“They’re here.” Almost any fan of the horror genre would know where the famous quote comes from. The 1982 classic ‘Poltergeist’ was a major critical and financial hit and has been recognized now as a modern classic. The film also spawned two sequels and a 2015 remake (all of which I’ll also be getting into in a separate review!).
And, with ‘Poltergeist’ playing during the Dietrich Theater’s Spooky Fest, it was time for me to revisit this awesome and scary classic!
Strange and creepy happenings beset an average California family, the Freelings - Steve, Diana, Sana, eight year old Robbie, and five year old Carol Anne - when ghosts commune with them through the TV set.
Initially friendly and playful, the spirits turn unexpectedly menacing, and when Carol Ann goes missing, Steve and Diane turn to a parapsychologist and eventually an exorcist for help.
The original ‘Poltergeist’ is one of those films that can be quite frightening no matter how many times you see it. For me, just like most horror classics, I have seen this film countless times and I still feel that it can still be quite scary and the visual effects (for the most part) are still impressive.
This film really does an outstanding job making a supernatural film really fun. During the first few times that the spirits aren’t menacing, it’s a great deal of fun. In the beginning, some things get moved around and it’s all senseless fun. In fact, Diana (the mother) tests this out by having Carol Anne slide from one side of the kitchen to the other with the help from the spirits.
The character of Tangina, who appears throughout the entire trilogy (actually has a smaller role in the next two films), delivers a few quips in the film that can give you a little chuckle.
Once the spirits begin to get more menacing, the scares really pick up. And when the scares pick up, the film gets really interesting. The film’s story really gets intriguing when the supernatural experts begin to help the family with their spirit situation. Some of those scenes can be visually incredible once they begin to see some of the peaceful spirits. And then can get really tense after a while.
Quite a few of the ghosts' visual effects are still amazing even for today’s standards. A lot of the host sequences come into play after the experts begin to help and is one of the many highlights. There are a couple moments where the visuals are really dated (such as an infamous moment which involves one of the ghost experts and his face - which ends up being a tense vision). Now, even though a bit of the effects can be dated, it definitely won’t ruin the fun you will have watching this classic.
‘Poltergeist’ delivers several exhilarating thrills, especially during the scenes where the ghosts are in Carol Anne’s room. All of those sequences are visually incredible and can really give you a good scare. As the film gets closer to the end, the intensity really builds up!
This 1982 supernatural classic is definitely a must watch during the Halloween season. ‘Poltergeist’ is a roller coaster thrill ride that is one of the best supernatural films ever released! If you can’t make it during Spooky Fest, the film is available on Max and can be rented through various platforms.
During the development of this film, as Spielberg was contractually unable to direct another film while he was making ‘E.T.’, he selected Tobe Hooper based on his work on ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ and the 1981 slasher ‘The Funhouse.’ The origin of ‘Poltergeist’ can be traced to ‘Night Skies,’ an unproduced project that Spielberg initially conceived as a horror sequel to ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’
‘Poltergeist’ is rated PG (the film was made before the PG-13 rating existed) and has a running time of 114 minutes.
On October 30, 1982, Dominique Dunne's ex-boyfriend strangled her unconscious in the driveway of her West Hollywood home. She died on November 4, having never regained consciousness, at the age of 22. Heather O'Rourke died of intestinal stenosis on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12. Both are buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Drew Barrymore was considered for the role of Carol Anne, but producer Steven Spielberg wanted someone more angelic. Barrymore's audition ultimately landed her the part of Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
When filming the scene in which Heather O'Rourke had to hold on to the headboard while a wind machine blew toys into the closet behind her, the young actress fell apart. Producer Steven Spielberg stopped everything, took her in his arms, and said that she wouldn't have to do that scene again.
Real human skeletons were used in the swimming pool scene, since the crew decided it would be too complicated and expensive to get fake ones. Tobe Hooper had previously done the same in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). JoBeth Williams was not made aware of this until after the scene was finished.
There was a DirecTV commercial in 2008 that affectionately parodied the film. Craig T. Nelson reprised the role of Steve Freeling, complaining to Carol Anne and the audience that the static on the TV set is just bad cable reception and quips "Not getting rid of cable. THAT'S gonna come back to haunt me!" Heather O'Rourke's family was pleased with the ad, for keeping her memory alive.
The film was originally given an R rating, from the MPAA due to scenes of a child in peril despite little gore in the film. The rating was lowered to 'PG' on appeal. The film predates the PG-13 rating by two years which is the rating this film would have most certainly gotten without issues.
Steven Spielberg hired Tobe Hooper after being impressed with his work on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).
This film came about from Steven Spielberg's failed attempt to do a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
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