poltergeist"
  • 10/10
    Cursed Films, Episode 2 - "Poltergeist" - 10/10
10/10

TL;DR

Cursed Films is a necessary series for horror fans, and in episode 2, “Poltergeist,” it offers up the human cost to fan exaggeration that I never expected. There isn’t a moral plea to stop with cursed myths, but there is a presentation of reality on set that pushes against our ideas as fans and leaves us to decide on what conversation to be involved in.

  • Grab a Shudder Subscription via Our Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘One Day at a Time,’ Season 4, Episode 3 – “Boundaries”
Next Article Underrated Shonen Jump Manga to Start Reading Right Now
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

07/03/2025
Anthony Ramos in Ironheart Episodes 4-6

REVIEW: ‘Ironheart’ Episodes 4-6

07/01/2025
The Bear Season 4 But Why Tho 3
7.0

REVIEW: ‘The Bear’ Season 4 Tries to Bounce Back

06/30/2025
Squid Game Season 3
9.5

REVIEW: ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Delivers An Emotion-Filled Finale

06/27/2025
Taecyeon in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 5-6
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 5-6

06/26/2025
Cho Yi-hyun in Head Over Heels Episodes 1-2
8.0

REVIEW: ‘Head Over Heels’ Episodes 1-2

06/24/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Alice In Borderland Season 3 promotional key image News

Netflix Announces Alice in Borderland Season 3 for September 25 Premiere

By But Why Tho?07/08/2025

Netflix has announced that the highly anticipated Alice in Borderland Season 3 will premiere on…

Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8
7.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 7-8

By Sarah Musnicky07/03/2025

The First Night With The Duke Episodes 7-8 spends welcome time in pre-domestic bliss before new developments stir up trouble.

Superman Saves a Kid in Superman (2025)
7.0
Film

REVIEW: ‘Superman (2025)’ Is Wonderful And Flawed, Just Like He Is

By Jason Flatt07/08/2025Updated:07/08/2025

Superman (2025) is wonderful and flawed, just like the Man of Steel himself, as Lex Luthor devises a convoluted plot to kill Superman.

Nintendo Switch 2 product keyart
8.5
Product Review

PRODUCT REVIEW: A Month With The Switch 2 And It’s Still The Best Console Nintendo Has Released

By Kate Sánchez07/08/2025Updated:07/08/2025

After a month with the Nintendo Switch 2, the Joy-Con 2 is a standout, and the accessibility I found, even unintentional means a lot.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here