Poltergeist
Reviews
Ted Fraraccio
One of the biggest moments of my childhood was seeing _Poltergeist_ for the first time at 7 years old. I saw it on a 4:3 set on a very old DVD in my parents' bedroom, after my mom had recently come home from the hospital after surgery. One night, my dad came home from the library with some DVDs, and one of them was _Poltergeist_. I popped it into the DVD player without hesitation as I'd wanted to see it since I was 5. I knew from the moment it started, _Poltergeist_ was going to be a great movie, but little did I know it would become my favorite movie of all time, and I'd want to experience it again and again. Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams star in this classic as Steve and Diane Freeling, who live with their three children, 16-year-old Dana (Dominique Dunne), 8-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and 5-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) in Cuesta Verde, CA, soon learn that their home is haunted, and that the spirits talk to Carol Anne through their television. Everything seem normal at first. Dana gives construction workers the finger and talks on the phone later than she's supposed to, Robbie is a huge Star Wars fan, and Carol Anne feeds her goldfish an entire tube of food. One night, a tree tries to eat Robbie, but they quickly save him. When the ghosts kidnap Carol Anne through the closet, they are forced to fight the evil spirit that holds their daughter if they ever want to see her again. Well-acted, well-written, and well-directed, with great special effects, _Poltergeist_ is, in my opinion, the greatest ghost story of all time. Let's start with the acting. The way lines are said, the facial expressions, body language, everything about the characters feels real. Craig T. Nelson's performance as Steve is the most real dad in a movie I've ever seen. JoBeth Williams' performance as Diane is the most real mom in a movie I've ever seen. Heather O'Rourke gives the best performance by a 5-year-old I've ever seen. Zelda Rubinstein is also great. It doesn't even seem like they're acting. The performances are top-notch. The special effects still hold up, because they still look real. The plot is still _very_ original, because it's set in modern suburban America, and it's about a normal family that loves each other, rather than an abusive husband and father. _Poltergeist_ is so well-written that nobody has to die, nor does it have to be gory to keep us on the edge of our seats. Hooper and Spielberg keep it subtle by hardly showing the ghosts. _Poltergeist_ features a great plot, great acting, great directing, and great writing. I can't recommend _Poltergeist_ enough. _Poltergeist_ **is** a kid's movie, so it's not all that scary, though there are scenes that may scare you or creep you out, but you won't be scarred for life. In the end it really is a fun thrill ride. It's a movie every kid must see by the time they're 8 years old. For some reason, I find myself trying, sometimes unsuccessfully, to hold back tears every time I see it. _Poltergeist_ is my favorite movie of all time, it truly is a great classic, and it still holds up after over 30 years as its message is still relevant today. _Poltergeist_ tells the story of a family nothing can tear apart. It's a classic good versus evil story, a story of perseverance in spite of your worst fears coming to light, and holding it together in spite of everything seeming to fall apart. It's about never giving up hope. When I watched Craig T. Nelson, I saw my dad on that screen, and I see him on that screen even more now. When I watched JoBeth Williams, I saw my mom on that screen, and I see her on that screen even more now. Your experience might not be exactly like this, but there's no denying that this movie is awesome. I know you're probably worried because of things you've read online about it being scary, gory, or boring, but don't be. The violence is never gory. The occasional cursing never gets too bad. Despite everything that happens, there's a sense of hope that stays the entire movie. Let your kids see it. They'll thank you.
John Chard
We know it as the beast. The Freeling family are happy and functioning perfectly well until one night their youngest daughter announces that thru the TV, the supernatural are here! Poltergeist divides the horror crowd big time, the gore fans are simply not impressed by the events in the film, while ghostly supernatural fans such as myself see it as a wasted opportunity. But strip away the flashy production and you start to see the core joke of kids infatuation with the goggle box, so yes, the film could easily be titled under the banner of being a Black Comedy. But be that as it may, and lets not be under any illusions here that, Poltergeist is not a knowing wink wink horror film of substance, the film really could have been a truly terrifying piece of work to cater for all tastes, and I firmly believe that that was the main intention of the makers from the off. Thus lies the chief problems with Poltergeist, it tries so hard to cover all bases it gets that confused to the point it veers from tedium to shock and back again before you have time to digest, and it kills what should have been a genre masterpiece. There are moments in the film that chill the blood, the sense of creeping menace hangs heavy during a storm, a toy clown becomes evil personified just by being lit in the stormy light, and then? Well it violently switches to something involving a tree that wouldn't be fit for Creepshow 27! On the film goes, suspense with chairs and pieces of meat, and then BAM...monster time! It just doesn't work, it's a collage of genre splicing that both director Tobe Hooper & producer Steven Spielberg are firmly to be held responsible for, because it's obvious that both their signature's clash to create an uneasy bedfellow. Yet as uneven as it is, and as blatantly plagiarised as it is of Twilight Zone episode Little Girl Lost, I still find myself enjoying watching Poltergeist, with its slick production and some memorable moments; the clown, poor darling Heather O'Rourke saying "they're here", the first chair sequence, and the always creepy Mrs. Tuthill, all things that help to make it a frustratingly enjoyable nights viewing. 6/10 Just don't go into the light afterwards I guess...
MaxTyrone
Like most of my contemporaries, I remember as a kid staying up late at night during the AMC Halloween horror movie marathon week (or was it a complete 31 days?) and watching the Freeling family get spooked by some O. G. paranormal activity; watching their house turn into a portal for spirits, some of which abducting their youngest daughter. Unlike some of my contemporaries, I'm very split on this film. As a fan of the genre, horror always intrigues me, even when it's done poorly/reuses the tired tropes. When rewatching _Poltergeist_ for what seems to be the twentieth time - now in my early twenties - the movie seems dated, to the point where what made it bone-chilling in the first place, seems calm and a little ridiculous. Perhaps I'm desensitized to this type of movie. Perhaps I'll appreciate it more when I do have a family, when I _am_ Craig T. Nelson. But currently, the film struggles against its pacing, unconvincing effects (see scene in the children's room where the closet tries to vacuum them up, and the "face" scene - you'll know), and the nature of it attempting to be both family friendly and a horror movie. Sustained over the years since its release, however, are the performances by the cast, specifically the parents. Overall, it's still a fun film; but because of some considerable flaws, it hasn't aged too well. Recommended for kids? - Hell yes. How else are they going to attain the fear of clowns?
RLTMovieReview
This movie holds a special place in my heart. Yes, by the standards of 2020 the special effects could be better. But we've seen the remake so we know new does not always mean improved. This is what I like in a horror movie. Suitable for older kids as well. As much as I appreciate R rated horror, I like PG-13 better. Because, like this movie, PG-13 focuses much more on story and characters. The fear of the family and all the emotions in this movie feel genuine to me. Even watching it today, I don't find the acting to be over the top. Much of what people see in this movie has become a trope, but for many of my generation, you saw it here first. The score of the movie and the famous line of "They're Here" will always be an important part of our pop culture as much as the shower scene in "Psycho"
CinemaSerf
Imagine the archetypal middle class family - mum, dad and three kids - all muddling along nicely in their home next to a graveyard, until things really do start going bump in the night! Doors, chairs and drawers start having minds of their own; the lights come on when it suits them, not you... Well initially, the "Freeling" family think this is just a bit of a giggle - that is until their daughter "Carol Anne" (Heather O'Rourke) disappears and when the paranormal investigators discover she is in an other dimension, only able to communicate via the white noise of the television screen, the battle is truly on to retrieve her from her truly malevolent captors. Zelda Rubinstein is super as the medium "Tangina" and Tone Hooper really does manage to use her character, and that of the little girl - as well as some pretty eery light works to create a suspenseful couple of hours that have you on the edge of the chair. Not, I have to say, because I particularly wanted the child back - I'm a bit with Ian Fleming on that front; but because these evil spirits could easily subsume the whole of humanity! Chilling stuff!
Movie Recommendation
Poltergeist II: The Other Side1986-05-23The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religious zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne.More...
Poltergeist III1988-06-10Carol Anne has been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle in an effort to hide her from the clutches of the ghostly Reverend Kane, but he tracks her down and terrorises her in her relatives' appartment in a tall glass building. Will he finally achieve his target and capture Carol Anne again, or will Tangina be able, yet again, to thwart him?More...
The Gate1987-04-21Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.More...
WarGames1983-06-03High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Department of Defense's war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions. Together with his friend and a wizardly computer genius, David must race against time to outwit his opponent and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.More...
Poltergeist2015-05-20A family's suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.More...
The Funhouse1981-03-13Rebellious teen Amy defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz, and their friends Liz and Richie. Thinking it would be fun to spend the night in the campy "Funhouse" horror ride, the teens witness a murder by a deformed worker wearing a mask. Locked in, Amy and her friends must evade the murderous carnival workers and escape before it leaves town the next day.More...
Carrie1976-11-03Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dark and violent turn.More...
Return to House on Haunted Hill2007-10-03Eight years have passed since Sara Wolfe and Eddie Baker escaped the House on Haunted Hill. Now the kidnapped Ariel, Sara's sister, goes inside the house with a group of treasure hunters to find the statue of Baphomet, worth millions and believed to be the cause of the House's evil.More...
Outland1981-05-22On the sunless moon Io, Marshall William T. O’Niel goes toe-to-toe with the corrupt manager of a mining colony and his gang of roughnecks while investigating a rash of worker suicides.More...
The Thing from Another World1951-04-05Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.More...
The Dead Zone1983-10-21Johnny Smith is a schoolteacher with his whole life ahead of him but, after leaving his fiancee's home one night, is involved in a car crash which leaves him in a coma for 5 years. When he wakes, he discovers he has an ability to see into the past, present and future life of anyone with whom he comes into physical contact.More...
The Omen1976-06-25Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn adopts the newborn Damien without the knowledge of his wife. Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.More...
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre1974-10-11Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way, they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.More...
Manhattan1979-04-25Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.More...
The Devil's Rejects2005-07-22The murderous, backwoods Firefly family take to the road to escape the vengeful Sheriff Wydell, who is not afraid of being as ruthless as his target.More...
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial1982-06-11An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.More...
Lost in Space1998-04-03The prospects for continuing life on Earth in the year 2058 are grim. So the Robinsons are launched into space to colonize Alpha Prime, the only other inhabitable planet in the galaxy. But when a stowaway sabotages the mission, the Robinsons find themselves hurtling through uncharted space.More...
An American Werewolf in London1981-08-21American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.More...
Platoon1986-12-19As a young and naive recruit in Vietnam, Chris Taylor faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.More...
Mission to Mars2000-03-10When the first manned mission to Mars meets with a catastrophic and mysterious disaster after reporting an unidentified structure, a rescue mission is launched to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors.More...
Similar Movies
The Shining
1980-05-23Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.Shaun of the Dead
2004-04-09Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.The Evil Dead
1981-10-15In 1979, a group of college students find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they've rented for a weekend getaway.Army of Darkness
1992-10-31Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.From Hell
2001-02-08Frederick Abberline is an opium-huffing inspector from Scotland Yard who falls for one of Jack the Ripper's prostitute targets in this Hughes brothers adaption of a graphic novel that posits the Ripper's true identity.28 Weeks Later
2007-04-26Twenty-eight weeks after the spread of a deadly rage virus, the inhabitants of the British Isles have lost their battle against the onslaught, as the virus has killed everyone there. Six months later, a group of Americans dare to set foot on the Isles, convinced the danger has passed. But it soon becomes all too clear that the scourge continues to live, waiting to pounce on its next victims.Snakes on a Plane
2006-08-17FBI agent Neville Flynn boards a flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Los Angeles, escorting a key witness to testify against a mob boss at an upcoming trial. An on-board assassin releases a crate full of hundreds of deadly venomous snakes in an attempt to eliminate the witness. Flynn and a host of frightened passengers and crew must band together to survive the slithery threat.A Nightmare on Elm St...
1984-11-09Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world...The Grudge
2004-10-22An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.The Grudge 2
2006-10-12A young woman encounters a malevolent supernatural force while searching for her missing sister in Tokyo, a mean high school prank goes horribly wrong, and strange things begin happening in a Chicago apartment building.The Grudge 3
2009-05-12Jake Kimble, the sole survivor of the Chicago massacre, is killed while in solitary confinement. His doctor begins investigating the claims he made about a long-haired woman in white, as a mysterious Japanese woman arrives at his old apartment building to help them get rid of the curse.The Mothman Prophecie...
2002-01-25Reporter John Klein is plunged into a world of impossible terror and unthinkable chaos when fate draws him to a sleepy West Virginia town whose residents are being visited by a great winged shape that sows hideous nightmares and fevered visions.What Lies Beneath
2000-07-21Norman and Claire Spencer are a seemingly happily married couple who uncover a terrible secret… a secret so disturbing it threatens to destroy them.House of 1000 Corpses...
2003-04-11Two teenage couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of serial killers end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.Ring
1998-01-31A mysterious video has been linked to a number of deaths, and when an inquisitive journalist finds the tape and views it herself, she sets in motion a chain of events that puts her own life in danger.Signs
2002-08-02A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.The Blackwell Ghost 4...
2020-01-01Turner returns to the light foot house to continue his investigation. This time he researched into the first victim Susan. He finds out from the detective there was a note left when light foot committed suicide. It ended up being a map to the first victim (Susan) body. The map is encrypted and turner has to find a way to decode it. While crazy things happen at the light foot house.A Ladder
2025-03-26Secret ladder. Borne from firmament. Stone, atonal waters. Chorus of silent hands. A vanishing act. Night is burning. Night is burning white. Flesh, a white fire. Avian. Given. Secret ladder. Mirror, become mirror.The Confession
2026-01-08A woman finds her late father’s tape confessing to murder tied to an evil force—now her son shows the same darkness, and she must fight to stop it.Disturbing Behavior
1998-07-24Steve Clark is a newcomer in the town of Cradle Bay, and he quickly realizes that there's something odd about his high school classmates. The clique known as the "Blue Ribbons" are the eerie embodiment of academic excellence and clean living. But, like the rest of the town, they're a little too perfect. When Steve's rebellious friend Gavin mysteriously joins their ranks, Steve searches for the truth with fellow misfit Rachel.