10 Morbid Facts About Big Hollywood Blockbusters

Often referred to as the land of fallen angels, Hollywood is a place of mystery where rumors and secrets abound. The quintessential showbiz directive, “The show must go on!” isn’t just for play-acting, but applies just as strictly to the moviemaking process. Throughout the decades that have passed since Los Angeles became the entertainment capital of the world, various productions have been struck by terrors and tragedies which the audience would never suspect, based on the shiny final products.

Deaths, disasters, accidents, and other unthinkable happenings have tragically plagued even the cheeriest, most heartwarming films. Many fans have heard the various morose tales from the set of The Wizard of Oz, a beloved family feature with universally timeless appeal, but there are several more famous classics over which a similarly dark shadow has been cast. Read on to see Movie Web’s ranking 10 of the most chilling movie facts you might not have heard about.

10

The ‘Dune’ Body Bags

Director David Lynch’s 1984 hit, Dune, is an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel set in a faraway future where aristocratic families fight for control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the rare spice melange. The fantasy success has recently inspired a remake starring Timothée Chalamet
of Call Me By Your Name fame, alongside Disney protégée Zendaya.

The movie’s costume designer, Bob Ringwood, made a rather macabre choice for the Spacing Guild’s outfits by using actual bodybags which were sourced from a San Diego fire station. The bags, which had been painted with tar, were selected for their handy canvas material and webbed banding which worked perfectly to create the Guild members’ uniforms.

The creepiest aspect of this costuming decision was the fact that the body bags undoubtedly formerly contained real human remains. Even more surprising is the fact that the actors were not aware of the origins of their costumes until filming was already underway. The up-cycling of the body bags is an example of the inventive, and at times desperate, lengths to which the film’s creators went in order to complete the project within the allotted time and budget. Some would call the unorthodox move ingenious, while many others would say the designers went too far.

9

The ‘Poltergeist’ Skeletons

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Release Date

June 4, 1982

The original Poltergeist movie, released in 1982 and directed by Tobe Hooper, is a classic supernatural horror film that explores the terrifying experiences of the Freeling family, who live in a suburban community built over a former cemetery. One of the project’s most memorable moments is a tense scene in which actress JoBeth Williams, who plays Diane Freeling, is in a swimming pool surrounded by spooky skeletons.

What many viewers at the time, and even the actress herself, did not know was that the skeletons were derived from real human bodies. The skeletons were apparently selected for their authentic appearance and affordability over synthetic bones. It was only several years after filming that the actress learned the truth about the origins of her creepy onscreen companions. But where did the skeletons come from? Special effects makeup artist Craig Reardon alleged they were acquired from India, where they were commonly used for educational study.

8

The Spooky Inspirations for ‘Into the Woods’

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Release Date

December 25, 2014

Runtime

125minutes

Into the Woods (2014) is a musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall, adapted from Stephen Sondheim’s stage musical of the same name. The story intertwines several classic fairy tales, including those of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel, exploring themes of desire, consequence, and the complexities of life. The film stars Twilight supporting actress Anna Kendrick alongside a star-studded cast which includes Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp.

The PG-rated fairy tale has a haunting mood and incorporates darker themes than the typical Disney fare. One of the film’s most unsettling moments is the scene in which the evil stepsisters are attempting to fit their feet into the glass slipper, which is re-imagined to be much different from Disney’s original 1950 cartoon version of Cinderella.

In this sinister musical version, Florinda cuts off her toes in an attempt to fit the slipper, and her sister meanwhile cuts off a part of her heel. Viewers might be surprised to learn that the scenes of self-mutilation were inspired by the Brothers Grimm original telling of the tale.

7

‘The Abyss’ Director’s Near Drowning

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Release Date

August 9, 1989

Runtime

140 minutes

The Abyss (1989) is a science fiction adventure film that follows a team of civilian divers led by Bud Brigman, who are enlisted by the U.S. Navy to help search for a missing nuclear submarine. The mission takes place deep underwater at the edge of an oceanic trench, where their drilling platform serves as the base of operations. The film is notable for its groundbreaking underwater cinematography, practical effects, and its themes of human resilience, love, and the possibility of peaceful first contact with alien life.

A harrowing secret from the film’s set is that director James Cameron nearly died during the making of the movie. During the shooting of one scene in which Cameron was wearing heavy weights so he could film underwater, his oxygen tank unexpectedly ran out of air. A safety diver tried to put a regulator in the director’s mouth, but this didn’t work. The Hollywood legend, who is best known for directing Titanic, was able to swim to the surface, breaking into the air at the last second.

6

The Onset Torment of ‘The Wizard of Oz’

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Release Date

August 25, 1939

Runtime

102 minutes

Cast

Margaret Hamilton
, Jack Haley
, Judy Garland
, Bert Lahr
, Ray Bolger

Based on a popular children’s novel, director Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl who is transported by a tornado to the magical Land of Oz. After her house lands and accidentally kills the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy receives the witch’s magical ruby slippers from Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. To return home, Dorothy must travel to the Emerald City to seek help from the mysterious Wizard of Oz.

This heartwarming family classic has a very dark side, and is one of the most well-known examples of a Hollywood film that was mired in controversy and chaos. Margaret Hamilton, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered severe burns in a fire accident while filming the scene where she appears in an inferno of flames and smoke. Another actor was subjected to suffering due to the toxic paint that was used to color the character of the Tin Man.

The health harms were so serious that a hospitalization forced him to drop out of filming, and he was replaced by Jack Haley, who struggled in the aluminum-based makeup as well. Despite the metal’s well-documented human toxicity and ability to leech into foods at oven heats, aluminum foil and pans are alarmingly still sold and used for cooking to this day. One more disturbing detail is that the film used asbestos as a prop for snow.

5

The ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Hijacking Controversy

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Release Date

June 21, 2002

Runtime

85 minutes

Set to have a live-action remake released in 2025, Lilo and Stitch is a 2002 Disney animated film that tells the story of a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo and an alien creature called Experiment 626 (later named Stitch). The film begins when Stitch, a destructive alien experiment created by scientist Jumba Jookiba, escapes custody and crash-lands on Hawaii. To avoid capture, he disguises himself as a dog and is adopted from an animal shelter by Lilo, a lonely little girl being raised by her older sister Nani after their parents’ death.

The film’s 2002 release coincided uncomfortably close with the terror attack of 9/11 which decimated the Twin Towers and struck the Pentagon. The tragedy caused one of the movie’s scenes to be altered. The original version featured Stitch hijacking a 747-passenger plane and flying it through a city. After the events of September 11, 2001, Disney modified this sequence significantly. In the revised theatrical version, Stitch instead pilots a spaceship, and the background was changed from a city to mountains. The sequence’s core purpose of showing Stitch’s escape remained intact, but the specific visuals were altered to be more sensitive to recent events.

4

The Celebrity Fatality of ‘The Crow’

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Release Date

May 11, 1994

Runtime

102 Minutes

Cast

Brandon Lee
, Rochelle Davis
, Ernie Hudson
, Michael Wincott
, Bai Ling
, Sofia Shinas
, Anna Thomson
, David Patrick Kelly
, Angel David
, Laurence Mason
, michael massee
, Tony Todd
, Jon Polito
, Bill Raymond
, Marco Rodríguez
, Kim Sykes
, Rock Taulbee
, Norman Max Maxwell
, Jeff Cadiente
, Henry Kingi Jr.
, Erik Stabenau
, Cassandra Lawton
, Lou Criscuolo
, Todd Brenner
, Joe West
, Thomas Rosales Jr.
, Jeff Imada
, Tierre Turner
, Tim Parati

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1994’s The Crow is a dark supernatural thriller based on James O’Barr’s comic book series. The story follows Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), a rock musician who is brutally murdered along with his fiancée Shelly Webster on the night before their wedding, known as “Devil’s Night” in a crime-ridden Detroit. One year later, Eric is resurrected by a mysterious crow and given supernatural powers, including immortality and the ability to feel the pain of others through touch.

The film has become a cult classic, particularly remembered for the heartbreaking death of star Brandon Lee, who was tragically killed in an on-set accident during filming. The incident occurred when a prop gun was supposed to be loaded with blank rounds, but due to a series of errors, a real bullet fragment was lodged in the barrel of the gun. When the blank round was fired, it propelled the fragment into Lee’s abdomen. He was rushed to the hospital but died after several hours of surgery. He was only 28 years old.

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3

The True Story from ‘Jaws’

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Release Date

June 18, 1975

Runtime

124 minutes

Legendary director Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is a ’70s masterpiece about a great white shark that wreaks havoc in a small New England beach town. The killer shark presents a puzzling challenge for the sheriff, who is joined by a marine biologist and a seasoned sailor to fight the hungry beast.

One character’s storyline reflects a real-life tragedy: Quint’s monologue in Jaws recounts the harrowing true story of the USS Indianapolis, a significant event from World War II. This tragic narrative is central to understanding Quint’s character and his deep-seated fear and hatred of sharks.

2

$1000 Bee Stings in ‘Candyman’

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Candyman

Release Date

October 16, 1992

Runtime

100 Minutes

Candyman (1992) is a gothic horror film that follows Helen Lyle, a graduate student researching urban legends in Chicago. While studying local folklore at the notorious Cabrini-Green housing project, she becomes obsessed with the legend of the Candyman – a vengeful spirit with a hook for a hand who appears when his name is spoken five times in front of a mirror. The project stands out from other horror films of its era by addressing serious social issues while delivering genuine scares. It examines how urban legends reflect societal fears and how stories of trauma and injustice can echo through generations.

During filming, there was a terrifying accident involving real bees on set. Actor Tony Todd, who played the titular Candyman character, had to film scenes with actual bees, as his character was closely associated with bees in the film’s mythology. For one particular scene, Todd had to have real bees placed in his mouth. He had negotiated a bonus payment of $1,000 for each bee sting he received during filming, as he insisted on using real bees rather than CGI or other effects. According to various interviews Todd has given, he was stung 23 times during the course of filming these scenes.

1

Real Blood on Kerry Washington’s Face in ‘Django Unchained’

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Release Date

December 25, 2012

Runtime

165 Minutes

Django Unchained stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a racist and menacing plantation owner named Calvin Candie. He is joined onscreen by Jamie Foxx, who plays a slave who is being trained by a German bounty hunter in preparation to achieve his quest to reunite with his wife, who played by Kerry Washington. The film was a fan hit, scoring a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter.

Kerry Washington, who toiled for years in Hollywood before finally receiving her due after playing the acclaimed role of Olivia Pope on ABC’s beloved drama Scandal, is a consummate professional who goes all in for every role. She proved this by staying in character after Leonardo DiCaprio unexpectedly cut his hand on a breakable cup while acting out a fit of rage, and subsequently grabbed Washington’s character by the head, smearing his real blood onto the starlet’s face.