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These beloved films hide dark secrets that change how we view them forever! Join us as we explore movies that became tragic in hindsight due to behind-the-scenes horrors, actor tragedies, and disturbing revelations that came to light years later. From classic Hollywood to modern blockbusters, these films will never be seen the same way again.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at movies that have become tragic over time
00:08thanks to outside forces all revealing behind-the-scenes news.
00:12As such, we will not be including examples of actors passing away before a movie was
00:16released, as the misfortune was known about going in.
00:26Night at the Museum, Secret of the Tomb.
00:38While filming the third film in the Night at the Museum franchise, Robin Williams began
00:42exhibiting clear signs of what would later be diagnosed as the neurodegenerative disorder
00:47Lewy Body Dementia.
00:49In 2020, the movie's director, Sean Levy, revealed that Williams wasn't himself on set, and that
00:54it quickly became obvious that something was wrong.
00:57His confidence was gone, he was suffering from frequent panic attacks, and he had great difficulty
01:02remembering even the simplest of lines.
01:04Williams would reportedly call Levy late at night, often asking if any of his work from
01:09the previous day was usable.
01:10Unfortunately, Williams' mental acuity rapidly declined following the shoot, filming wrapped
01:15in May 2014, and he took his own life the following August.
01:42Made for nearly $30 million, The Blues Brothers was one of the most expensive comedies ever
01:47made at the time.
01:48Unfortunately, a good chunk of that is owing to constant and costly delays that were instigated
01:53by John Belushi.
01:55Belushi developed a substance use disorder while filming the movie, and began acting erratically,
02:00often missing roll calls or disappearing from set altogether.
02:03Unfortunately, he died less than two years after the movie's release, result of a fatal overdose.
02:08And while it's now considered a classic, his death still casts a long shadow over the film,
02:14turning it into a bittersweet reminder of his talent, unrealised potential and tragically
02:18short life.
02:39Well, Christmas cheer is what we were all looking for as children watching How the Grinch Stole
03:00Christmas.
03:01But well after the movie's release, Carey revealed that the Grinch soothe was unimaginably uncomfortable,
03:06and caused him both physical and mental anguish.
03:09Aside from the extreme physical discomfort, the process also put a significant strain on
03:13Carey's mental health, and he began lashing out at those around him.
03:17In fact, it got so bad that make-up artist Kazuhiro briefly quit the film in protest.
03:22The producers eventually brought in an expert in resistance training to help Carey cope with
03:27the discomfort, like teaching him how to dissociate.
03:30Knowing all this, kind of ruins the holiday vibes.
03:34This western from Michael Cimino was controversial right out the gate, as there were many accusations
03:59in the press of animal cruelty, but it remains controversial because of what it did to the
04:04film industry.
04:05The movie was an enormous disaster, both critically and financially, and it essentially changed
04:09Hollywood overnight.
04:11It effectively killed United Artists as it was known, as it ceased being an independent
04:15studio and was incorporated into MGM.
04:17It also ended the new Hollywood movement that emerged in the 70s, killing the auteur-driven
04:23films that emerged from exciting new directors like Coppola, Scorsese and Friedkin.
04:28After this, power reverted to the profit-driven studios, and this structure has remained
04:33mostly in place ever since.
04:48The Adventures of Milo and Otis
05:04Originally released in Japan, The Adventures of Milo and Otis is an animal adventure film
05:08about a pug and an orange tabby cat.
05:10It is quite a cute film, but in October of 1998, Mikio Hata, the director's younger brother,
05:16recently revealed instances of animal cruelty that occurred on set.
05:20There had long been rumours, but his comments seemingly confirmed it, including an allegation
05:25that the cat that played Milo was killed.
05:27A few weeks later, various people who worked on the film came forward and supported his claims,
05:32detailing specific instances of horrific animal cruelty.
05:36With that, rumour became fact, and the movie was ruined forever.
05:58The third and final film in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy was highly anticipated,
06:02especially coming on the heels of the mega-blockbuster that was the Dark Knight.
06:06But unfortunately, its reputation was ruined almost immediately by an act of extreme and
06:11indiscriminate violence.
06:13On July 20th, 2012, the day of the movie's wide release, a shooter targeted the Century
06:1816 cinema in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of the film, killing 12 and injuring
06:24nearly 60 people.
06:25The incident cast a pale over the film, and despite grossing over $1 billion, The Dark Knight
06:31Rises could never quite shake its dark history.
06:56Michael J. Fox was in Micanopy, Florida, filming a movie called Doc Hollywood, when his life
07:01changed forever.
07:02While filming the movie, Fox began experiencing a sore shoulder, and the pinky finger on his
07:06left hand began twitching.
07:08He initially dismissed the symptoms and continued filming the movie, but eventually sought medical
07:12treatment when they persisted.
07:14He was then diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease, being just 29 years old.
07:20Following the diagnosis, Fox grew depressed, fell into frequent alcohol use, and hid his
07:25diagnosis from co-workers and the public.
07:27And while he is now a strong advocate of Parkinson's, it's hard going back to this movie knowing
07:32that the young actor's life was about to take a turn for the tragic.
07:49Rob Reiner's Stand By Me is a wonderful film about shedding your innocence, and in some
07:53ways, it serves as a kind of meta-commentary on Hollywood itself.
07:57In 1986, Stand By Me worked beautifully.
08:00But in the years since, we have been forced to grow up, and face some uncomfortable truths.
08:05While a huge star at the time, Corey Feldman is now the poster child for troubled young actors,
08:10facing problems with substance use disorder and being at both ends of sexual assault allegations.
08:16And then there's River Phoenix, who tragically passed away just seven years after the movie
08:20was released.
08:21The latter is especially difficult given its mirror with the movie's ending, in which
08:25Phoenix's character dies and is fondly reminisced by an older Gordie.
08:30And then, Chris, who had always made the best piece, tried to break it up.
08:35He was stabbed in the throat.
08:37He died almost instantly.
08:38Valley of the Dolls
08:52Released in 1967, Valley of the Dolls was a big hit, making ten times its budget and earning
08:57actress Sharon Tate a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Female Newcomer.
09:03That is hauntingly ironic, considering what was about to transpire.
09:06Valley of the Dolls was released in December of 1967.
09:10Less than two years later, Tate was brutally killed inside her home by members of the Manson
09:15family as part of the world-famous Tate-LaBianca murders.
09:18Her burgeoning career was prematurely cut short by one of the most heinous acts of violence
09:23in American history, and now it's nearly impossible to watch this film without thinking of what
09:28came next.
09:29Jaws The Revenge
09:54The fourth and final Jaws movie contains a character named Thea Brodie, the daughter
09:59of Michael and granddaughter of Martin.
10:02This adorable little girl was played by Judith Barsi, whose tragic story is now part of Hollywood
10:06legend.
10:07Judith and her mother Maria faced constant harassment by Judith's father, Yosef, including
10:12continued instances of physical and mental abuse.
10:15On July 25th, 1988, almost exactly one year after Jaws was released, Yosef murdered both
10:21Maria and Judith before taking his own life.
10:24Barsi was widely mourned in the industry, and her most famous films, The Land Before Time
10:29and All Dogs Go to Heaven, were released after her death.
10:42A huge surprise hit, Erin Brockovich scored over $250 million at the box office and garnered
10:47five Oscar nominations.
10:49It follows the titular activist who successfully sued the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for
10:53polluting the water of Hinkley, California.
11:00The movie propelled the hero into the national spotlight, but her family wasn't quite ready
11:04for it.
11:05After winning the case against PG&E, an incredible amount of pressure was placed on Brockovich,
11:10and the professional obligations often took her away from her children.
11:23With her mother gone for long stretches, Elizabeth Brockovich started acting out, often skipping
11:27school and falling into heavy substance use.
11:30Luckily, Erin Brockovich noticed the warning signs and enrolled her daughter into rehab.
11:36While this Christmas movie remains an annual tradition for many, their viewings may be soured
11:46knowing what happened to the late Phil Hartman.
11:49He plays the nosy and way too involved neighbor Ted, and Jingle All The Way would be the last
11:53movie released in his lifetime.
11:59The movie came out on November 22nd, 1996, and just 18 months later, Hartman was shot and
12:05killed by his wife, Bryn, who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
12:09Hartman starred in three more movies following Jingle All The Way, but all were posthumous
12:13releases.
12:14The knowledge of his violent murder sort of takes the joy and cheer out of the otherwise
12:18fun Christmas classic.
12:24The Birds While it's considered one of the greatest horror
12:31movies of all time, The Birds is somewhat tarnished thanks to some behind-the-scenes drama.
12:36Decades after the movie was released, it became clear that director Alfred Hitchcock was highly
12:40inappropriate around actress Tippi Hedren.
12:47Those involved with the production claim that Hitchcock was obsessed with the star, but she
12:51constantly denied his advances.
12:53He also subjected her to injury on the set of the movie, and later locked her in a restrictive
12:57contract that prohibited her ability to find work.
13:00And it is widely believed that Hitchcock did so in revenge for Hedren turning him down.
13:19Showled it as a masterpiece and a defining product of the 1950s, Rebel Without a Cause is also
13:23very difficult to watch, knowing what happened to its three leads.
13:34All three would be found dead within a span of just 25 years, all died violently, and all
13:39before reaching their 50s.
13:41First to go was James Dean, who perished in a car crash just weeks before the movie was released.
13:46Al Minio followed, being stabbed and killed by a mugger in 1976.
13:50And finally there's Natalie Wood, who drowned under very mysterious circumstances in 1981.
13:56Their young deaths are especially ironic given that the movie is all about youth, and these
14:00actors barely even left theirs.
14:13Years after her work with Alfred Hitchcock, Tippi Hedren starred in the adventure comedy
14:17Raw.
14:18The movie came and went, but it has since developed a cult following owing to the production's
14:22egregious disregard for health and safety.
14:29Most of the details were relayed in Hedren's book, The Cats of Shamballa, which was published
14:34four years after the movie was released.
14:36Most of the large cats used for filming were untrained, leading to at least 70 injuries.
14:41Noel Marshall was bitten a dozen times and suffered gangrene.
14:45Hedren was also left gangrenous after an elephant fractured her hand and ankle.
14:49Melanie Griffith required facial reconstruction after being attacked by a lioness.
14:53Men Behind the Sun
14:57One of the most controversial films ever made, Men Behind the Sun chronicles the various atrocities
15:02that the Imperial Japanese Army conducted throughout World War II.
15:05It largely centres around Unit 731, a secret Chinese facility that was used for human experimentation.
15:12The film is intensely graphic, more akin to a feature length gore video than an actual movie.
15:25And that's essentially what it is.
15:27The various body parts and organs were real, being both human and animal in nature.
15:32There are shots of real animal cruelty, and one infamous autopsy scene was conducted with
15:36a genuine cadaver.
15:38The movie is disturbing enough, but knowing this makes it unwatchable.
15:42According to the previous test results, it will be quite difficult to produce a strain
15:46of bubonic plague that is more than 60 times as infectious as the standard type.
15:50The End of Evangelion
15:52As its title suggests, The End of Evangelion serves as the ending to the enormously popular
15:59and influential anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
16:02It came about largely through fan demand, as the show's ending was considered controversial
16:07and unsatisfactory.
16:12Near the end of the film, a series of creepy images are flashed on the screen.
16:16One is an email death threat written to Hideaki Arno, the creator of the Evangelion franchise.
16:21The other is the vandalised office of anime studio Gainax.
16:25Both were reportedly done in response to the ending of Neon Genesis Evangelion, conducted
16:29by furious and dissatisfied viewers.
16:31It only makes the ending that much more unforgettable.
16:36For some, this Wes Craven flick is a brilliant commentary on human depravity.
16:49For others, it's an irredeemable piece of sadistic trash.
16:58Whatever side you land on, there's no denying that it's a troubling watch.
17:01As it turns out, it was even more troubling to make, especially for lead actress Sandra
17:05Peabody.
17:06Peabody was routinely mistreated on set, to the point that she was being constantly consoled
17:11by Craven.
17:18At one point, Mark Scheffler, playing Junior, threatened to push her off a cliff.
17:23She also had a very difficult time working with David Hesse.
17:26She claims that Hesse was methodical offscreen, and Hesse himself admitted that he got too physical
17:31during the infamous sequence in which Mary is assaulted.
17:44While William Shatner went on to great things, his co-stars, and the movie itself for that
17:48matter, were not so lucky.
17:56Anne Atmar took her own life shortly after filming had wrapped.
17:59Milos Milos shot and killed Barbara Ann Thomason, the estranged wife of Mickey Rooney, before
18:04turning the gun on himself.
18:06Marina Harbe, the teenage daughter of Eloise Hart, was abducted outside of her mother's
18:11home and murdered, supposedly by members of the Manson family.
18:15Then all prints of the movie were lost in a fire.
18:17One sole copy was later found in 1996, allowing modern viewers to watch one of the most cursed
18:23films in history.
18:27It's only fitting that a movie about demonic possession is also incredibly cursed.
18:42The making of The Exorcist is almost as legendary as the movie itself, with plenty of on-set accidents,
18:47injuries and freak occurrences.
18:59Both Ellen Baerstein and Linda Blair seriously injured their backs during filming, leaving
19:03them with lasting de-habilitations.
19:05Various crew members lost limbs in freak accidents, and many people involved in the film died during
19:10production or shortly afterward.
19:12The technician in the famous angiography scene was later convicted of murdering a journalist,
19:16The Shining.
19:24Great art is often made from great pain, and that is certainly the case with The Shining.
19:28By all accounts, the filming of this movie was an absolute miserable experience, led mainly
19:32by the perfectionist attitude of director Stanley Kubrick.
19:44The days were incredibly long, Kubrick often demanded dozens of takes, and principal photography
19:48took over a year to complete.
19:50Shelley Duvall was often a specific target of Kubrick, furiously arguing on the set.
19:56Some of this antagonism can be seen in Vivian Kubrick's behind-the-scenes documentary, which
20:00aired five months after the film's American premiere.
20:03It shows Duvall fighting with Kubrick, losing her hair from stress, and even lying on the
20:13floor out of total exhaustion.
20:16Considered one of the greatest Soviet films of all time, Stalker was filmed in two deserted
20:29power plants near the city of Tallinn, Estonia.
20:32These plants were found on the Jagala River.
20:34According to sound designer Vladimir Sharun, a nearby chemical plant would often pour its
20:38run-off into the river, and this poisonous liquid would make its way downstream to the
20:43power plants.
20:49While it's difficult to correlate, Sharun contends that many people involved in the film became
20:53sick from these toxic chemicals, and later died of their illnesses.
20:57This includes assistant director Larissa Tarkovskaya, star Anatoly Solonitsyn, and director Andrei
21:02Tarkovsky.
21:07It's hard going back to these Disney classics, knowing that most, if not all, involved are
21:14now dead.
21:15It's especially hard going back to Peter Pan.
21:17Peter was voiced by Bobby Driscoll, who was a young teenager when the movie came out in
21:21February 1953.
21:23Driscoll was relentlessly tormented in high school, only to his involvement with Disney,
21:27and he fell into heavy substance use.
21:30He then faced multiple arrests and was sent to a rehab centre, all while his career rapidly
21:35deflated.
21:41Driscoll eventually moved to New York, with the hopes of making it on Broadway, but he was
21:46unsuccessful and died of heart failure at just 31.
21:50His body was found in a deserted tenement, went unclaimed, and was buried in an unmarked
21:55pauper's grave.
22:09The first prequel film was, erm, well, not very good.
22:12But some ardent fans can't stop their dissatisfaction from boiling into torment.
22:16There's poor Jake Lloyd, who allegedly retired from acting because he was relentlessly mocked
22:20at school.
22:29Then there's Armored Best, who provided both the voice and motion capture for the widely
22:33maligned Jar Jar Binks.
22:35It must have been incredibly difficult being blamed for the demise of Star Wars, as many
22:39people used Jar Jar as the scapegoat for their general displeasure.
22:42In 2018, Best wrote on Twitter that the, quote, media backlash still affects his career today,
22:48and that he considered taking his own life as a response to the constant ridicule.
22:52This title could also refer to its production, as the set of Apocalypse Now was basically
23:12hell on earth.
23:20This is perhaps the most famous example of a troubled production, and the behind-the-scenes
23:24problems could fill a book.
23:25In fact, it has.
23:27And documentaries.
23:28And their reveals were truly shocking.
23:35Most of the sets were destroyed in a typhoon.
23:37Actors didn't get along, quit, and showed up in surprising conditions.
23:41Martin Sheen was having a breakdown and nearly died of a heart attack.
23:44A real water buffalo was slaughtered for the climactic scene.
23:48Genuine human corpses were accidentally bought to dress Kurtz's hideout.
23:51I mean, the list is endless.
23:53But it all adds a mythical element to an already mythical film.
24:02Natural Born Killers
24:08One of the great ironies in movie history is Natural Born Killers inspiring copycats.
24:13I mean, the movie is a satire of the media's obsession with violence and the glorification
24:17of crime, but some viewers missed the point entirely.
24:29Whether earned or not, the film has been blamed for inspiring many copycat crimes.
24:33Numerous school shootings have been linked to the movie, as the perpetrators were vocal
24:37fans.
24:38This includes the Columbine Killers, both of whom wrote about going quote,
24:42"...NBK".
24:52This sentiment was repeated by Jeremy Steinke, who along with his girlfriend Jasmine Richardson,
24:56murdered Richardson's parents and brother.
24:58The incident bears a strong resemblance to a scene in the movie, and Steinke reportedly
25:03spoke of quote, "...going Natural Born Killer on her family."
25:06Perhaps the most cursed movie ever, at least in terms of pop culture infamy, is Toby Hooper's
25:18Poltergeist.
25:19One infamous tidbit of trivia involves the pool skeletons seen in the climax of the film,
25:24which were 100% authentic.
25:31They were medical skeletons purchased by make-up artist Craig Reardon, and dressed up to look
25:35dirty and rotten, but no one told Joabeth Williams that they were real.
25:40Adding to the eerie mystique of the film are the tragic deaths of Dominique Dunne and Heather
25:44O'Rourke.
25:50Dunne was murdered by her ex-boyfriend just five months after the movie was released, and
25:54O'Rourke died in 1988, when a bowel condition sent her into septic shock.
26:08The Conqueror.
26:14In this widely maligned film, John Wayne plays Genghis Khan, and Utah stands in for the Far
26:18East.
26:19One filming location was the Escalante Desert, which was downwind from an old nuclear bomb
26:24testing site.
26:29Despite assurances that it was safe, 41% of the crew developed cancer in their lifetimes.
26:35This includes John Wayne, who died of cancer in 1979.
26:38Even some of their relatives developed tumours, including two of Wayne's sons.
26:42Some argue that the correlation between the illness and the radiation is difficult to prove,
26:46as the cancer rates among the crew fall in line with the national average.
26:50Many were also heavy smokers, however, those who became sick did so at a relatively young
26:54age, lending some further credence to the theory.
27:08Some people are intensely private and keep even the most serious news to themselves.
27:12One such person was Chadwick Boseman.
27:14Boseman was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer all the way back in 2016, shortly before filming
27:19of Black Panther had begun.
27:24He filmed several MCU movies throughout the chemotherapy, and his illness progressed into
27:28stage 4.
27:29He kept the cancer secret from everyone but his family, so it came as a huge surprise when
27:34he died in 2020.
27:36Knowing what Boseman was going through makes revisiting these films somewhat difficult, but
27:41something tells us he wouldn't want it that way.
27:43He didn't want sickness to impede or influence his work, and we shouldn't let it.
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28:08The Wizard of Oz.
28:13When it was released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz was unlike anything else, and it profoundly
28:18influenced the future of cinema.
28:20Going back to it with the knowledge we have today is an altogether different experience.
28:29Production was an absolute nightmare, resulting in numerous health issues.
28:33This includes Margaret Hamilton getting burned by fire, and Buddy Ebsen being hospitalized after
28:38inhaling the aluminium dust used in the tin man's makeup.
28:47The worst was reserved for Judy Garland, who often suffered sexual harassment and physical
28:52abuse by the cast and crew.
28:54She was also regularly given Benzedrine tablets in an effort to keep her lean.
28:57Garland later struggled with substance use, and died of an overdose at just 47.
29:02So, can you watch these movies without them getting you down?
29:11Let us know in the comments below.
29:27Let us know in the comments below.
29:32Let us know in the comments below.
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