13 Things You PROBABLY Didn't Know About THIR13EN GHOSTS (2001)
Today marks the 20yr anniversary of THIR13EN GHOSTS and with that we did some grave digging (research) to find a few well hidden items about the film you Probably, have never heard of before. The film was a remake of the 1960’s William Castle film of the same name and did poor at the box office with a budget of $42 million and only bringing in $68 million theatrically.
Before we get into that list, here’s a breakdown of EVERY ghost featured in the film and a brief backstory to help ya out.
While the backstories for nearly all the ghosts are not mentioned in the movie, they are hinted at and are explicitly described in the "Ghost Files", a special feature on the DVD, with Cyrus as the narrator. With a few exceptions, they seem to become more dangerous as their numbers increase.
The First Born Son:
A ghost of a little bratty boy named Billy Michaels, who loved to pretend to be a cowboy. One day, another little kid challenged Billy to a duel, but Billy’s cap gun was no match for that boy’s real steel- tipped arrow that Billy's ghost still carries. Unlike most of the ghosts, this one is a mild threat, never attacking anyone and just saying "I want to play."
The Torso:
Jimmy 'The Gambler' Gambino was a gambler in the early 1900s, who caught the attention of the Mafia. After he lost a boxing bet and didn’t have the money to pay up, the Mafia cut him into pieces and wrapped him in cellophane, dumping the remains in the ocean. His ghost appears as a torso with a severed head nearby, and is more a neutral spirit than actively hostile.
The Bound Woman:
Susan LeGrow was the richest girl in town and was very popular. Her one flaw was the way she toyed with boys and men. During her senior prom night, she was killed by a jilted ex named Chet Walters, a star quarterback, after catching her cheating with another guy. Her ghost lures Bobby into the dangerous basement and still shows in her prom attire, bound ropes holding her arms.
The Withered Lover:
Jean Kriticos was a happy and devoted wife and mother. She died as a result of fire injuries at St Luke's Hospital half a year before the events of the film begin. Unlike most of the ghosts, she is not dangerous; she is benevolent.
The Torn Prince:
Royce Clayton was a gifted and famous teenage baseball player in the 1950s who caught the eye of colleges around the USA. Thanks to his challenger, a greaser who set him up, Royce died in an accident caused by cut brake lines. His remains are still buried at the baseball diamond, and his ghost carries his baseball bat.
The Angry Princess:
Dana Newman was a beautiful but abused lady who lived in the late 20th century. She had plastic surgeries to alter her perceived flaws, and after a botched experiment that mutilated her eye, she brutally killed herself in a bathtub at the clinic. Her ghost often carries blood, is naked, and carries the same knife she used to commit suicide.
The Pilgrimess:
Isabella Smith came to North America as a colonist in order to find a new life after being an orphan in England. The tight-knit community ostracized and ignored her and used her as a scapegoat, being accused of witchcraft when crops and animals mysteriously died. She denied such accusations, but she was trapped in a burning barn but managed to escape unharmed. That sealed her fate, and she died of starvation after being condemned to the pillory that she carries with her as a ghost; her skin is badly damaged.
The Great Child:
Harold Shelburne was a mentally disabled man who never outgrew diapers and had to be spoon fed even as a fully grown adult; he often made baby sounds. After being mocked, teased and tormented relentlessly all his life, he caused a massacre at the old freak show where he and his mother, Margaret Shelburne, lived. Some of the freaks had kidnapped and killed his mother as a joke one night. The circus owner, Jimbo, had Harold mutilated beyond recognition. His ghost appears as Harold did in life, with a small patch of hair, a bib covered in vomit and cloth diapers; he still holds the ax that he used to kill his enemies.
The Dire Mother:
Margaret Shelburne, Harold’s mother, was a shy little lady, standing three feet tall. She never could stand up for herself. At the freak show where she lived, she was raped by the Tall Man, another circus freak, and gave birth to her illegitimate son Harold, whom she loved more than life itself. She smothered and spoiled him from infancy and never stopped as he grew; this is the main reason for Harold's mental handicap. The two were abused to the point where Harold killed almost the entire circus after Margaret died. As ghosts, they remain together, with Harold being protective. Like the Torso, she is not aggressive, and is more of a neutral spirit.
The Hammer:
A happy and honest family man and blacksmith, George Markeley was falsely accused of stealing by a higher up named Nathan, and threatened with exile from their old Western town. George refused to leave, and his family was lynched by Nathan and his band of thugs while walking home from the town market one day. Seeking justice in the corrupt town, George took his blacksmith's hammer and killed those responsible, but the townsfolk chained him to a tree and drove railroad spikes into his body. His left hand was cut off and his hammer was crudely attached to it. His ghost is one of the more angry spirits, and is partially responsible for Dennis' death.
The Jackal:
Born to a prostitute in 1887, Ryan Khun developed a sick appetite for women, attacking and raping strays and prostitutes in the night. He voluntarily went to Borehamwood Institute for treatment to cure this problem, but the medical practices made him much worse, causing him to go completely insane after years of solitary confinement, having his head locked in a cage after breaking out of his straitjacket, and developing a hatred of humanity. When the asylum burst into flames, he chose to stay behind and perish in the fire. His ghost carries his torn straitjacket with the torn cubic head cage; it is called a sign of Hell's Winter. He is one of the more aggressive and violent ghosts, attacking and nearly killing Kathy before Kalina saves her.
The Juggernaut:
Horace 'Breaker' Mahoney was born very disfigured and was an outcast his entire life. His mother abandoned him at a tender age, and his dad put him to work in the junkyard, using his unusual strength to crush cars. After his dad died, Horace went insane: He would take motorists and hitchhikers, tear them apart with his bare hands and feed the remains to his dogs. After several of these murders, he was arrested. A SWAT team shot and killed him when he broke free of his hand cuffs. As a ghost, he remained at the junkyard with his body riddled with bullet holes, killing intruders. Both Dennis and Cyrus remark that his kill count numbered in the 40s, making this ghost one of the most evil and dangerous of the twelve.
There ya have your 13 Ghosts. Now on to the little known facts!
Real Amputees Were Used
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.
Some Makeup’s on the Ghosts Took Hours
Of all the creature makeup created for the film, "The Angry Princess" (Shawna Loyer) required the longest time to apply at five hours.
The Film Has A Highlander Easter Egg
Duncan MacLeod's dragon katana from Highlander (1992) appears as one of the swords in Cyrus' collection.
After This Film, The Director Only Made One More Film
Steve Beck's directorial debut. After it, Beck would only direct one more film, the similarly-themed Ghost Ship
The Hammer Was Originally Another Actor
Herbert Duncanson, who plays The Hammer, was not originally hired as an actor for the film but as a stand-in for reference and test shots. When the original actor cast for the role never showed up, he was given the role of that ghost as a last minute replacement, as there was no time to hold auditions for a recast.
Critic Roger Ebert Loved The Effects…That’s About It
Roger Ebert praised the production values saying, "The production is first-rate, the physical look of the picture is splendid." However, he criticized the story, lack of interesting characters, loud soundtrack, and poor editing. In 2005 he included it on his list of "Most Hated" films.
The Film Was A Financial Flop
The film, which was only the second Dark Castle Entertainment production, was a critical failure and a financial disappointment. Though it surpassed its budget ($68.5 million on a $42 million budget), when accounting for advertising and marketing costs, the film lost money. This discouraged Warner Bros. from remaking more William Castle horror films, which was the original plan for Dark Castle Entertainment, and the next release was Ghost Ship (2002), based on an original screenplay. That film was also a critical failure.
The Film Has A Low Kill Count
If one does not count the junkyard scene at the beginning of the movie, the body count is 4 in this film in this order: Benjamin Moss, Dennis Rafkin, Kalina Oretzia, and Cyrus Kriticos.
The Jackal’s Voice Can Be Heard In The Film
Bobby falls on the floor in the basement, dropping his recorder. In the background, amongst the many whispers of the ghosts, Jean warns Bobby to get up and leave the basement. Right after that, a voice whispers in the background, and the caption reads "Leave me alone." However, with the volume turned up, the voice (belonging to the Jackal) clearly cackles a sarcastic 'Listen to your mother!'
Dennis Wears Glasses But Never Squints
The character of Dennis played by Matthew Lliard does indeed wear glasses at the beginning and end of the film but for the majority of it, doesn’t even squint when he loses them early in the film.
The Soundtrack Features A 90s Pop Star
Alanis Morissette provided uncredited backing vocals for the films score for the song “Tricky”.
The Films Region 1 DVD gave extensive backgrounds on all 13 Ghosts
This is where you go back to the top of the article and read on some of these ghosts origins.
