The Conjuring series’ phenomenal success has sparked a surge in public interest in true ghost stories. The Warrens’ exploits have had viewers investigating all reports of ghost stories and paranormal phenomena that they can get their hands on in recent years, but the fascination has surely been there for generations.
Many fans are perplexed as to why some of the scariest true-life supernatural stories have yet to be adapted for the big screen.
Some of the more well-known tales may have inspired other ghost movies, but many have yet to be properly adapted.
With the horror genre’s revival over the previous decade, it appears to be the ideal time to give audiences the pleasure of experiencing these stories in a fresh light.
1. The Villisca House
Eight persons were killed while sleeping in Villisca, Iowa, in the early hours of June 10th, 1912. Later that day, the Moore family and two visitors were discovered in Moore’s house, kicking off one of Iowa’s most notable cold cases.
A man named George Kelly was the sole suspect who was ever tried. Kelly was a Reverand, and several hours after the attack and before the dead were discovered, he correctly predicted the events.
Kelly was apprehended when this sparked suspicion, and he eventually confessed to at least one of the victims, claiming that a voice commanded him to do it. The prosecution was later dropped, and Rev. Kelly was acquitted.
The fact that every mirror in the home was covered by a blanket adds to the mystery. In 2016, one film was released, however, it focused on the tale of the haunted home rather than the occurrences themselves.
2. Hotel Monte Vista
The Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona, has been regarded as one of America’s most haunted locations since its construction in 1927.
Many renowned people have stayed at the hotel, and the structure has even been portrayed in films like Casablanca. Countless ghost stories have surfaced from various guests over the years.
John Wayne, the great film star, told one such story. Wayne claims he heard a knock on the door announcing room service.
When Wayne opened the door and saw no one, he assumed it was the ghost of a bellboy. While there have been several films set in a haunted hotel, one of the most well-known is yet to be released.
3. St. Albans Sanatorium
In comparison, St. Albans Asylum makes Batman’s Arkham Asylum look benign. The structure, which is now a museum, was once a highly contentious boys’ school in Radford, Virginia, where students were encouraged to bully anyone they saw as less than them.
In 1916, the facility was reopened as a Sanatorium after being closed for several years.
The facility was badly understaffed, and the detainees were subjected to cruel procedures such as lobotomies and days of being submerged in ice-cold water.
The doctors’ bleak mood continues to this day, and a location dubbed “the most haunted on the East Coast” is more than appropriate for a scary film adaptation.
4. Lui Family Mansion
The most terrible ghost stories are sometimes associated with the most beautiful of locations. The narrative of the Lui Family Mansion in Taiwan appears to be ready for adaptation.
Legend has it that the family’s problems began when the patriarch fell in love with one of the many maids.
His wife, enraged and enraged, would abuse and torture the maid till she died at the bottom of a deep hole. The family was thereafter haunted by the vengeful spirit until they were forced to relocate.
Many people today claim to be uneasy and believe they can see her spirit roaming the premises. The well is also said to be cursed with bad luck, with visitors meeting with untimely deaths.
5. Major Graham Mansion
The site had already been cursed with tragic events when tycoon icon Squire David Graham purchased some acreage in Wythe County, Virginia, and began construction of the mansion seen today.
A man was killed by two of his servants years ago, and his soul has been claimed to haunt the grounds ever since.
Graham’s wife gradually turned insane when the mansion was erected, and she was held captive in her rooms, which became a cell. The house was also a haven for many Confederate soldiers, many of whom died of their wounds and were said to have remained in the vicinity of the mansion.
Major Grahams is now a well-known haunted attraction, but whether the story is true or not, the mansion is haunted.
6. Roanoke Colony
There are numerous accounts of failed settlements in early America. It was uncommon for a colony to prosper after succumbing to disease or invasion.
Even more unusual is when an entire settlement evaporates, leaving only a single word behind.
Anyone who knows anything about American history has heard of the lost colony of Roanoke. With the name CROATOAN engraved on a tree, the town of well over a hundred seemed to vanish without a trace.
While there are theories, no one knows for sure what happened to this day. There have been films based on the mythology of the event, but none of them is founded on fact, and American Horror Story had their take on it.
7. Jean Harlow House
No celebrity ghost story was more well-known during Hollywood’s golden age than that of early bombshell Jean Harlow.
Soon after their divorce, Harlow’s husband died at their home under strange circumstances, followed by his common-law wife. Harlow died of a sudden illness as well, and many speculated that it had something to do with the house.
Sharon Tate stayed at the house afterward and claimed to have seen two spirits who terrified her.
Many believe the spirits visited Tate as a warning, as she went on to become one of Charles Manson’s most famous victims. Even though the mansion appeared to be haunted from the start, no film has been made about it.
8. Eastern State Penitentiary
There are a plethora of films about prisons, haunted or not. A very genuine prison with a fascinating background and documented real hauntings, on the other hand, has yet to be adapted into a film.
Eastern State Penitentiary is one of the most famous – and haunted – jails in history, located in Philadelphia.
In comparison to many other ghost stories, life within the prison was quite calm, but that didn’t imply morale was high. Al Capone, who notoriously had a very nice cell, was one of the criminals imprisoned there over the years.
Every Halloween season, the jail hosts a haunted house, and there have been numerous tales of ghostly activity. Some even claim to have seen Capone himself, although he died in Flo.
9. Surrency Ghosts
The Surrency family of Georgia was subjected to major paranormal attacks in a story that reads like something out of a Conjuring movie.
It began innocuously enough, with doors opening and closing on their own and objects flying off shelves – standard ghost fare.
Unfortunately, these spirits grow angrier over time, and allegations have surfaced alleging that they physically assaulted Surrency’s young daughter.
They finally left their home, which became a popular haunted attraction until it inexplicably burned down in 1925. Many people feel this story is a hoax, yet many others believe it is true.
This haunting has yet to be adapted into a film, which is a shame because it appears to be the ideal ghost story.
10. Sloss Furnace
Sloss Furnace’s haunting begins with James Wormwood, the foreman of the furnace’s graveyard shift.
Wormwood was known for not caring about his employees and just caring about their numbers. He did receive high productivity and body count numbers.
Wormwood claimed the lives of at least 40 workers due to the factory’s hazardous working conditions. Wormwood eventually slipped into boiling iron ore and died instantaneously, even though he was not ready to depart.
Countless employees have reported having been confronted by a burning spirit straight out of a Wes Craven film demanding they get to work and physically assaulting them if they didn’t.
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