Cursed Films is a five part documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood's notoriously cursed horror film productions. Filmmaker Jay Cheel explores the facts, myths and mysterious surrounding iconic films and franchises whose casts and crews have been struck by misfortune and tragedy. The release of The Exorcist was surrounded by controversy, as reports of fainting theatre-goers and mysterious on-set accidents raised questions as to whether or not the film itself was evil.
A series of untimely deaths connected to the making of the Poltergeist films inspired rumours that the production was cursed. Supernatural suspicions are stoked by rumours that real human skeletons were used during the making of the film.
A series of unfortunate events plague the cast and crew during the making of The Omen, raising concerns that the film might be cursed by the devil himself.
Years after Bruce Lee's mysterious death is attributed to the 'Lee Family Curse', his son Brandon's life was cut short due to a tragic on-set accident during the making of The Crow. As Lee had finished most of his scenes before his death, the film was completed through script rewrites, a stunt double, and digital effects. The Crow is dedicated to Brandon Lee and his fiancée, Eliza Hutton.
In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents' homeland, Hong Kong. Over the next two years, he'd complete four iconic films that would define his legacy, a legacy cut short when he died, stunningly, in the summer of 1973. He was 32 years old. Directed by Bao Nguyen, 'Be Water' is a gripping, fascinating, intimate look at not just those final, defining years of Lee's life, but the complex, often difficult, and seismic journey that led to Lee's ultimate emergence as a singular icon in the histories of film, martial arts, and even the connection between the eastern and western worlds. The film chronicles Lee's earliest days, as the son of a Chinese opera star born while his father was on tour in San Francisco, and then raised in Hong Kong over what became an at times troubled childhood. Sent to live in America at the age of 18, he began teaching Kung Fu in Seattle, and established a following that included his future wife, Linda. His ambition ever rising, Lee eventually made his way to Los Angeles, where he strove to break into American film and television. There, despite some success as a fight choreographer and actor, it was clear Hollywood wasn't ready for an Asian leading man - and so he returned to Hong Kong to make the films that would in fact make him a legend, his international star skyrocketing just as his life was cut short. 'Be Water' is told by the family, friends, and collaborators who knew Bruce Lee best, with an extraordinary trove of archive film providing an evocative, immersive visual tapestry that captures Lee's charisma, his passion, his philosophy, and the eternal beauty and wonder of his art.
Stanley Kubrick's mark on the legacy of cinema can never be measured. He was a giant in his field, his great works resembling pristine pieces of art, studied by students and masters alike, all searching for answers their maker was notoriously reticent to give. While he's among the most scrutinized filmmakers that ever lived, the chance to hear Kubrick’s own words was a rarity—until now. Unspooling exclusive new recordings of detailed interviews with the mythic director spanning 30 years that ruminate on his philosophies, documentarian Gregory Monro weaves a tapestry of archival footage with the rhythm and care of a consummate historian relishing in his discoveries.
The release of The Exorcist was surrounded by controversy, as reports of fainting theatre-goers and mysterious on-set accidents raised questions as to whether or not the film itself was evil.