One Look at the Film INSIDIOUS, and You'll Know It's True: the Classics Still Rock

Many will talk and say that the classics have their place: in the past. Sure, some of those films were scary in a moody sort of way, but you'd find it hard to see a teen shrieking at the sight of Bela Lugosi's Dracula or a mind-numbing look at the Creature From the Black Lagoon. And then you have the Friday the 13ths and Nightmares on Elm Street puzzling many and wondering what it was that scared us old folk into oblivion.

What Many Don't Realize Is That the Classics Define the Modern Horror Age

On the surface, you don't see it.... But look a little closer. Take the now iconic American horror film Insidious, for instance. Yes, we're looking at a film that really targets some of the pricklies on your skin in a way the classics probably never have done, and new cinematic tech certainly helps. CGI does have its place, and we're wondering if the likes of Freddy Krueger and Leatherface would've benefited from it.

That's a mystery: because even now those "remakes" can't seem to even match up the classic-ness of the originals, don't you think? Here's the thing, though: MODERN HORROR FILMS WILL *ALWAYS* BE INFLUENCED BY THE CLASSICS, AND HERE'S THREE EXAMPLES FROM THAT FILM "INSIDIOUS" THAT HONOR WHAT CAME BEFORE US.

The TWINS

Admit it: you can't deny that the hairs all over your suddenly stood on end when you saw this simple little scene.

What you may not realize is that this one scene indirectly honors another common horror trope we've seen before:

That's right: THE SHINING. Stanley Kubrick's classic rendition of Stephen King's novel. Since then, for some odd reason, twins seem to bring out the spook in all of us, and if you do look really hard, you might find quite a few modern-day horror flicks utilizing this trope with effectiveness. It isn't just random. It's borrowed, honored, glorified and made new again over and over again.

What About the Classic "Old Lady Mystic Character?"

Just about every ghost story has a character like this, and there's a reason why Lin Shaye scored the big one with it. Almost always there's a classic psychic in a story, serving to provide backstories, support, clear direct courses of action and at least a little bit of hope that the protagonists can somehow come out of the darkness, but didn't you know that this isn't the first time the classic character model made its appearance?

Tangina was undoubtedly the showstopper of the forever classic POLTERGEIST (skip the remake, sadly) for good reason. Somehow there was something off about her; but at the same time she was that exact sign of hope for the family to survive the supernatural onslaught.

Lastly, There's Always a "Psycho Dad" Out There....

Yes, indeed. There most certainly is something wrong with Dad. As this clip from the sequel proved (and got even worse as the film progressed, no doubt). Oftentimes in ghost stories like this, effectively the protagonist becomes the antagonist, and most of the time it's the less sympathetic male character who suffers from the switch. Often the father is the hapless victim. With a few exceptions, such as with The Babadook. This, however, isn't uncommon as we circle back to the iconic....

You seriously can't beat the one scene that made THE SHINING a true classic. Jack Nicholson at his best. Something about a descent into madness made for great horrific drama, and as much as we don't mind seeing a female go crazy in a horror movie, it's the Dad that earns kudos for bringing the best scares to the table. It's no wonder if it's often replicated in cinema!

When Viewing in Comparison, It's Staggering How Solidly Identical They All Are

And that's proof that even still to this day, the classics continue to work. What other comparisons can you draw from the classics vs. modern? You'd be surprised at how much you can find. Even the film GET OUT has some inspired clips!

The Scary Connection Between the Film POLTERGEIST and the Super Bowl

It could be a coincidence. Maybe. Or maybe not. Still it's fitting to sort of celebrate the Patriots' iconic Super Bowl win this past Sunday with a rather disturbing story. Pay close attention, because this is, like, THE CROW Brandon Lee freaky stuff --

Here We Go -- in the Film POLTERGEIST, There's a Little Poster Featuring the SUPER BOWL in Just ONE Scene

Not a big deal, right? Wrong. Check out the still of the scene in question.

We're in Robbie and Carol Anne's bedroom, and we see that poster for just a moment. Now that's all fine and dandy as we can see that the Super Bowl featured in the poster clearly shows to be in the '80s, and it just so happens that the film POLTERGEIST was released in 1982. Makes sense --

But noooooo, it doesn't. If you look closely (you honestly can't see it that well in the image, but just trust us on this one), the poster's not even for Super Bowl 16, which would've been the game played in 1982. In fact, the Super Bowl poster isn't even for 1983, which would've been Super Bowl 17. Not even close.

Watch the film yourself and pause the scene. Look very closely....

That poster is for Super Bowl 22, the game that took place in 1988 -- literally six years after the release of the film.

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Now, Granted, We Can't Even Say for Sure That the Film POLTERGEIST Wasn't Set in the Year of 1988

We only assume films are set in the year they're released -- or at least, well, filmed. A common misconception. Oftentimes we can honestly tell that a film is set in the future, though -- or the past. I mean, look at BACK TO THE FUTURE, for crying out loud.

But for all intents and purposes, it's still a little odd that we're looking at a supposedly real poster of Super Bowl 22, and the film wasn't even shot in that year.

That's not all, though.... That's not even the freakiest part.

You Remember the Infamous Little Actress, God Rest Her Soul, Who Played the Great Carol Anne, Right?

Yeah, the "THEY'RE HEEEERE" kid. Heather O'Rourke. We want you to understand something really shocking about the connection between Super Bowl 22 and little Heather....

Super Bowl 22 took place on January 31st, 1988. Got it? Good. Would you like to know exactly when O'Rourke fell ill mysteriously? 

Don't freak out: January 31st. 1988.

Bear in mind that this is something having occurred six years after we get to see that freakin' poster in the original film released in 1982. Coincidence? Again.... Maybe. But guess what: it gets even weirder.

Want to know when and where Heather O'Rourke suddenly died after falling ill? ....The very next day. February 1st, 1988.

She kept vomiting, finally rushed to the hospital on that January 31st. Sadly, Heather suffered cardiac arrest due to septic shock caused by intestinal stenosis. It happened all of a sudden. She managed to live until the next day. But dear God, would you like to know what else is so freaky about the story?

She ended up dying in Rady Children's Hospital. In San Diego, CA. Where Super Bowl 22, in fact, took place just the day before!

Say It's a Coincidence All You Want, But There Are Way Too Many Variables for Anyone of Right Mind to Stick to That Mundane Sensibility. Seriously.

It does, in fact, lend to the supposed Poltergeist Curse everyone seems to talk about. The movie was cursed. Is cursed. Crazy cursed.

How in the Hell can there be a poster that just so happens to be of Super Bowl 22 in a film released in 1982, and the lead actress of the entire film suddenly gets sick on the day of that exact game and then dies in the exact same city?

It's crazy Nostradamus crap going on. Who's idea was it to use that damn poster in the movie anyway? Maybe it was a hidden message or a sign that O'Rourke was going to get sick on that day.... And then die in the same area on the following day.

Some spooky ghost sh*t.