Curses and Superstitions of Cinema.

By Casandra Vicario

It's Friday the 13th, a date that many people consider unlucky — in England, for example, they avoid scheduling important events or even leaving the house on this day. This is called a superstition: an irrational belief in which an object, an action, or a circumstance becomes decisive for the course or outcome of certain events.

In horror cinema there are films built around superstitions, or rituals, that drive the plot, and that can bring good or bad things into the protagonists' lives. Let's take a look at a few of them.

1.- Drag Me to Hell. (Arrástrame al Infierno). There's nothing like a good gypsy curse to fill your head with superstitions and ruin your job and your life. Directed by the master Sam Raimi in 2009, the film stars Justin Long, Allison Hoffman, and Lorna Raver, and tells the story of Christine, a bank employee who, after denying Mrs. Ganush a loan, is cursed by the gypsy woman; she must carry out a very particular ritual — one she knows nothing about — to keep from being haunted by a demonic spirit. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was very well received by audiences and critics. Without a doubt, a favorite!

2.- The Black Cat. (El Gato Negro) If we're talking about superstitions, we have to write about that ignorant idea of bad luck brought on by black cats — a belief so deeply rooted in society that these kitties are the least adopted in shelters. This 1934 film stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, directed by Edgar Ulmer. The newlyweds Julie and David, after a terrible storm, have to seek shelter in the home of Hjalmar Poelzig, who is staying with his friend Vitus Verdegast, who has just gotten out of prison. Although it claims to be inspired by the famous story by Edgar Allan Poe, it's far from it; what does show up are satanic rites, power games, and, of course, a beautiful and enigmatic black cat. You can also find it under the title “Satanás”… (Oh boy, what a twist!)

3.- Ringu. (El Aro). Back in 1980, every so often you'd check your mailbox and find a photocopy of a typewritten letter that ended by telling you that you had to make a certain number of copies of the document and leave them in unfamiliar mailboxes, or else “a curse” would take hold of your life. Something similar happens in this gem of Japanese cinema, born in 1998 and directed by Hideo Nakata. In a Japanese town, a legend circulates among students about a cursed videotape: watching it brings death. After the passing of her niece Tomoko, journalist Reiko Asakawa is about to experience firsthand the devastating effects of this curse. There is a way to be saved, but… it may already be too late. The film is based on the novel by Koji Susuki, which in turn is based on a popular Japanese folktale.

4.- Candyman. (Candyman) In the United States there's a very popular urban legend: if you stand in front of a mirror with a candle, turn off the light, and say three times… Bloody Mary…bloody Mary… bloody Mary… (does it count if I type it too?) you summon Bloody Mary… and you die. This story would go on to inspire the master Clive Barker to write the short story “The Forbidden,” which in turn would give life to the 1992 film “Candyman,” directed by Bernard Rose and starring Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen. At the University of Chicago, student Helen Lyle investigates the legend of “Candyman,” a ghost who appears when his name is said five times in front of a mirror. Will she manage to uncover the secrets of this superstition? The film would go on to become a genre classic, so much so that it got a remake in 2021 directed by Nia Dacosta and produced by Jordan Peele.

5.- Terror at the Opera. (Opera) In the world of theater, there's a superstition among actors and actresses… if they say “Macbeth” or take part in the play, bad luck and disaster will befall them. The curse, of course, comes from the drama written by Shakespeare, in which a man begins to suffer a series of misfortunes after being visited by three witches. In the film by the master of Italian giallo Dario Argento, released in 1987, we follow the story of Betty, a young opera singer who is offered the chance to make her debut as the lead in — of all things — Macbeth. Everything seems to indicate that the play really is cursed, because strange murders begin to occur. Whether or not a curse actually exists, we have to highlight the film's soundtrack, which features the talents of Brian and Roger Eno, Steel Grave, Claudio Simonetti, and Bill Wyman. If you haven't seen it… do it, if you dare.

And so ends this little roundup of cinema and superstitions. Now that it's Friday the 13th, would you dare to watch any of these films?

Just between us… would you refuse a favor to a gypsy? Would you ignore that mysterious phone call telling you that you'll die in three days? Or would you stand in front of a mirror in the dark, candle in hand, to summon Candyman?

We'd rather not take the risk… right?