Poltergeist (1982)

What a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make Poltergeist. The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg's E.T., it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg's ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.) Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper's magnum opus, or the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, which came along two years later, Poltergeist is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. --Jim Emerson Amazon.com

  The Most Fun You'll Have in a Haunted House
In 1982 Steven Spielberg gave us this enjoyable spookfest; it was directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974), and it is definitely a fun thrill-ride. It contains a few truly fright-inducing set pieces, particularly the clown doll scene. Many's the kid who had sleepless nights because of that. Very effective.

From the first glimpse of Poltergeist (The National Anthem heralding the end of television's broadcast day...before most TV was on all day and night) to the last comical scene, you are guaranteed a good time with plenty of chills and thrills. This is not just a good scary flick, it has that magical Spielberg touch. The direction, cinematography, and performances are good. The budget is good, as are the effects for the time.

We meet a family that could be our neighbors. They're normal. Not goody goody, not quirky, but average and typical. Believable. So it's so much more jarring when evil forces enter their lives.
I like Poltergeist. It's got class. It knows when to be funny, and when to scare you. And when you think the supernatural danger is finally gone, it gets even worse.

I have one small complaint about this film. Unfortunately there is a stupid (and poorly done) jump-cut around the 34 minute point where the Mom is showing her hubby the moving chairs; apparently the theatrical release included the line "I hate Pizza Hut!" uttered by Craig T. Nelson, and Pizza Hut took issue. (Check any legitimate copy of the film's screenplay and you'll find this dialogue.) Therefore, every video release of Poltergeist, from VHS to dvd, has this ridiculously inept edit which cuts from JoBeth Williams in midsentence to when she and Nelson are on the neighbors' doorstep. It's a disorienting and cumbersome jolt, not smooth at all.
Maybe I'm nitpicking a good film, but they could have cut it at a better point where a character wasn't speaking. Or didn't MGM consider dubbing over Nelson's line with different dialogue? It's done all the time. Oh, well. It's just a little drawback to a perfectly good spooky film.

But even with that peccadillo, Poltergeist is one of the best modern haunted house films available. It's not as chilling as the classic "The Haunting" from 1963 (based on Shirley Jackson's wonderful novel). Poltergeist is more of a funhouse ride, and it always satisfies. February 24, 2008

 25th Anniversary...Box
Being a huge fan of this 80's masterpiece, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the new DVD, certain it would contain an abundance of special features and extras. I was sadly let down. After the numerous documentaries made on the Poltergeist series, there was no excuse to keep them off of the newly released film. No only did the film NOT deliver the extra features that I expected, but it removed the theatrical trailer that was on the original DVD release. That said, the box was attractive and came with a nice protective cover which was about all the new release had to offer.

Aside from the feature flaws, the film was supurb. The actors were believable and warrented much of my sympathy. I really cared for the Freeling family, which is more than I can say for many characters in the horror genre. The scares were valid and the film brought several common childhood fears to life. One of the final scenes involving young Robbie and his toy clown continues to frighten me each time I watch Poltergeist. Unlike many of the new horror films we see today, Poltergeist is not particularly gory and will appeal to an audience who doesn't relish an abundance of blood, gore, and innards.

Part of what made the film such a great success was the music composed by Jerry Goldsmith who's music was also featured in The Omen. Be sure to check out the sountrack if you enjoyed the music in the film.

I highly reccommend Poltergeist to any avid horror fan or anyone seeking a few hours of quality entertainment. Don't miss this one! February 20, 2008

 It Says Things Only a Child Can Understand
1982 was a banner year for Speilberg, who has a production credit on "Poltergeist." ET was released about a month after this fine ghost story, and both movies have withstood the test of time. Although the film was directed by Tobe Hooper, Speilberg's presence on the set is undeniable. Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams play "yuppie" parents to three children. The youngest, played with cuteness by the late Heather O'Rourke, is abducted by a supernatuarl force and suspended into a "phantom zone" somewhere within the confines of the cursed house. The classic "They're here" became a well known tagline for the film. The cast is excellent, of course, but perhaps the best of the lot comes in the form of a creepy seer played by Zelda Rubenstein, whose shrilly, infantile voice provides enough goose bumps to last the duration of the film.

Although I can not say that "Poltergeist" is genuinely terrifying, it is good fun with a spooky premise. I liked when Jobeth Williams plunged into the pool and the corpses began to surface, and there's a few touching moments, too, especially considering the unfortunate and premature deaths of two of the children in real life. The music is both whimiscal and eerie. This film also spawned two sequels, neither of which come close to entertaining viewers as this offering. January 7, 2008

 Warner Bros. fails to give the fans what they want, again.
Documentaries of real Poltergeists and Hauntings, don't want it. Yeah, we get a full featured "Real World of Poltergeists" included with this special edition, but who is Warner Brothers kidding here? This is not Unsolved Mysteries, this is a classic movie. Where is the making? Where is the story of the poltergiest curse which includes death of cast members and some poeple in involed with the movie? Where is the story of Heather O Rourke's sudden death? Where is the controverisal heated story between the director Tobe Hooper and producer Spielberg? You're not going to get anything about it. No cast interviews, no storylines about the movie's infancy, nothing about the making of the movie, just another decent documentary about hauntings and poltergesits and contacting the dead which has nothing to do with the movie itself. In all seriousness, there is nothing wrong with the documentary included with the film, but it just doesn't belong here.

As for the movie itself, we know how awesome it is, and yes, it does look like it's been cleaned up quite a bit. Boasting it being digitally restored and remastered it probably true. It's defintely the best looking poltergeist I've ever seen on my TV. The audio even seemed to get an upgrade too. As fans know, this came out 25 years ago in 1982, wow, has it been that long, but amazingly, it has still withstood the test of time as is still considered to be one of the best movies ever made. I personally believe the movie is Spielberg's best, more than E.T., Close Encounters, you name it, Poltergeist is probalby his best work. While Tobe Hooper takes credit for being the director, that's where the controversy starts between Hooper and Spielberg. And I can honestly that's why WB has ignored a full fledged making of the movie knowing the controversy it may spawn between Hooper and Spielberg. But even without the interviews or making of the movie, if you haven't bought this movie yet, now is probably a good time, just don't expect any good extras that have anything to do with the movie. January 1, 2008

 Wait for bargain bin price
Nice picture and sound but a disappointment as an anniversary re-release. Wait until it's $5 or re-re-released as a proper special edition, then pick it up. November 16, 2007

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