We are taught as children not to trust strangers, but we typically are not warned about inanimate objects. We assume that things cannot move unless we move them, they will not become a portal to another realm, and they definitely won’t single-handedly kill us. These thirteen items show that maybe we should rethink our blind faith in everyday things.
[customfont1]The masks in Halloween III: The Season of the Witch[/customfont1]
Although this film is best known for being the Halloween without Michael Myers, it’s also known for its crazy storyline concerning kids Halloween masks. Silver Shamrock—the film’s big bad—has mass produced a boatload of witch, pumpkin, and skeleton masks that are basically cursed via an elaborate Celtic ritual. So, before you buy your Halloween mask this year, check and make sure it’s not embellished with a Silver Shamrock logo. [AS]
[customfont1]Book of the Dead in The Mummy[/customfont1]
No harm ever came from reading a book, right? Well, maybe not when you’re in the famed city of the dead, you’ve unearthed the mummy of a cursed priest, and that book is The Book of the Dead. When Evelyn begins to read the inscription on the Book of The Dead, she accidentally awakens this ancient curse in the form of Imhotep, who brings with him the ten Biblical plagues. If this hasn’t already become quite evident, perhaps it is best to remember not to attempt to read from mysterious, foreign texts. [FS]
[customfont1]The puzzle box in Hellraiser[/customfont1]
Clive Barker’s iconic Hellraiser shows us that a harmless puzzle box is never harmless. Accidentally cutting himself while moving into his brother’s old home, Larry Cotton unknowingly brings his deceased brother (or parts of his brother) back from another dimension. Not only does the box bring blood, guts, and gore, but it also brings those terrifying Cenobites. Some puzzles are better left unsolved. [MI]
[customfont1]The ocular implant from V/H/S/2[/customfont1]
Sensory implants are supposed to improve a patient’s quality of life, but Adam Wingard’s “Phase I Clinical Trials” segment in V/H/S/2 turns that notion on its head. Herman receives an ocular implant that is still under testing and begins to see things that others can’t. He partners with a woman who received a cochlear implant who was met with similar results to navigate the side effects. [MI]
[customfont1]Annabelle doll in The Conjuring[/customfont1]
Let’s be real: if I ever received a Raggedy Ann doll that looked that terrifying right out of the box, I’m not sure I would keep it. First appearing in the initial Conjuring movie and later receiving its own two films, Annabelle’s story is based on a possession that the Warrens investigated in real life. The doll shows that even if you try to embrace a haunted item in your possession, its best to leave it to the professionals. [MI]
[customfont1]The TV in Poltergeist[/customfont1]
What better way to reach children in the ’80s than through the family television? The first contact the ghosts have outside of their spirit realm in Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist is by way of the after hours static on the Freelings’ TV. To be fair, no inanimate object (even creepy clown dolls that no child actually wants in their room) is safe when your house is built on upon a former cemetery. [MI]
[customfont1]Basement treasures in Cabin in the Woods[/customfont1]
In Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods, you have your pick of curses, literally. When a group of college students happen upon a basement full of “cursed” items, they are blissfully unaware that an entire corporation is watching their every move, waiting to unleash the monster attached to their chosen item. Unfortunately for Hadley, no one selected the cursed conch, dashing his hopes of death-by-merman. Our protagonist Dana ends up selecting a cursed diary, thereby summoning the sadistic, zombified family of the diary’s owner. As far as choices go, not the best. [FS]
[customfont1]The mirror in Oculus[/customfont1]
Originally created as a short film, Mike Flanagan’s Oculus revolves around an antique mirror that is haunted and capable of influencing the actions of those around it. Proving to drive many people mad, most to the point of suicide or homicide, brother-and-sister duo Tim and Kaylie vow to destroy the mirror. This is easier said than done with the memory loss and hallucinations that ensue. [MI]
[customfont1]The statue in The Shrine[/customfont1]
Please, for the love of everything: Don’t travel overseas and end up wandering around a creepy, foggy forest to chase down a story. In this 2010 horror flick, two journalists and a photographer go overseas to follow a story concerning various missing persons. What they find instead is a remote village full of folks who don’t want them there, and a statue that gives all who see it an overwhelming sense of dread. [AS]
[customfont1]The box from The Box[/customfont1]
Featured in Huluween’s collection of horror shorts, The Box features its eponymous item. Despite the protagonist’s young age (gotta love a wizard costume with sequin-dot fabric embellishments) and demonstrated ability to read, he removes the mysterious box from a wooded area despite instructions not to. In true short film tradition, the story isn’t buttoned up neatly at the end, and it doesn’t need to be. No spoilers here: if you have 5 minutes to spare and a Hulu account, check it out for yourself. [MI]
[customfont1]The tape in The Ring[/customfont1]
Both Ringu and its American remake, the Ring center on a cursed video tape. Give it a watch, get a call, die seven days later. It’s an innocent enough household object (or it was 20 years ago), the film itself is slightly disturbing but not much more than a montage of esoterica. Maybe it’ll make you squirm, but the dire consequences are so drastic in comparison to the object that it’s easily one of the best cursed objects in horror. [AP]
[customfont1]Christine from Christine[/customfont1]
Cars are dangerous enough when they aren’t possessed by murderous entity. When ’58 Plymouth Fury Christine takes revenge against her owner’s school bully a little too seriously, it’s impossible to stop her homicidal rage. The film’s tagline addresses the conundrum the best: “How do you kill something that can’t possibly be alive?” [MI]
[customfont1]The Black Hymn in Deathgasm[/customfont1]
What’s more metal than summoning an ancient evil by playing a piece of cursed sheet music? When Brodie and friends get their hands on this mysterious piece of medieval legend known as “The Black Hymn,” the temptation to play it far outweighs the potential consequences. Unfortunately for them, when those consequences turn the whole town into bloodthirsty demons, they must find a way to reverse the curse. How very rock and roll. [FS]