Cursed Films: Is the biggest Poltergeist theory true?

Shudder has dropped two more episodes of the new series Cursed Films, Poltergeist and The Omen. But Poltergeist is the stand out because of one wild theory. Is it true?

Cursed Films dropped on Shudder on April 2, with “The Exorcist.” The five-part documentary series exposes theories behind some of the most popular horror films that have long been surrounded by legends and curses. From strange bombings that happened while filming The Omen to creepy plane accidents that carried members of the movie crew, these are very strange tales!

However, it’s one of the latest episodes, “Poltergeist,” that truly has us scratching our heads! According to Cursed Films: Poltergeist, real skeletons were used in the making of the movie. Say what? It’s insane to think about, I know. But this is actually not a new claim. Reports that real skeletons were used have been around for years.

Snopes has reports and interviews from the design team and Poltergeist cast where they share that the skeletons are, in fact, very real. There’s a scene in the film where Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams) is dragged by skeletons in a muddy pool. According to the source, while filming, Williams believed the skeletons were props.

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Williams recalls, “I thought [the skeletons] were plastic, but later found out they were real skeletons. It was a real nightmare.” Imagine that! It’s easy to see why the cast wasn’t aware until after.

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In Cursed Films: Poltergeist, several members of the crew share their frightening experiences and once again reveal that the skeletons were very real. As it turns out, the budget to make realistic props to use for various takes just wasn’t there, so the crew bought real skeletons from a medical and science supply company back in the 1980s.

Supposedly, many other films, especially low-budget features, did the same thing. It makes you wonder! Watch Cursed Films: Poltergeist today.

The first three episodes of Cursed Films are now streaming on Shudder.