Poltergeist (1982)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Steven Spielberg (story)
Steven Spielberg (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They're here.

Plot:

A family's home is haunted by a host of ghosts.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Television | Indian Burial Ground | Barefoot | Afterlife

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Craig T. Nelson	...	Steve Freeling
JoBeth Williams	...	Diane Freeling (as Jobeth Williams)
Beatrice Straight	...	Dr. Lesh
Dominique Dunne	...	Dana Freeling
Oliver Robins	...	Robbie Freeling
Heather O'Rourke	...	Carol Anne Freeling
Michael McManus	...	Ben Tuthill
Virginia Kiser	...	Mrs. Tuthill
Martin Casella	...	Marty (as Marty Casella)
Richard Lawson	...	Ryan
Zelda Rubinstein	...	Tangina
Lou Perryman	...	Pugsley (as Lou Perry)
Clair E. Leucart	...	Bulldozer Driver (as Clair Leucart)
James Karen	...	Mr. Teague
Dirk Blocker	...	Jeff Shaw

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1982) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (re-rating after appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

4267 Roxbury Street, Forest Hills, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Drew Barrymore was considered for the role of Carol Anne, but Steven Spielberg wanted someone more angelic. It was Barrymore's audition for this role, however, that landed her a part in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Robbie is sent away and put in a cab, he and the dog seem to change places between shots. Furthermore, whilst the dog clearly gets in the back seat of the taxi, in the next shot it is sitting in the front seat.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Carol Anne: Hello? What do you look like? Talk louder, I can't hear you! Hey, hello! Hello, I can't hear you! Five. Yes. Yes. I don't know. I don't know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Transylvania Twist (1989)

Soundtrack:

The Star-Spangled Banner

A Truly Unique Film

Poltergeist was one of the films of the 80s that many kids of that era remember renting when VCRs were already a very popular thing. Like The Exorcist, it has been embedded into our movie culture as one of the great scary movies.

This film has been credited as having great special effects. But what I love about this movie is that, like other Spielberg films, the FXs are not offered to us at the expense of the film. That is, the effects aren't used to cover up holes. This is very popular in movies today. With the advancement in computer technology, many filmmakers decide that they can write their script on a POST-IT note and fill in the missing pieces with million-dollar special effects. But Spielberg films do not do this. Even in films like Jurassic Park which was a special effects showcase, the computer technology did not cover for anything. It enhanced the film to make it absolutely spectacular.

Poltergeist seems to be in the same vein as JAWS in that the monster is not shown right off the bat. Though a film like this is intended to be far-fetched and exploding, it is done in such a way that we almost could believe that this is what a real haunting would be like. We don't see a slimy creature around every corner. Instead, fear of the unknown is used. And Spielberg was a genius in tapping into childhood fears. Clowns, trees, lightning, closets...genius! Because, though we all tend to grow out of our childhood fears, there is still something terrifying about looking at them as an adult.

A great concept and great acting come together to make a truly unique movie. The long-debated question as to whether Tobe Hooper (the film's credited director) actually directed much or whether Spielberg took over for most of it, has never been satisfied. However, the film seems to show more tones of Spielberg than anything.

See it. * * * 1/2 out of * * * *