Poltergeist

Rating:
Summary: This is scary?
Review: Give me a break. If this is a horror movie, then Cool Whip is a dairy product. The scariest thing in this movie is the house, wow, BAD TASTE, check out that staircase! And what's with that ghost-busting crew? Why were they acting so embarrassed all the time? Well, maybe because they had no good dialogue to speak of. Now, as to the special effects, they were OK, in a detergent-commercial sort of way. One bright spot was Craig Nelson's impersonation of Dick Van Dyke. And JoBeth Willams looks GREAT in shorts!

Rating:
Summary: Poltergeist: Speilberg's forgotten classic...
Review: When you think of the name Steven Speilberg, countless projects pop into your head. Close Encounters, E.T., Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, etc....

But possibly one of the most convincing stories he was ever involved in was Poltergeist. Based off a story of some New England hauntings (the same hauntings that inspired this movie, actually inspired the script for Ghostbusters as well), this story of a family and their haunted house is brought to life by amazing special effects and some rather terrific acting by JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson.

From the moment the movie opens it does a good job of making the family seem very human to the viewers. From the "Star Wars" sheets on Robbie's bed and Carol Ann's dead canary, to the football game with all the guys and the battle with the neighbors over their remotes (see not all neighbors are kind and helpful as Hollywood portrays!).

When the disturbances begin the movie becomes one of the most spectactular special effects movies of all time. The things that happen seem real enough and frankly I can't get anyone that has seen this to tell me these things wouldn't terrify them. When Beatrice Straight's character, who is a supernatural investigator, sees these occurances and can't stop from shaking, you get the feel that this is possibly the most terrifying entrance the paranormal have ever made into our world.

The creatures look amazing and real, and by the end you feel just as the family does, elated to finally get away from the misfortune this house has brought you.

A fantastic horror film and a special effects masterpiece. This is one of the films that needs a theater re-release.

Rating:
Summary: I love this movie !
Review: "Poltergeist" is possibly one of Speiberg's best films ever made. ...The content from the movie is guarenteed to give almost ANYBODY nightmares!!

The story is about little curious Carol Ann who unleashes a terrifying secret upon her family after discovering evil spirits living within her T.V. The supernatural events appear to be fun and quite amusing at first, but the entity soon turns into a nightmare when her brother is attacked by a monstrous man-eating tree!!!

To make matters worse, Carol Ann herself has been kidnapped and taken into another dimension where the demons torture her trying to convice her to lead them to "the light". Now, the only way out is in, as her parents must travel into the horrors of the afterlife and save their daughter from "the beast".

**WARNING**
(Do NOT read this part if you haven't seen the movie!)

The family saves Carol Ann with the help of an old psychic-lady who somehow eerily knows about the light. It's all over now(OR IS IT?!!) as they plan to pack their bags move out of the house the next following day. However, the spirits return and try to kill Robby, Carol Ann's brother after taking possession of a murderous stuffed clown-doll.

Meanwhile, the mother is unexpectadly attacked after noticing that her children are in danger. The Special-FX here are quite amazing but hella freaky at the same time. She escapes the demons, but her kids are still locked in their own room from the supernatural-power that wants them both DEAD. They barely make it out, as the closet turns out to be yet another portal back to the afterlife.

They all make it out(luckily!), and the home begins to crumble into some kind of ball as they watch it dissapear in horror! It turns out that the home that was bought was originally built over a cemetary (along w/the other houses), which explains about the hauntings which took place. They drive to a far-off motel and continue their life. But before they get settled, the father puts the T.V. outside on the deck.(which is obvious why.)

I wasn't around during the year of 1982, but I'm glad I was able to get the chance to see this movie when it was aired over-and-over again on TNT. And man, it scared the hell outta me! This is better than "The Amityville Horror" (which also wasn't that good of a movie). It's kinda creepy the way Carol Ann communicates through the T.V. (that scene still sends chills down my spine.) The pool scene was also an entertaining part and was really unpredictable! It's oldskool, but the Special-FX overall, are some of the best I've ever seen in a movie!!...WATCH ALONE AT NIGHT, IF YOU DARE! ^_^

Rating:
Summary: I love this movie !
Review: "Poltergeist" is possibly one of Speiberg's best films ever made... I wasn't around during the year of 1982... And man, it scared the hell outta me! This is better than "The Amityville Horror" (which also wasn't that good of a movie). It's kinda creepy the way Carol Ann communicates through the T.V. (that scene still sends chills down my spine.) The pool scene was also an entertaining part and was really unpredictable! It's oldskool, but the Special-FX overall, are some of the best I've ever seen in a movie!! Other horror "B" movies such as those lame slasher films are nothing compared to this! WATCH ALONE AT NIGHT, IF YOU DARE! ^_^

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: From Steven Spielburg and Tobe Hooper comes an unforgettable shocker that is beyond your fears. It's about a family who's house is under attack by supernatural forces even the daughter is trapped somewhere in the dimension, only a team of scientists and the family can save their daughter from these forces.

Highly entertaining, chilling and terrific movie that is worth owning on DVD even if your a fan of supernatural flicks. This even has the creepiest clown doll you'd lay your eyes on and tons of terrifying but electrifying special effects that make this a must see.

Also recommended: Roland Emmerich's Making Contact, The Sixth Sense, Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, The Others, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Exorcist, City of the Living Dead, House ( 1986), The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill and Lucio Fulci's The Beyond.

Rating:
Summary: oldie but goodie!
Review: this movie has stay power i have been watching it since the the 80's
and still watch it .the affects are a little dated but still worth the watch..

Rating:
Summary: The Dark Side of Suburbia
Review: Meet the Freelings. They are your average likeable suburban family living in an average suburban neighborhood living out the perfect suburban dream. The father works as a real-estate agent, the mother is a happy homemaker, and the son and two daughters go to school. On Sundays Mr. Freeling has his male buddies over to drink beer and smoke cigars while they watch the football game on TV. On weekdays the kids gab and feud before going to school. The kids have a great room filled with toys and posters.

But all is not as it seems in the Freelings' suburban paradise. When little Carol Anne Freeling starts hearing voices coming from the television set and odd occurences start happening, the Freelings realize that supernatural beings have invaded their house. And they're malignant. Soon, the Freelings' suburban dream turns into a nightmare when little Carol Anne is kidnapped by the beings and held in a different dimension. The Freelings must enlist the help of a trio of parapsychologists and a psychic midget if they are to get their daughter back.

This scary, thrilling horror film was co-produced and co-written by Steven Spielberg who also conceived of the story from an episode of the Twilight Zone. Though Tobe Hooper is listed as the director, Spielberg seems to have had a David O. Selznick-like influence over Hooper. Therefore, I do consider it to be a Spielberg film. Indeed the film feels very Spielbergian. There's the suburban setting, a story that deals with "aliens" (not extra-terrestrials), the child abduction, the mother who embarks on a quest to save her child. All these elements have Steven Spielberg written all over them.

Besides being scary, the film manages to be quite funny in several place. There's the scene where Steve Freeling and his neighbor feud with their remote controls, the scene where Diane Freeling is caught by her son smoking a joint, the scene where Steve accidentally knocks over his slimy boss' car. These moments do much to keep the film from getting too grim.

The special effects are excellent. They were created by George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. Jerry Goldsmith's score is also very good. It is sometimes suspenseful and creepy, other times deceptfully lighthearted.

Certain scenes will likely have a lasting effect on you after the film is over. You may develop a dislike of clowns. You may also be tempted to get rid of your television set.

Rating:
Summary: A Terrific and Chilling Ghost Story
Review: A classic horror show about things that go bump in the night, Poltergeist promises to scare you: and it does! When Poltergeist first begins, it seems as though it will just be another spooky movie. However, once the first half concludes, the movie shows you one scare after another. The swimming pool scene may make you jump out of your skin! (Literally!) Craig T. Nelson is just fine as the concerned father and JoBeth Williams is stunning as the intrigued mother. However, it is Zelda Rubenstein who steals the show as the zany medium. As an added plus, the phenomenal music sets the perfect mood for the film and the movie ends leaving you feeling very unsettled, just as a good horror movie should. So if you are looking for a well-written, stylish ghost story, Poltergeist is just that. But there is plenty of gore, too. Rent it tonight and enjoy!!!

Rating:
Summary: Reponse to Darren
Review: Hey man if you actually paid attention to the movie the connection for the little girl is that she was the only one in that house that was born and the ghosts need her to enter the other side. And as for the effects hey just think that this is a ninteen eightys movie c'mon what do u expect the technology wasnt as great as now. And their house was the only one that was put over the grave yard. So do a little reaserch before you try to knock a classic down

Rating:
Summary: Boo!
Review: Co-written and produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by horror vet Tobe Hooper (though Spielberg actually tried to claim directorial credit too after the fact -- after the fact, that is, of the movie's puzzling box office success), *Poltergeist* is a mess. It's all over the place: the "poltergeist", an evil entity who seeks a "life force", utilizes stuffed clowns, gnarled trees, chairs, closets, stairways, televisions, and everything including the kitchen sink to terrorize a suburban family. It uses the television and little girl's closet, in particular, as mediums through which to communicate and finally suck away, Hoover-like, little Carole Ann. WHY it wants Carole Ann is not satisfactorily explained. Is the "life force" of a child necessarily stronger than a grown-up's? If the innocence of a child is what it's after, why not snatch her older brother, too? If the hauntings are a result of the suburb being built over graveyards, why is only one family's house haunted? (At least the writers didn't rehash that ole standby "Indian burial grounds".) Without logic, there's no realism; without realism, there's no psychological acuity . . . and without that, there's nothing particularly at stake, let alone scary, in the movie. Exacerbating the problem is the insistence on making Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, and their neighbors, into unsympathetic buffoons, to say nothing of the "ALL ARE WELCOME!" midget-lady. Too many special effects, now horribly dated (a lesson for all you *Matrix* fans out there), finally make *Poltergeist* seem merely silly.