When the supernatural horror film titled Thirteen Ghosts directed by Steve Beck, hit the airwaves in late 2001, the reaction it got from fans and viewers globally was a mixed one. This unsure feeling most likely arose as a result of the fact that the film was a remake of a 1960 movie of the same title which was directed by William Castle. Fast forward to over two decades later and the movie that gradually won over horror movie lovers the world over has achieved cult status mainly because of the ghosts’ backstory that was later created by the filmmakers.
Is the movie 13 Ghosts based on a true story?
The short version of the answer to this question is no, 13 Ghosts is not based on a true story. The longer version revolves around the fact that this is usually a question that trails a lot of supernatural horror films and 13 Ghosts is not an exception. Horror filmmakers know and understand that the majority of horror film audiences want and expect an element of reality in the content they come to see. Thus, a lot of horror film trailers have conceived a way to give the audience that experience of reality by inferring the same with words such as based on a true story or inspired by live events.
In some cases, the aforementioned claims tend to be factually accurate, based on the set and location, but in several cases, the movie creators create a semblance of the original with CGI and special effects. The true essence of horror movies is to create entertainment value in a truly relatable and shocking manner. There are however films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs, where the narrator and producers are quite liberal with the way they re-tell the actual horrid actions of Ed Gein, the Wisconsin murderer who had made clothing and furniture from the remains of human beings he murdered.
What are the 13 Ghosts in Thirteen Ghosts?
As earlier mentioned, 13 Ghosts grew to achieve a cult following because the movie producers finally understood that the measly 1 hour 30 minutes runtime of the horror flick wasn’t nearly enough time to get into the backstory of each of the 13 ghosts referenced in the movie. They, therefore, proceeded to create a special DVD feature that gave the audience a glimpse into the history of each of the 13 Ghosts as humans. A detailed look at these ghosts revealed that some are more dangerous than others.
Let’s meet the 13 ghosts!!!
The First Born Son
In life, the ghost described as the firstborn son was an overindulged and spoiled kid named Billy Michaels. Billy’s unhealthy obsession with Indians and cowboys led to him always carrying on like one. The result of this obsession was the death of Billy at the hands of another kid who had challenged him to a duel. Whereas Billy brought a cap gun to the duel, the other kid’s steel-tipped arrow ultimately cut short Billy’s life. Billy’s ghost, the firstborn son, still carries the instrument that led to his death and although harmless, he was scary enough to land the human occupants of the house in trouble.
The Torso
This ghost represents a torso severed from a head that is never far off, an accurate description of what happened to the owner when he was alive. He was a bookie named Jimmy Gambino; he was nicknamed ‘The Gambler’ because of his gambling addiction. Jimmy had lived during the 1900s and his unhealthy character and lifestyle had placed him in the crosshairs of the Mafia after he lost a boxing bet and couldn’t pay up. The Mafia had been ruthless in dealing with Jimmy by butchering him like an animal and dumping his cellophane-wrapped remains in the ocean. The torso also doesn’t do any real damage but is still as scary as a ghost can be.
The Bound Woman
The Bound Woman image source
The ghost of the bound woman was a woman named Susan LeGrow, a beautiful high school girl who was aware of her beauty and had a reputation for leaving broken hearts in her wake without regard for their feelings. At the time of her death, she was caught cheating with another guy by her boyfriend who was the captain of the school football team named Chet Walters, on the night of their senior prom. Chet had murdered the other dude with a club before proceeding to strangle Susan with his tie.
The Withered Lover
The Withered Lover image source
The withered lover was the wife of the movie’s protagonist, Arthur Kriticos. She was a woman named Jean Kriticos and her life had been claimed by a fire that gutted the family house which other members of her family had survived a year and a half prior to the events of the film. She is not harmful to the human occupants of the house.
The Torn Prince
Famous for his baseball talents in the 1950s, The Torn Prince was a teenage baseball star named Royce Clayton. His life had come to an end after the brake lines of his car had been cut by an envious challenger in a drag race. The sabotaged brake lines led to the accident that claimed his life. His ghost is quite violent and spots a baseball bat with which it wreaks havoc on the human occupants of the mansion.
The Angry Princess
The angry princess carries a knife, the same one she used to kill herself and she is also bloody and naked, a condition she was in at the time of her suicide in a bathtub. In life, she was a beautiful lady known as Dana Newman. Dana, who had lived in the 20th century, had always seen flaws in her makeup and sought to correct them through plastic surgeries. These perceived flaws were probably due to the abuses she suffered in her relationships. She is responsible for the gruesome murder of the lawyer character, Ben Moss.
The Pilgrimess
Scorned and roughly mistreated in life after she was branded a witch by the small North American community she migrated to as an orphan from England, Isabella Smith had been branded a witch and held responsible for the failure of crops in her community. Her claims of innocence fell on deaf ears, and the fact that she somehow survived a burning barn without a scratch didn’t help her cause. The angry community starved her to death following her condemnation to the pillory, a piece of equipment that was still visible in the movie. Her bound hands mean that the only damage she can do is look scary.
The Great Child
Born and died as Harold Shelburne, the ghost known as the great child was part of a circus and was constantly mistreated and looked down on by other freaks. A health condition meant that he was spoonfed for most of his life. He ultimately lost his mind and went on a killing spree to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of the circus’ other freaks. The circus owner, Jimbo had him killed and so cut up that he was hardly recognizable. He appears with the instrument he used to commit the killings, an ax.
The Dire Mother
The Dire Mother image source
Margaret Shelburne was a pint-sized woman standing 3 feet tall who worked in a circus. She was the mother of Harold and their ghosts are often seen together. She was raped by the Tall Man, a colleague at the freak show where she worked, Harold was the result and she dedicated her entire life to him. She was eventually killed by other members of the freak show.
The Hammer
In life, the Hammer was a jolly blacksmith named George Markeley who got into a skirmish with one of the town’s well-placed individuals named Nathan. Nathan had accused George of stealing and the blacksmith was actually asked to leave the town with his family. He denied the allegations and refused to adhere to what he perceived was a corrupt verdict. The result of his stubbornness was losing his family to a mob led by Nathan. George retaliated by using his sledgehammer to avenge his family. He was condemned to death, chained to a tree, and run through with a railroad spike. His left hand was cut off and attached to the hammer. This ghost is deadly and doesn’t hesitate to use his deadly hammer on the human beings in the haunted house.
The Jackal
The Jackal is the ghost of a serial rapist and murderer named Ryan Khun. Born and raised by a prostitute, he ultimately went insane after seeking treatment at Borehamwood Institute and had his head locked in a cage when he broke out of his straitjacket. He died in the fire that engulfed the asylum and his ghost is a vicious and deadly one, definitely one of the top three.
The Juggernaut
Horace Mahoney was known as ‘The Breaker’ in life and after he was born disfigured, even his own mother rejected him at birth. His father utilized his brute strength in his junkyard. Horace lost it after his father’s death and eventually became a serial killer who would attack and kill hitchhikers after luring them to his junkyard. He was eventually killed by a team of SWAT and his ghost was eventually captured and brought to the haunted house after a further kill count of 40. The juggernaut is the de-facto leader of the ghosts and he is as deadly as they come.
Dennis Rafkin
Dennis was revealed as the 13th ghost as the movie drew to a close with his ghost telling Arthur to go to his children before leaving with the rest of the ghosts. Earlier on, Dennis had been cut down by the unified efforts of the hammer and the juggernaut.
Read Also: Shawna Loyer Bio – Movies And TV Shows, Facts About The 13 Ghosts Actress
Fast facts
What is Thirteen Ghosts based on?
The movie is a remake of the 1960 movie with the same title. The 1960 original version was directed by William Castle and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Not coincidentally, both versions of the movie were based on a story titled 13 Ghosts by Robb White.
Will there be a Thirteen Ghosts 2?
As things stand, there are no musings about a sequel, although several suggestions from fans and a wider audience have included a special feature film that centers on Cyrus and the actual hunt for the ghosts. Whether that becomes a reality remains to be seen. However, to relive the events of the movie, you can download the 2001 movie on any of the movie platforms online. There is also a DVD feature that provides the backstory of the ghosts, essentially detailing who they were in life.
Who was Cyrus in 13 Ghosts?
Cyrus Kriticos is the uncle of the movie’s protagonist, Arthur Kriticos. He had lured his nephew to the haunted house with news of his fake demise in a bid to sacrifice said nephew in order to access and gain control of the Ocularis Infernum and by so doing, become the most powerful and influential man on earth.
Which 13 Ghost is Pisces?
The Juggernaut exhibited all the classic signs of Pisceans who know they’re different but would rather not be treated that way and his behavior shows what happens when they are left to the darkest recesses of their overactive imagination. Pisces are people born from February 19 to March 20.
What are the 13 Ghosts in Thirteen Ghosts?
- The First Born Son – Billy Michaels
- The Torso – Jimmy “The Gambler” Gambino
- The Bound Woman – Susan LeGrow
- The Withered Lover – Jean Kriticos
- The Torn Prince – Royce Clayton
- The Angry Princess – Dana Newman
- The Pilgrimess – Isabella Smith
- The Great Child – Harold Shelburne
- The Dire Mother – Margaret Shelburne
- The Hammer – George Markeley
- The Jackal – Ryan Khun
- The Juggernaut – Horace “Breaker” Mahoney
- Dennis Rafkin – Dennis Rafkin
Is Thirteen Ghosts a true story?
No, it is not. Although the movie creators tried to weave in some elements of believability, including making the house look like the famous Winchester mansion, there is not enough evidence to support that assumption and the storyline is nothing like the actual Winchester story.