Disturbing Images From The Dark Side Of The Entertainment Industry

By Sophia Maddox | July 24, 2023

David Naughton having identity issues in "An American Werewolf in London" (1981)

We've got something for every ghoul and boy in this assortment of 60 of the most bone-chilling images from pop culture, sure to whip you into a spooky frenzy -- click on, if you dare. Proceed with caution -- you don't want to be the first dude who goes out to investigate the ruckus in the barn, but you don't want to be the Final Girl either, if you know what we mean. Ready, set -- boo.

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Source: IMDB

The Elephant Man's loss was the Werewolf's gain. The 1980 biographical film The Elephant Man was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1981, including the Oscars for art direction and costume design. It was not nominated for its makeup, for the simple reason that there was no Academy Award for makeup at that time. People complained that there should have been a makeup category -- so the Academy invented one. Alas, it was too late for Elephant Man to win, but at the 1982 Oscars, the  first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling went to Rick Baker for his work on An American Werewolf in London. To date, Baker has been nominated for the award 11 times, winning seven.

JoBeth Williams annoyed by an uninvited guest at the pool party in "Poltergeist" (1982)


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(MGM)

In 1982, the word "poltergeist" wasn't one most English speakers were familiar with -- then the movie Poltergeist hit theaters, and suddenly everyone knew about these troublesome spirits. Poltergeist is a German word that translates to "noisy ghost," and the evil forces that torment the Freeling family in this film start out as annoying. Then a tree grabs one of the kids and the other is sucked through a portal and into the TV. OK, we're dealing with something a little more serious here. Given all the chaos, the revelation that the house was built on a cemetery is not all that surprising -- but JoBeth Williams is certainly shocked when she ends up bobbing in her swimming pool with dead bodies.