PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Like zoinks, Thirteen Ghosts is turning 20! To celebrate, PopHorror has compiled a lists of 10 fun facts. Released on October 23, 2001, Thirteen Ghosts is a remake of the 1960 version that goes by the name 13 Ghosts. When Cyrus Kriticos, a rich collector of unique things, dies, he leaves his house and fortune to his nephew and his family. While they’re inside, they find they are not alone. The movie stars Matthew Lillard, Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth, and Embeth Davidtz and was directed by Steve Beck.
The Ghosts
1. The First Born Son
2. The Torso
3. The Bound Woman
4. The Withered Lover
5. The Torn Prince
6. The Angry Princess
7. The Pilgrimess
8. The Great Child
9. The Dire Mother
10. The Hammer
11. The Jackal
12. The Juggernaut
Fun Facts:
1) In the movie, the characters need special glasses to see the ghosts. In the original 13 Ghosts (1960), viewers needed special glasses to see the ghosts. This is one of the few details from the original that was kept.
2) The special effects and sound mixing were so elaborate in this film that many people claimed that the movie was physically painful to sit through.
3) Matthew Lillard (Dennis) later starred in Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) as Norville ‘Shaggy’ Rogers. An earlier incarnation of Scooby-Doo was The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985), featuring the voice of Vincent Price as Vincent VanGhoul. Curiously, the first movie produced by Dark Castle Entertainment (and the previous one to this film) is House on Haunted Hill (1999), a remake from the original House on Haunted Hill (1959) starring Vincent Price.
4) Five of the ghosts and several of the minor characters were played by Canadians. The movie was filmed in British Columbia, and it’s cheaper for production to hire local actors from the area instead of flying American actors to the set for every single role.
5) The effect for The Torso was achieved using a double amputee wearing a special black hood that could be used to digitally remove his head.
6) Of all the creature makeup created for the film, The Angry Princess (Shawna Loyer) required the longest time to apply at five hours.
7) The writing etched on one of the walls in the glass house translates to read The Lord’s Prayer.
8) In the original 13 Ghosts (1960), the nephew who inherited the mansion was Cyrus Zorba. In this movie, the uncle who left his mansion to his nephew is Cyrus Kriticos.
9) Warner Bros. and Dark Castle Entertainment originally planned to release this film in 3-D and carry over the gimmick from the original 13 Ghosts (1960) where viewers needed glasses to see the ghosts in the film. Such plans were scrapped.
10) The Torn Prince’s name is Royce Clayton, and he was an aspiring baseball player. In reality, there was a major league baseball player named Royce Clayton. He played for several teams between 1991-2007.
Like, Happy Halloween, PopHorror fans! Hope you have a safe and spooktacular one and remember…
What’s more terrifying than a ghost? Thirteen of them!
