Editing Poltergeist (franchise) (section)

=== ''Poltergeist'' curse ===
The "''Poltergeist'' curse" is a rumored [[curse]] attached to the ''Poltergeist'' trilogy and its crew, derived from the deaths of two young cast members in the six years between the releases of the first and third films.<ref name = "411mania"/><ref name="Snopes">Mikkelson, Barbara. [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/poltergeist-curse/ "Poltergeist Deaths"], Snopes.com, August 17, 2007</ref> The rumor and the surrounding deaths were explored in a 2002 episode of ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]'' titled "Curse of ''Poltergeist''".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/poltergeist-movie-curse-documentary-explore-830368|title=Documentary to Explore 'Poltergeist' Movie Curse|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=August 14, 2017|language=en}}</ref>
<!-- THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THE FILM WHO HAS DIED. DO NOT ADD ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE IN THEIR 50s OR 60s DYING. PEOPLE THAT AGE DIE; IT'S NOT A CURSE. NEITHER IS DEATH OF A MINOR CHARACTER. -->* [[Dominique Dunne]], who played eldest daughter Dana in the first film, [[Killing of Dominique Dunne|died]] on November 4, 1982, at age 22 after being strangled by her ex-boyfriend John Thomas Sweeney.<ref>"Dominique Dunne, Actress, Dies After Being Choked", ''The New York Times'', November 5, 1982</ref> He was convicted of [[voluntary manslaughter]] and sentenced to six years in prison, but was paroled after serving three and a half years.<ref name=Snopes/> 
* [[Heather O'Rourke]], who played Carol Anne in all three ''Poltergeist'' films, died on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12 due to complications from an acute [[bowel obstruction]].<ref name="1988-05-26LAT">{{cite news| title= Suit Blames Doctors in Death of Young Actress| first= Bob| last= Baker| url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-05-26-mn-5241-story.html| newspaper= [[Los Angeles Times]]| location= Los Angeles, California, US| issn= 0458-3035| oclc= 3638237| date= May 26, 1988| page = 35| access-date= August 7, 2008}}</ref><ref name="1988-02-03NYT">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/03/obituaries/heather-o-rourke-12-starred-in-poltergeist.html|title=Heather O'Rourke, 12; Starred in 'Poltergeist'|date=February 3, 1988|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name="1988-02-03LAT">{{cite news|title='Poltergeist' Star Heather O'Rourke Dies at Age of 12|first=Burt A.|last=Folkart|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-03-mn-27226-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California, US|issn=0458-3035|oclc=3638237|date=February 2, 1988|page=3|access-date=May 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105201058/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-03/news/mn-27226_1_poltergeist-iii|archive-date=November 5, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THE FILM WHO HAS DIED. DO NOT ADD ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE IN THEIR 50s OR 60s DYING. PEOPLE THAT AGE DIE; IT'S NOT A CURSE. NEITHER IS DEATH OF A MINOR CHARACTER. -->