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IMDbPro

Poltergeist

  • 19821982
  • PGPG
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
168K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
487
1,133
Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)
A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.
Play trailer2:05
7 Videos
99+ Photos
HorrorThriller
A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
168K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
487
1,133
    • Tobe Hooper
    • Steven Spielberg(screenplay by)
    • Michael Grais(screenplay by)
    • Mark Victor(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • JoBeth Williams
    • Heather O'Rourke
    • Craig T. Nelson
    • Tobe Hooper
    • Steven Spielberg(screenplay by)
    • Michael Grais(screenplay by)
    • Mark Victor(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • JoBeth Williams
    • Heather O'Rourke
    • Craig T. Nelson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 498User reviews
    • 282Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars

    Videos7

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:05
    Watch Trailer
    Poltergeist (1982)
    Trailer 2:25
    Watch Poltergeist (1982)
    Stream & Scream: The Best Haunted Houses
    Clip 4:35
    Watch Stream & Scream: The Best Haunted Houses
    Upside Down the Rabbit Holes of "Stranger Things"
    Clip 3:45
    Watch Upside Down the Rabbit Holes of "Stranger Things"
    What Horror Movies Terrified You as a Kid?
    Full Episode 3:18
    Watch What Horror Movies Terrified You as a Kid?
    Halloween Costume Creations
    Video 1:50
    Watch Halloween Costume Creations
    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 32
    Video 29:51
    Watch Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 32

    Photos164

    Heather O'Rourke, JoBeth Williams, and Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist (1982)
    Dominique Dunne in Poltergeist (1982)
    Oliver Robins in Poltergeist (1982)
    Steven Spielberg, Craig T. Nelson, and James Karen in Poltergeist (1982)
    JoBeth Williams and Beatrice Straight in Poltergeist (1982)
    Martin Casella, Richard Lawson, and Beatrice Straight in Poltergeist (1982)
    JoBeth Williams, Richard Lawson, Oliver Robins, Zelda Rubinstein, and Beatrice Straight in Poltergeist (1982)
    Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)
    Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist (1982)
    Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)
    Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)
    JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist (1982)

    Top cast

    Edit
    JoBeth Williams
    JoBeth Williams
    • Diane Freeling
    • (as Jobeth Williams)
    Heather O'Rourke
    Heather O'Rourke
    • Carol Anne Freeling
    Craig T. Nelson
    Craig T. Nelson
    • Steve Freeling
    Beatrice Straight
    Beatrice Straight
    • Dr. Lesh
    Dominique Dunne
    Dominique Dunne
    • Dana Freeling
    Oliver Robins
    Oliver Robins
    • Robbie Freeling
    Michael McManus
    Michael McManus
    • Ben Tuthill
    Virginia Kiser
    Virginia Kiser
    • Mrs. Tuthill
    Martin Casella
    Martin Casella
    • Marty
    Richard Lawson
    Richard Lawson
    • Ryan
    Zelda Rubinstein
    Zelda Rubinstein
    • Tangina
    James Karen
    James Karen
    • Mr. Teague
    Lou Perryman
    • Pugsley
    • (as Lou Perry)
    Clair E. Leucart
    • Bulldozer Driver
    • (as Clair Leucart)
    Dirk Blocker
    Dirk Blocker
    • Jeff Shaw
    Allan Graf
    Allan Graf
    • Neighbor
    Joseph Walsh
    Joseph Walsh
    • Neighbor
    • (as Joseph R. Walsh)
    Helen Baron
    • Woman Buyer
      • Tobe Hooper
      • Steven Spielberg(screenplay by) (story by)
      • Michael Grais(screenplay by)
      • Mark Victor(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Heather O'Rourke kept the pet goldfish Carol Anne has in the film.
    • Goofs
      Many viewers have pointed out that only one of the houses in the neighborhood is affected by ghosts even though the whole neighborhood and many other houses were built on the same ground. However, there are two sections of the movie that explain this discrepancy: one in which Steven tells a prospective buyer that his family was one of the first to move into their neighborhood, and another in which Steven's boss mentions that Carol Anne was born in the house. The novelization makes the connection more explicit: because Carol Anne was born in the burial ground, the spirits gravitated toward the Freeling household, attracted by her life force.
    • Quotes

      Carol Anne Freeling: They're here.

    • Crazy credits
      After the credits and the logo of the MGM lion is shown, we hear children laughing. Fans of the film have assumed that the laughing children are those who have been released from the beast and have crossed over the threshold into the next life.
    • Alternate versions
      For ABC's 1985 network television premiere, Marty's hallucination is altered so instead of him ripping his own face off, he sees his face rapidly deteriorate briefly.
    • Connections
      Edited into Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      The Star-Spangled Banner
      (1814) (uncredited)

      Music based on "The Anacreontic Song" by John Stafford Smith

      Arranged by Arturo Toscanini

      [Played as TV sign-off music several times]

    User reviews498

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    My favorite film experience
    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.
    helpful•205
    49
    • ray-280
    • Mar 20, 2007

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    FAQ19

    • What is Ryan listening to while drawing?
    • Who is the glowing ghost floating across the living room?
    • What is 'Poltergeist' about?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 4, 1982 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • 4267 Roxbury Street, Forest Hills, Simi Valley, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • SLM Production Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 54 minutes
      • Dolby Digital

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