Poltergeist (1982)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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 | Husband Wife Relationship | Evil Clown | Child's Point Of View | Vertigo Shot

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:

During the scene where Robbie (Oliver Robins) is being strangled, the clown's arms became extremely tight and Robbins started to choke. When he screamed out, "I can't breathe!" Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper thought that the boy was ad-libbing and just instructed him to look at the camera. When Spielberg saw Robbins's face turning purple, he ran over and removed the clown's arms from Robbins's neck.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the paranormal investigator takes his face apart in the bathroom, the reflection in the bathroom mirror changes three times: 1. The walls in the reflection are pegboard, and a bottle of "Fantastik" cleaner hangs near the mirror. 2. After a cut to an overhead light and back, the walls are no longer pegboard, the bottle has disappeared, and a cleaning brush has appeared on the wall. 3. After a cut to the sink and back, the bottle is back, but is of a different type, and a black cloth is hanging over the brush.

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:

Featured in "Movie Magic: Ghost Effects: Ghost Stories (#4.13)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

The Star-Spangled Banner

They're Here.

Truly spooky and disturbing horror film from the early-1980s that will make you jump from your seat. Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams seem to lead a normal life. He is a successful real estate agent and she is a loving housewife. They have three beautiful children, but one night all that slowly changes. The youngest child (Heather O'Rourke) starts talking to unseen spirits through a scrambled television station. The parents don't think much of it, until furniture starts to move on its own. However, the real terror does not start until O'Rourke is taken to another dimension by "the TV people". Now paranormalists led by Beatrice Straight must come in and try to get O'Rourke back to her family. Tobe Hooper, who is best known for the highly over-rated "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", does an admirable job here with the film's direction. However, it is rumored that Steven Spielberg came in during his "E.T" days and did the bulk of the work. This makes more sense as the film is really frightening and disturbing. The special effects are also impressive and "Poltergeist" ends up being one of those films that just sticks with you for a long time after you first see it. 4 stars out of 5.