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Poltergeist

  • 1982
  • PG
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
171K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,591
396
Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist (1982)
A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.
Play trailer2:05
6 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.

  • Director
    • Tobe Hooper
  • Writers
    • Steven Spielberg
    • Michael Grais
    • Mark Victor
  • Stars
    • JoBeth Williams
    • Heather O'Rourke
    • Craig T. Nelson
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    171K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,591
    396
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Steven Spielberg
      • Michael Grais
      • Mark Victor
    • Stars
      • JoBeth Williams
      • Heather O'Rourke
      • Craig T. Nelson
    • 503User reviews
    • 280Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos6

    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"
    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
    • Director
      • Tobe Hooper
    • Writers
      • Steven Spielberg
      • Michael Grais
      • Mark Victor
    • 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 reviews503

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Better than a 7.1
    Horror films often do not get their do, and the 7.1 rating for Poltergeist shows that this trend will most likely continue. Clearly an influential film by Chainsaw director Tobe Hooper, Poltergeist reached for, and achieved, everything that the earlier Amityville Horror failed to be; namely, scary, credible, and well acted.

    Poltergeist, in a nutshell, is a story of suburban California family that discovers the darker side of the American Dream when their youngest daughter, Carol Ann, makes contact with evil spirits through the family television set. "They're here", never fails to send chills down my spine as I recall seeing this film for the first time as a teenager.

    Perhaps 10 to 15 more years will finally lend the credibility to this film to finally place it among the classics in modern horror cinema.
    helpful•166
    52
    • tornado-10
    • Oct 25, 1999

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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)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • It's Night Time
    • Filming locations
      • 4267 Roxbury Street, Forest Hills, Simi Valley, California, USA(Freeling house exteriors)
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • SLM Production Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,700,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $77,177,301
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,896,612
      • Jun 6, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $77,229,971
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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