IMDb > Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist
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Poltergeist (1982) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 55 | slideshow) Videos (see all 5 NEW)
Poltergeist (1982) -- A family's home is haunted by a host of ghosts.
Poltergeist (1982) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Poltergeist (1982) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)
Poltergeist (1982) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)
Poltergeist (1982) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   29,745 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 96% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Tobe Hooper
Writers:
Steven Spielberg (story)
Steven Spielberg (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Poltergeist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 June 1982 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
They're here. more
Plot:
A family's home is haunted by a host of ghosts. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(153 articles)
Wait, Now Heath Ledger Has a DirecTV Commercial?
 (From Cinematical. 2 November 2009, 1:02 PM, PST)

Heath Ledger’s DirecTV Commercial
 (From Slash Film. 2 November 2009, 11:48 AM, PST)

User Comments:
My favorite film experience more (239 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
114 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Rams (then Los Angeles Rams) vs. Saints football game seen near the beginning of the film, is taken from a Monday Night Football game in 1980. more
Goofs:
Continuity: At breakfast, the glass that is about to break in Robbie's hand is leaking considerably, but the amount of milk in the glass is unchanging (considering how much milk is leaking and how much is on the table already). more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Death of a Ghost Hunter (2007) more
Soundtrack:
The Star-Spangled Banner more

FAQ

I've read that this movie is cursed. What's that all about?
Why did the poltergeists want Carol Anne?
What is the light?
more
9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful.
My favorite film experience, 20 March 2007
10/10
Author: ray-280 from Philadelphia

I noticed that IMDb lists the release dates for films, and laughed here because I could never forget Friday, June 4, 1982, my last day in tenth grade, and about my tenth date with the exceptionally pretty and wonderful young lady I dated throughout most of high school. The weather was perfect, and I took my ladyfriend out for a nice lunch and a walk down Broadway in search of a movie. ET had been the hyped Spielberg film of that summer, but this one was already out, and the thought of a horrified hottie clinging to me for dear life (or vice versa) was irresistible. Poltergeist it was.

Like all Spielberg films, one will not find many weaknesses. The plot will be engaging, the visuals stunning, the acting excellent, and the overall experience first-class. This film did not disappoint.

The restrospectively amusing casting of Craig T. Nelson in the lead. Notable supporting cast include the late Dominique Dunne and the late Healther O'Rourke, both of whom would die tragically in 1988 and 1982, respectively, the earlier by domestic violence and the latter by illness. The loss to Hollywood is still felt to this day as each would likely have Oscars by now. The cast of competent, moderately known talents provided a strong yet muted substance to the special-effects stylings for which Spielberg became so famous.

As I settled in with my date to watch the film, I was equally enthralled both by her touch and the screen. From the moment O'Rourke uttered the to-this-day-chilling "They're here!!," through the amusing plot twist that explains the hauntings (a certain home developer forgot to do something with the gravesite that had previously existed on the land and apparently ticked off some spirits), though the death, destruction, and absolute terror experienced by the hapless protagonist family.

I will never again be fifteen, never again experience the deep cuts to the heart that come with teenage desire, never again wonder if maybe those horror movies could happen in real life, never again will experience the thrill of not having school or any other responsibilities for the next three months, and will never again be as vital or physically capable as I was so effortlessly back then, but to have had that even once, all at the same time, in the greatest city in the world, was absolutely awesome.

Whatever might have been wrong with my life at that age simply did not exist in that theater, during that film, with that date. Anything less than a perfect film would have spoiled what was literally a perfect day. It didn't.

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Message Boards

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Horror/Comedy the proper genre? skatingbach
Just saw this for the first time, and... ColeKeleher
Is that a holy water holder by the bedroom door?? sheilamc76
Poltergeist DVD 6.66 GB jorgea26
Wife's age blooper? mike_shore
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