Cursed Films is back for a second season on Shudder, and this week’s episode is focusing on the 1979 Russian movie Stalker.
I have to admit I had never heard of the movie until now, but I am very curious about it after watching this episode.
The feature was expected to start filming in 1977, but an earthquake derailed their plans. Therefore, they had to find new locations. And those locations might be why some believe it is cursed. That is because several of the people who worked on the production died of illnesses within ten years of its release, including two actors, a cinematographer, a photographer, the director, and his wife.
The earthquake was not the only delay they experienced while filming. Director Andrei Tarkovsky suffered a heart attack and spent four weeks in the hospital shortly after they started. If that was not enough, there was an error with the processing of the film, and they had to throw out weeks worth of work and start over again. That all happened when they were making the movie.
But there is one more reason why they say Stalker is cursed. Some say it predicted a disaster, one of epic proportions. Do you know which one it is? You will have to tune in to find out.
Then when you are done, you can watch the episodes of Cursed Films 2 about The Wizard of Oz and Rosemary’s Baby.
Two years ago, Shudder looked into five films, like Poltergeist and The Crow, that many people question if they were cursed. Cursed Films is back for a second season to look at five more movies, and they are starting it off with The Wizard of Oz, which is streaming now.
Believe it or not, when I was in elementary school, we studied how Buddy Ebsen had to drop out of the film. That is because the makeup team used real aluminum in his silver makeup to make him look like the Tin Man. The actor, who went on to star in Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby, suffered scarred lungs for the rest of his life. Mythbusters’ Adam Savage tries to figure out if that could happen.
Ebsen was not the only one who was left with scars, so was Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch. During one scene, the actress disappeared in a puff of smoke on camera. But, on the set, she was dropped down a tiny elevator as fire rose from it. The broom caught on fire, and she suffered burns on her hands and face. Her son described what she went through that night and how she hid her injuries from him because he was a toddler at the time.
Six weeks later, Hamilton returned to production, and they asked her to attempt another dangerous stunt. She was wise to refuse because her stunt double was injured, and she spent weeks in the hospital.
These were physical scars, but the Munchkins were also scarred when someone in the cast spread a rumor that they were partying in the hotel that they were staying out. That rumor haunted them for so long that it was the subject of a comedic movie that came out 40 years after The Wizard of Oz. The series talks to the director who made Under the Rainbow.
And then there was Judy Garland; need I say more. We learn how this movie could be what caused her life to end prematurely. Her daughter, Lorna Luft, explains how and if she blames the producers.
Finally, did one of the Munchkins really hang himself on the set? And was his lifeless body seen in the movie?
There is so much more, but these are just a few of the highlights from this episode. In the coming weeks, Cursed Films II will investigate if Rosemary’s Baby, Stalker, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and Cannibal Holocaust were cursed or plagued by coincidences?
I cannot praise this series enough. The first season still haunts me, especially the episode that they did on The Crow. That is because when the shooting happened on the set of Rust, I was like history is repeating itself, and it shouldn’t. You can watch that episode and the other four on Shudder now, along with Oz.
In 2020, Cursed Films on Shudder looked at five movies that had the reputation that they were most likely cursed. Those five features were Poltergeist, The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Omen, and The Crow.
The last film left such an impact on me that when the shooting on the set of Rust happened, I thought it should have been preventable because of what happened to Brandon Lee. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rust is featured during the third season.
Before we get to the third season, we have to watch the second one that starts streaming on April 7th. This year they are exploring what happened on the sets of The Wizard of Oz, Rosemary’s Baby, Stalker, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and Cannibal Holocaust.
Each of the episodes will include new interviews with FX expert and former Mythbusters host Adam Savage, Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, actor Bill Pullman, and director Ruggero Deodato, among many others. Along with the interviews, we will see behind-the-scenes videos from the movies, which could give credence that something supernatural occurred during filming.
I am really looking forward to this season because I have never seen most of these features, nor do I know their backstories. I never even heard of the movie Stalker.
If you are like me, and find all of this interesting it is so worth subscribing to AMC+ to get Shudder just to watch Cursed Films, and all of their scary Horror movies.
Creepshow is back with its third episode today, and they take on two topics that are popular in the Sci-Fi world.
In the first story, astronauts Alex (Ryan Kwanten) and Ted (Breckin Meyer) go up into Space. Alex’s father was the first man to walk on Mars, and he has had to live up to that legacy ever since.
While the two men are in orbit, they find out that aliens have sent a communication to Earth, and they want to meet. The President chooses Ted to talk to them. Alex will do anything to be the one who gets that chance. How far will he go? What do the aliens want to tell them?
Then, Lola (Maddie Nichols) goes to her high school guidance counselor Mrs. Porter (Molly Ringwald), and tells her that her brother Andy (Andrew Brodeur) is trying to kill her. Mrs. Potter doesn’t believe her. However, Lola is telling the truth. Why does he want his sister dead? All I will say is he has a good reason.
Creepshow is the rare horror vignette series that gets it right.
The first season of Creepshow was such a groundbreaking hit that Shudder brought it back for a second season. Today, the first episode debuts on the Horror streaming service, and it has two stories for you to enjoy.
The season starts off with a young boy who likes watching Horror movies with his ailing mom. Since his mon is dying, she asks her sister and her abusive husband to move in to help out. Shortly after they move in, his mother dies. His uncle starts getting abusive with him, and the little boy finds a way to deal with it via his horror movie friends and toys. You see where this is going. Model Kid stars Brock Duncan, Tyner Rushing, Jana Allen, Kevin Dillon, Chris Schmidt Jr., and Nick Morgan.
The next story takes place at a PBS affiliate. They even have a Bob Ross who works there, which turns out to be a good thing. You see, Ted Raimi brings a spellbook with him to his interview at the station. The host reads a spell aloud and summons a demonic spirit that takes control of them. The spirit starts killing everyone and taking over their bodies. Now it is up to the Bob Ross character with a military background to save the day and the world. Can the happy hippie painter become a badass? You just have to watch Public Television of the Dead that stars Mark Ashworth, Marissa Hampton, Coley Company, Ted Raimi, Todd Allen Durkin, and Peter Leak to find out.
Most series like this are cheap with boring stories; Creepshow is the complete opposite. Once I hit play, nothing could distract me. That is how good it is. Although, I didn’t like one of next week’s stories because it had bugs in it. I hate bugs. Love Creepshow, hate bugs.
