Skeptical sniffing at the seeming silliness of lowbrow topics such as Bigfoot, UFOs, or conspiracy theories is neither wise nor productive. When the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) was first formed in 1976, its mission was partly to combat popular culture myths such as astrology, psychics, and UFOs. Whether skeptics and scholars like it or not, popular culture is a main driver of public belief—and ignoring topics such as ghosts, QAnon, and psychics doesn’t make them go away.
Horror films are no exception, and they influence public beliefs about ghosts and the paranormal. From classics including The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, and The Entity to more modern franchises such as the Conjuring films (which have rehabilitated the tarnished reputations of Ed and Lorraine Warren, notorious for exploiting frightened homeowners), there is no shortage of “true” ghost stories: see, for example, Joe Nickell’s “The Conjuring: Ghosts? Poltergeist? Demons?” in the March/April 2014 Skeptical Inquirer; my article “Reel or Real? The Truth Behind Two Hollywood Ghost Stories” in the March 2005 Skeptical Briefs; Scott Stine’s article “The Snuff Film: The Making of an Urban Legend” in the May/June 1999 SI; and Brett Taylor’s “Hollywood Curse Legends” in the November/December 2017 SI.
In our special section on Hyped Hollywood Horrors in this issue, Kenny Biddle and JD Sword join me in shedding some skeptical light on the allegedly true stories behind two high-profile films, The Exorcist (1973) and The Entity (1982), both based on sensational 1970s bestsellers. The true events that (loosely) inspired William Peter Blatty to write The Exorcist have long been known, though the identity of the real, supposedly possessed boy has only recently been made public. Sword gives an overview of the case and reveals who the boy was and what became of him (hint: think scientist, not serial killer). The true events that served as the basis for The Entity, on the other hand, have been relegated to relative—and curious—obscurity. I discovered some reasons for that in the course of my research into the case, and in his article Biddle brings his photographic expertise and investigative acumen to bear on the “best evidence” in the case.
Not all horrors are hyped, however. In this issue, we also have an article by Kirk Mishrell on an all-too-real incident from 1792 (a century after Salem) when a witch panic gripped a rural South Carolina town. Claims of witchcraft and paranormal events led to three people being tortured and burned as witches. Mishrell uncovers this chilling, overlooked case and offers explanations for what might have led to the panic. The fact that this happened over two centuries ago should bring little comfort; witchcraft accusations—resulting in banishment, attacks, and even murder—continue today in many regions, including Brazil, West Africa, and India. There is much to do, and evil isn’t confined to the silver screen.