The 1982 movie poltergeist used real skeletons as – tymoff
Poltergeist, the ubiquitous masterpiece in supernatural horror, directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg orginally released in 1982. The movie kept its toehold with suspenseful mojo, creepy visual effects and some spine-tingling stuff that burn into the eyes of audience. But one detail still remains in the minds of fans and cinema historians to this day — that human bones were used instead of mock-ups during one of the notable scenes from fil. Those bombshells have set off a storm of debate and will no doubt add to the legend of this film.
In this feature, we delve into the real story behind using real skeletons in Poltergeist, its moral ramifications and how this creepy detail has helped the film’s immortality. We will also take a look at whether this was routine in Hollywood, or an unusual move.
The Infamous Pool Scene & Skeleton Debate
During one of the film’s most iconic scenes, JoBeth Williams’ character Diane Freeling becomes trapped in a muddy, waterlogged pool that has been upturned by the spirits intent on haunting her family’s home. What comes out as she tries to get up, horrifying medieval skeletons push their ninth hour into the water and on her. It is a realistic scene of horror and for years it was believed that the skeletons were props or rubber.
Yet almost immediately after the film came out, rumors started that the skeletons were real and not man-made. Real human skeletons, according to some reports, because it was cheaper than a high-end life-like prop. JoBeth Williams eventually verified this in a few interviews and it flabbergasted fans of the series.
Although it was not immediately known that real skeletons had been used, the legend grew over time and became irrevocably intertwined with something called the “Poltergeist Curse,” a history of grisly coincidences–dead actors and crew members befalling fates just as cruel as on screen, all were blamed on an angry spirit or spirits dwelling within the prints themselves.
Why Were Real Skeletons Used?
This might sound odd from a cultural standpoint today, but using real skeletons in Poltergeist was not that strange back in the day In the early days of cinema skeletonized remains were often used in film productions because actual skeletons made good props (better and cheaper than budgeting for polymer or resin models).
Because it was not cost-effective during the 80s as special effects technology had only progressed so far to create totally passable faux skeletons. Credit:Of all the versions, this one reports that real skeletons were cheaper to use — and nobody who worked on the film expected it would be a scandal decades down the line.
Craig Reardon, the special effects artist who won an Emmy for his work on Poltergeist (and also worked on the Mothers-day wolf puppets) said in regards to whether or not they were allowed/used, real skeletons were everywhere to be had during this time — especially ones from India like he believes these came from. “Those came from India, but they were through a medical supply company—it’s one of the standard sort of practices in industry,” Reardon said.
Again, one would think that using actual human bones was simply a logistical choice and not that much of an ethicial test — but what the hell do I know. Still, the news struck a cultural and emotional chord that made its revelations one of the most reviled pieces of fan service committed to celluloid in recent years, particularly as audiences and fans of horror began to make more noise about certain standards with which they expect filmmakers to follow.
Real Skeletons: Ethical Concerns
Though it may have been inexpensive, the issue of ethics when employing actual human remains in Poltergeist has unfortunately only gotten worse over time. This is now widely considered in very poor taste and unthinkable, the use of human remains in this regard without clear intent to that end.
And then there is the emotional / psychological damage. Imperial viewers squeamish at the thought of human remains being used for amusement need be in no doubt that what they are listening to is for real. Even though the very existence of real skeletons makes the film even scarier, one has to wonder how filmmakers should treat subject matter as delicate as human remains.
During the decades after Poltergeist, Hollywood got a lot smarter about such things — lending and using real-life human remains — and restrictions on both have grown progressively tighter. As it stands today nearly all usage of real skeletons in film production would face severe condemnation and legal ramifications.
The “Poltergeist Curse”
Their employment of real skeletons in Poltergeist has added to one of the film’s most lasting legends: that of the so-called ‘Poltergeist Curse. It is thought by some to be cursed following a string of tragic misfortunes that befell cast members in the decades since the movie was released.
By then, Prey had earned Elser a reputation as the bad boys of heavy rock.Its connection to deceased child actress Heather O’Rourke 12 was the most well-known tragedy.>(() It) tangled up real life and Ancient Leglland many years later. The movie played in theaters and Dominique Dunne, who played Dana her older sister, was killed by her ex-boyfriend shortly after the premire. Rumors had that the spirits of those whose bones were thrown into the film were really taking their revulsion on the cast and crew.
Of course, almost all of the logical explanations for these events involve nothing more nefarious than strange coincidences or unusual mental illness, but the myth of the Poltergeist Curse is now an indelible part of the film’s legacy. This has added an extra level of creepiness among fans, who think using real skeletons might have somehow upset the spirits in some form.
Hollywood’s Well-Known Practices
While using real bones now feels a bit jarring, such a practice was not unheard of during Hollywood’s infancy. In fact, skeletons were often obtained from medical supply companies that supplied human remains for use to teach and study anatomy. Hollywood — and the horror genre, in particular — then cannibalized these skeletons for film use.
Some of the most iconic horror films ever came from Hollywood used actual human parts to make. Moreover, other films that are rumored to have used actual human skeletons, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), have not been quite as well-documented.
However, over the last few years, the film industry has adapted to a more ethical approach of high quality props and digital effects that make everything look realistic yet are very much contextually appropriate. A major film today would be lucky to use actual human remains in a movie without being met with countless lawsuits and the sourest of sensationalist journalism.
The Long-term Implication for the Film
That real skeletons were used in Poltergeist came as an even bigger shock, really adding to the mystery (and horror) of the series. It never ceases to be enough for one average viewer: the fact that an actual human skeleton was used in the most intense scene of all gives it a kind of visceral response that really elevates how powerful this movie can come across. It also raises the question if there is a line which horror filmmakers should not cross just to achieve realism.
Certainly as much about those concerns, if not more so, than the on-screen thrills it delivers, Poltergeist is one of those horror classics with such a dark history that its very existence seems cursed. The ethical altercation of actually using real skeletons in the film has embedded itself as a piece of cultural history, never letting us forget that our standards for filmmaking change and would be applied to past classics — if always subject to debate.
Conclusion
Poltergeist 1982 is now considered a horror classic with its use of genuine skeletons for many key moments in the film being brought up to cause discussion and debate over the years. Although the choice to use human remains may well have been pragmatic in its day, it has inherent ethical complications.
On one hand, Poltergeist is a fascinating time piece, the line between aesthetic realism and moral obligation. With flexible realities in the film industry growing increasingly normal, such practices will hopefully be regarded as remnants of a more unsatisfactory time—a spooky update that mists of Hollywood have now and then eclipsed insurances of poise and (fundamental) mankind.
