“Cursed Films II” Episode 2 Review: Deal with the Devil, and the Success of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’

“Cursed Films II” premieres a new episode on Shudder every Thursday, reader beware spoilers ahead!

“Cursed Films II” keeps the momentum going for the second episode in this limited documentary series streaming only on Shudder. Written and directed by Jay Cheel, this week’s episode focuses on the 1968 horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. Famously directed by notorious auteur Roman Polanski, the episode chronicles the tragedies that befell those who were a part of the production once the film was released and the infamous murder of actress Sharon Tate at the hands of the Manson family. 

The year 1968 was a volatile time, to say the least; it was the height of the Vietnam war, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy had both been assassinated. It’s no wonder the horror films of the time should reflect the culture and make humans the villains.

Author, Ira Levin, would write the book that started it all when he mirrored his wife’s pregnancy to that of his main character Rosemary. Unlike his real life wife, his character was a lapsed Christian who is unknowingly carrying the spawn of Satan. A deal was made, by her husband, for her womb to ensure that his theater career was a success. Optioned by legendary filmmaker and producer William Castle, whose hits include 13 Ghosts, House on Haunted Hill, and The Old Dark House, to name a few. Prepared initially to direct Rosemary’s Baby, however, he eventually lost the job to Polanski and produced the film instead. 

Unlike the previous installment of “Cursed Films II,” bad things didn’t start happening until after the movie’s release. The first victim was composer Krzysztof Komeda, who fell into a coma after an accidental fall and died 3 months later, just like the character Hutch from the movie. 

Producer William Castle received scores of hate mail once the movie gained notoriety. Which eventually overwhelmed him and put him in the hospital with kidney stones. While in the hospital, he was said to suffer hallucinations from fever, supposedly seeing an image of the devil that terrified him. Castle never made another picture, and his family has suffered numerous tragedies in the years that followed.

[Read More] “Cursed Films II” Episode 1 Review: Peak Behind the Curtain at ‘The Wizard of Oz’ 

“Cursed Films II” explores the more supernatural stories whispered through the years as well as the real-life tragedies. The idea that the Paramount lot was built over a part of the Hollywood Cemetery, where they didn’t remove the bodies, just the headstones, remind us of the narrative from a film covered in season 1, Poltergeist. There is also the idea that Benedict Canyon, where the Polanski house was located, was constructed on top of sacred Native American land. The documentary chronicles the scores of unexplained and mysterious deaths that plague the stretch of road and the residents who lived there. 

The latter half of the episode explores the murder of Sharon Tate and her house guests in the Cielo Drive residence. Interviews with celebrity photographer Julian Wasser speak about Polanski‘s time investigating the home after the attack. In an opposing view of the crime, Dianne Lake, who went by ‘Snake’ when she was with the Manson family, recounts the reaction from the murderers at the time. It’s two perspectives that are unique to the telling of the infamous night. 

From the Beatles connection, the location of the Dakota hotel, and what would happen to John Lennon years later. It becomes almost too much of a coincidence not to believe that some forces were at work here. As one of the “Cursed Films II” interviewees puts it, “if you make a wicked film or a dark film, you’re opening yourself up to evil.”

Although different in structure, the second episode of “Cursed Films II” is no less powerful. Conspiracies, lore, and tragedies surround Rosemary’s Baby to the point that you wonder what might have been conjured up while making such an iconic piece of cinema. 4/5

Next Thursday, “Cursed Films II” explores the science fiction masterwork Stalker. Stay tuned to ScaryNerd for your episode recap and review each week.

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