7. Perform A Cursed Ritual
As irrational as it might be, purposefully re-enacting a supposedly cursed ritual just seems like asking for trouble, whether it's summoning spirits in a mirror (Bloody Mary, Candyman), watching a cursed video (The Ring) or visiting a cursed website (FeardotCom). These films vary from the related subgenre of horror films based on urban legends by requiring the protagonists to actively recreate the conditions of the curse, often initially as a dare or an initiation rite, but then commonly as part of an investigation by officials seeking to determine the cause of the horrific acts apparently perpetrated by the curse. A recurring theme in these films is that of the cursed spirit as a vengeful innocent: in The Ring the teenaged Sadako (or Samara in the American remake) is seeking revenge for her mistreatment by her superstitious rural community and murder by her father; in FeardotCom the supernatural murders are being committed by the young victim of a serial killer whose torture and murder was broadcast online. The legend of Bloody Mary varies film to film, but in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary she's portrayed as the victim of a date-rape gone wrong; Candyman was killed by a racist lynch mob after getting his white lover pregnant. While whatever trace of sympathy we might have for these characters is shattered by their horrific acts, it's still somewhat difficult to empathise with protagonists who purposefully got themselves into this whole sorry mess.