Poltergeist

Rating:
Summary: terrifying film that seems fresh even after repeated viewing
Review: POLTERGEIST is a film conceived, co-written and produced by Steven Spielberg. A clause in Spielberg's contract with Universal for E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL forbade him from directing POLTERGEIST and E.T. simultaneously. Spielberg hired up-and-coming horror film director Tobe Hooper, whose biggest credit to date was the classic horror film THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, to helm the picture.
Up to this point, Hooper had only directed three other features: EGGSHELLS, an independent film that proceeded CHAINSAW, EATEN ALIVE, another backwoods horror film in the vein of CHAINSAW, and THE FUNHOUSE, which was his first studio-backed film. CHAINSAW, his only really notable film at the time, was a notorious success (and a phenomenal film despite its reputation from people who go by the garish title only). It is great praise that on the strength of this film alone, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood's golden boy by this point (having JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK under his belt) would give Hooper's film (guarded) praise "It's a real cult film, I know, but one of the most truly visceral movies ever made. Essentially it starts inside the stomach and ends in the heart. As a filmmaker who likes to see everything, I loved it".

POLTERGEIST is set in what would become a hallmark of Spielberg films: suburbia. In the film, The Freelings, a young couple and their three children are terrorized by spectral entities that exist within the spirit world, yet manifest themselves in their home (most notably through the conduit of the television). The spirits make contact with the family's youngest child, Carol Anne, and soon, in one of the film's most (out of many) harrowing sequences, abduct her away (through the bedroom closet) into the spirit realm. The Freelings then enlist the help of a trio of university parapsychologist and a medium to save their daughter and put an end to their unwelcome house guest.

POLTERGEIST, having been written and produced by Spielberg, certainly has all the ear-markings of a film he had a large hand in. At the time of it's release, the press grabbed on to a story that Spielberg had indeed directed the film (spurred on by comments producer Frank Marshall had made). After the press broke the story and the Director's Guild of America launched an investigation in defense of Tobe Hooper's directing credit, Spielberg paid for a full-page ad (addressed to Tobe Hooper) that ran in the Hollywood Reporter 4 days after the film's premiere:

"Regrettably, some of the press has misunderstood the rather unique, creative relationship which you and I shared throughout the making of "Poltergeist."

I enjoyed your openness in allowing me, as a producer and a writer, a wide berth for creative involvement, just as I know you were happy with the freedom you had to direct "Poltergeist" so wonderfully.

Through the screenplay, you accepted a vision of this very intense movie from the start, and as the director, you delivered the goods. You performed responsibly and professionally throughout, and I want to wish you great success on your next project.

Let's hope that "Poltergeist" brings as much pleasure to the general public as we experienced in our mutual effort.

Sincerely,
Steven Spielberg"

Producer Frank Marshall claimed that Spielberg would step in during shooting when Hooper was indecisive, and that Spielberg was on the set constantly. The actors, however, attribute their direction solely to Hooper. Whether the film was largely directed by Spielberg or Hooper may never be clear. A positive point is that Hooper did go on to direct an episode of Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES and more recently Dreamwork's THE OTHERS and TAKEN, so any ill-will (if there was any) is behind both men.

When the film was completed and sent to the MPAA for rating certification, POLTERGEIST received an R rating, which severely narrowed the film's producers audience to profit from. Spielberg and MGM chairman Frank Rosenfelt argued for a PG, with Rosenfelt citing that POLTERGEIST contained no sex, profanity or extreme violence. The MPAA disagreed, saying that the intensity of the film warranted an R. Producer Frank Marshall has even gone on record to debate the R rating, citing it's lack of profanity or violence. While the film isn't quite R material, the producers (and the MPAA) obviously forgot the film's drug use by the Freeling parents, the litany of profanities in the first 15 minutes of the film and the scene where the parapsychologist Marty rips his face apart, dropping gory chunks of flesh, fat and blood into the sink. The MPAA relented and the film was released uncut with a PG rating. This, along with Spielberg's INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and GREMLINS would all add up to the adoption of the PG-13 rating in 1984.

The film, like other Hollywood horror films such as THE EXORCIST or THE OMEN has sprung up a spooky legend around itself, being called by many "The Poltergeist Curse." Not long after the film premiered, Dominique Dunne, who portrayed Dana, the Freeling's oldest daughter in the film, was attacked and strangled to death by her boyfriend. Years later, after the third POLTERGEIST movie was filmed, Heather O' Rourke (Carol Anne) died at the age of 12 from intestinal stenosis. Also, two actors in POLTERGEIST II died early from cancer and complications from heart surgery. Mystique like this, however, is purely coincidental, as many Hollywood films not of a supernatural ilk have casts and crew die quite regularly to be sure.

POLTERGEIST opened in June of 1982 one week before E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, the film that would eclipse it, all other films that year and all other films in history (until it was dethroned by Spielberg's own JURASSIC PARK). Still, POLTERGEIST easily made back it's $10.8 million dollar budget and went on to spawn two other sequels and an very loosely based television series (none of which Spielberg or Hooper had anything to do with).

While it is not noted as one of Spielberg's bigger pictures, it is an important film in his body of work, as it is a model of themes and concerns that would become evident more and more as each new Spielberg film was released. Most importantly, it is a fun, terrifying film that seems fresh even after repeated viewings.

Rating:
Summary: Steven and Tobe...They Know What Scares You
Review: This 1982 horror film is from writer/producer Steven Spielberg, who purportedly gave the director's seat to Tobe Hooper, revered director of the classic slasher flick THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974). It has been long rumored, however, that Spielberg kept Hooper under such tight reins that POTERGEIST is, in effect, really all Spielberg's. But regardless of whose vision it may be, POTERGEIST is a very scary and very entertaining movie--a worthy entry in the horror genre.

After its cloyingly honeyed opening sequence, POTERGEIST shifts gears and becomes both a powerfully frightening suburban haunted-house story and an eerie contemporary tale of ESP and the paranormal. Unseen spirits enter a tract home via the TV and cause some minor spooky mischief, then graduate to more violent and corporeal grotesqueries. When a little girl gets sucked into the netherworld, psychic investigators and a freaky little clairvoyant are called in to do a little ghost-busting and rescue the child.

Most of the scares are cinematically original and genuinely scary, with many that play upon common (and in adults, buried but extant) childhood fears. The creepiest of these is a scene where a gnarly tree comes to life and pulls a child out the bedroom window, and a little episode with an evil clown doll is a real spine-tingler, too.

POTERGEIST is a well-planned, solidly structured film that first carefully establishes an unearthly ambiance, then pushes the audience inexorably towards its heart-stopping preternatural crescendo. Admittedly, the way in which the protagonists resolve their crisis seems somewhat contrived and therefore rather weak, but the film is so well acted and most of it so effectively frightening that the one minor flaw can be easily forgiven.

The DVD from Warner Home Video is a no-frills package, which in this case means you get the theatrical trailer and the option of watching the film in full-screen pan-and-scan or anamorphic widescreen. But the digital transfer looks very good, and the retail price is quite reasonable, so this is one that undoubtedly deserves a spot in the film collections of all serious horror aficionados.

Rating:
Summary: Wildly Overrated and Not That Scary
Review: Love the cast, love the ideas, but this movie never scared me over twenty years ago when it came out and it definitely doesn't now. It felt more like an amusement park ride than a horror film.
There were rumors at the time of its release that Tobe Hooper had been fired or barely showed up, giving control of the film to Steven Spielberg. I've never heard any follow up to that, but it's obvious that this movie is more of a Spielberg film (cute kids, harmless thrills, constant tracking shots, etc.) than a Tobe Hooper film (think of the dark, mischevious cynicism of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE). I don't know.

All the whispering scenes drove me nuts. Did they think the ghosts wouldn't hear them?
The "experts" in the story didn't seem afraid of anything and made the supernatural sound fun and fulfilling. How can you feel any dread when Beatrice Straight and that crazy little psychic are all giddy?

THE EXORCIST makes POLTERGEIST look like an afterschool special on Nick at Nite.

Rating:
Summary: An Injustice To Real Ghosts/Poltergeists!!!!!!!
Review: Poltergeist is one of scariest movies ever written. When the ghost reached out of the TV set, I thought I would die! I also enjoyed how the writers manipulated objects using the thunderstorm.
Last but not least, I thought the cookie cutter architecture of that suberb fit in perfectly with where a ghost would want to live.
However, I felt very letdown after the first few scenes. The special effects went way too far.
Most people who have had real ghost/poltergeist encounters describe them as very subtle. The people behind this movie did a terrible diservice to real ghost hunters and real ghosts.

Rating:
Summary: The real horror.
Review: The real horror of this films is the lagacy of actors passing away right after the film is made. Starting of with the beatifull Dominique Dunne, then came the sequel and the Indian passed away then littleone O'rourke passed on after third part, that is really creepy, think about it.

Rating:
Summary: Ah.Memories
Review: wow this one goes back. I first saw this when I was 6. and I'm still afraid of clowns! This movie is good old fashion terror, and proves that you not need buckets of gore (though that can be good also) to make a good horror film. I would recommend this to any horror buff, young or old

Rating:
Summary: It was very good when It's been released !
Review: I remember how scared this movie makes me 15 years ago. I just rewatch it and well,now, it became with time an average movie. For sure, the FX were certainly fantastic for this period, but these days with all the technologies, everything is quite laughable and anyway not very scary ! The story is still a good one. The soundtrack has certainly been choosen by Speilberg who's also the producer. What I will keep in mind, is the direction by TOBE HOOPER (a curiosity) and the everlasting angel face of Carol Anne :)

Rating:
Summary: A Welcome Change to the Horror Genre
Review: Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hopper, provides a break from traditional horror films. Lacking graphic violence, this film is instead a psychological thriller, which focuses on the feelings of a family in distress after their daughter disappears. Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is sucked into her bedroom closet, and into another dimension. Still in the house, Carol Anne is able to communicate with the rest of her family. The movie portrays the family's desperate struggle to bring their baby girl back into the world of the living.

The scariest aspect of the movie is that it breaks the feeling of comfort. A home should be a place of safety and protection. In the movie, ghosts invade the home of this family, destroying any innocence that might exist. The unsafe atmosphere should frighten, and keep the viewer alert and anxious. The close, personal relationship one has with his home and family is the root of horror that appears in the movie.

Very engaging and suspenseful, the movie keeps the viewer on the edge of his seat. It entertains at every level. It is a psychological thriller in that the family has to live with the fact that their daughter is alive and in their own house, yet they cannot reach her, and it is crammed with action and effects. Every scene is important and action packed, therefore making the film enthralling and entertaining; the brilliant sequence of events leaves the viewer begging for more.

Made in 1982, the special effects are sub-par for this day and age. In no way do they detract from the overall satisfaction of the movie, but the ghosts appear like cartoons and the monsters almost seem silly. For its time, the special effects are top of the line. Twenty years later, viewers are used to more.

While the movie provides some background information on the characters, it does not tell enough about Carol Anne, and the rest of the family. Throughout the entire movie, it is difficult to empathize with the little girl while she is trapped because there is not enough time for an emotional connection to be made. It is hard to feel her pain or grievances, frankly because it is difficult to really care about her well-being. Although aimed more toward the emotional struggle of the family, a connection with the little girl would have made the film that much more frightening.

While older and more primitive compared to modern day horror movies, Poltergeist is still very highly recommended. The psychological aspect alone can haunt one's nightmares and leave an overall feeling of fear. This movie is a must see not only for horror fans, but for all people in general, because of its entertainment value, as well as its ability to scare without blood and gore.

Rating:
Summary: Poltergeist
Review: Obviously the people at amazon.com suck. They keep getting the order wrong. I received the 1999 version, not the September 2003 version. Hey incompetent employees of Amazon.com, Hey Jeff Bozo the clown, where is the current issue. Is this a form of false advertising?

Rating:
Summary: DO NOT ORDER THIS UNLESS YOU WANT THE WRONG VERSION
Review: We placed an order for the 2003 version and on TWO occassions, Amazon.com has sent us the 1999 version. Obviously they have a catalog error... so unless you want to go through the hassle of getting the wrong one... don't bother ordering it. We finally gave up.