[9.3/10] *Poltergeist* breaks so many rules for the sorts of films I like. It relies more on traditional familial archetypes than thoroughly-developed characters. It opts for the big and brash rather than the subtle and subdued for most of its runtime. It’s more apt to go with screeches or speeches than to commit to naturalistic dialogue. Its emotions come in four colors; its approach is forceful, and it plays things loud and proud throughout.

But damnit, I loved it. There is something elemental about *Poltergeist*. The film has a surface simplicity -- of hauntings and a family in crisis -- that makes it more approachable, more accessible, in its horror in suburbia setup. That’s not to say there isn’t complexity to what *Poltergeist* is doing. Beneath the scares and big emotions, there’s baked in commentary on the state of the nuclear family circa 1982, metaphors for motherhood and fatherhood that are viscerally felt, and even some manifest subtext.

Yet what the film does best is draw you into these scenes of standard if droning domestic felicitude and then startle you, frighten you, and hearten you as it all comes crashing down and needs unlikely souls to come to the rescue. At base, the premise of the film’s story -- a daughter is kidnapped by ghosts -- is almost laughable. But amid the heightened emotions of parents desperate to save their child, investigators shocked to see the paranormal manifest, and allies standing firm against the unspeakable, it compels the viewer to invest in the people, passions, and parlor tricks the film puts on display.

And what parlor tricks! There’s a danger of effects-heavy movies not aging well, particularly in the 30-40 years ago range where the effects aren’t advanced enough to seem modern but not rudimentary enough to seem charming. But *Poltergeist* comes out as scary and impressive as ever. Sure, there’s some rudimentary CGI, fake-looking skeletons, and obvious rubber masks here and there. But on the whole, the practical and other effects are as striking today as they were when the film was released.

That’s because director Tobe Hooper (rumored to have an assist from producer Steven Spielberg) is as inclined to use tension, well-framed shots, and judicious editing to maximize the impact of whatever spooks and spectacle his team creates. There is a living tree that reaches in and snatches one of the children, a fright bolstered by the desperation and fraughtness of his parents’ attempts to rescue him. There is a run down a long, rouge-lit hallway that seems to expand into forever that underscores the way the laws of nature no longer have purchase in this home. And even when the effects are chintzier, just the suggestion of faces falling off with chunks spilling into the sink, of spectres slipping through the stream, of a pulsating maw threatening to suck your loved ones into another realm, is enough to carry the day with implication.

It helps that *Poltergeist* is a fantastically-shot film. Almost every frame of the movie is blocked and staged for maximum impact. Hooper arranges his actors at different depths of frame, making the house feel tighter, the spaces more dramatic, from the visuals alone. He uses light and shadow to give the doorway to another place a perfectly otherworldly feel, and to heighten the drama of moments put into relief by its blinding flash. And the film is rife with reaction shots, human moments of response to inhuman developments that drive home the feeling of what happens as well as any special effect can.

That’s one of the most interesting things about *Poltergeist* -- there is barely any exposition. The parapsychologist gives a little detail, but she and her team mainly affirm that something abnormal is happening and their aghast reactions say more than her words. The medium who comes to help gives the film’s clearest statement about what’s occurring, but speaks in poetry and heightened rhetoric more than she lays out details for the audience. And the Freeling patriarch excoriates his boss for not moving the bodies in the cemetery the house was built on for anyone in the cheap seats, but it’s a small detail as the house is combating and collapsing on its owners.

Instead, *Poltergeist* resists the urge to have anyone explain who these characters are, how they got here, or the raw specifics of what’s going on. It’s content to show rather than tell, letting the disconnected but familiar family interactions; the shaken, disquieted, or frantic reactions to Carol Anne’s disappearance, and the sense of relief and exhaustion once it's all over clue the audience in to what’s important about the story, beyond the bare facts and figures.

That’s helped along by composer Jerry Goldsmith’s tremendous score. Given its essentialist approach, the film leans on the score a great deal to heighten scenes and scaffold the emotional impact of its big moments. Whether it’s the foreboding hum that tells you something bad is about to happen, the bursts of sound that kick the horror into overdrive, or the dramatic swells that underscore the love and catharsis among those fighting the film’s good fight, Goldsmith’s music is an absolutely essential ingredient to what makes the film work.

All of these features combine to tell a story that is more visceral than spelled out, very big but also very human, and suffused with enough comedy to let you exhale and enough horror to keep you frightened for one desperate family and their baptism-by-fire compatriots. It is a quietly feminist film, foregrounding four distinct female characters, and orbiting around notions of motherhood as it sets up its thefts and recoveries. It is also a message suggesting a certain staidness and bankruptcy in suburban life, reinforced by the electric hum of the television and its palliative glow that seems the key to the malevolent powers beyond infecting an otherwise safe home and loving family.

But at base, it is just a damn compelling story, buoyed by creative effect after creative effect, founded on cinematography that grabs ahold of the viewer and never lets go, and built around characters and reactions that are grand and dramatic, while perfectly calibrated to the tone and touch of the film. Even thirty-five years later, *Poltergeist* is terrifying, tense, bold, and cathartic, and sets a high water mark for filmic tales of the supernatural disturbing, but also reaffirming, the heart of domestic life.

One of the big events of my childhood was seeing Poltergeist for the first time at 7 years old. I saw it on a 4:3 set on a very old DVD in my parents' bedroom, after my mom had recently come home from the hospital after surgery. One night, my dad came home from the library with some DVDs, and one of them was Poltergeist.
I popped it into the DVD player without hesitation as I'd wanted to see it since I was 5. I knew from the moment it started, Poltergeist was going to be a great movie, but little did I know it would become my favorite movie of all time, and I'd want to experience it again and again.
Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams star in this classic as Steve and Diane Freeling, who live with their three children, 16-year-old Dana (Dominique Dunne), 8-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and 5-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) in Cuesta Verde, CA, soon learn that their home is haunted, and also that the spirits talk to Carol Anne through their television. Everything seems normal at first. Dana gives construction workers the finger and talks on the phone later than she's supposed to, Robbie is a huge Star Wars fan, and Carol Anne feeds her goldfish an entire tube of food. One night, a tree tries to eat Robbie, but they quickly save him. When the ghosts kidnap Carol Anne through the closet, they are forced to fight the evil spirit that holds their daughter if they ever want to see her again.
Well-acted, well-written, and well-directed, with great special effects, Poltergeist is the greatest ghost story put on film.
Let's start with the acting. The performances are top-notch. The way lines are said, the facial expressions, body language, everything about the characters feels real. Craig T. Nelson plays Steve, a husband and father who's willing to do anything to save his family, so realistically, nothing about it feels fake. JoBeth Williams plays Diane, a distraught mother, so realistically, you'll believe what's happening on screen is hurting her. Heather O'Rourke gives the best performance by a 5-year-old ever. Zelda Rubinstein is also great. It doesn't even seem like they're acting.
The special effects still hold up, because they still look real.
The plot is still very original, because it's set in modern suburban America, and it's about a normal family that loves each other, rather than an abusive husband and father.
Poltergeist is so well-written that nobody has to die, nor does it have to be gory to keep us on the edge of our seats.
Spielberg and Hooper keep it subtle by hardly showing the ghosts.
Poltergeist features a great plot, great acting, great directing, and great writing. I can't recommend Poltergeist enough. Poltergeist is a kid's movie, so it's not all that scary, though there are scenes that may scare you or creep you out, but you won't be scarred for life. In the end it really is a fun thrill ride. Poltergeist is a movie every kid must see by the time they're 8 years old. For some reason, I find myself trying, sometimes unsuccessfully, to hold back tears every time I see it.
Poltergeist is my favorite movie of all time, it is a timeless classic, and it still holds up after over 30 years as its message is still relevant today. Poltergeist tells the story of a family nothing can tear apart. It's a classic good versus evil story, a story of perseverance in spite of your worst fears coming to light, and holding it together in spite of everything seeming to fall apart. It's about never giving up hope. When I watched Craig T. Nelson, I saw my dad on that screen, and I see him on that screen even more now. When I watched JoBeth Williams, I saw my mom on that screen, and I see her on that screen even more now. Your experience might not be exactly like this, but there's no denying that this movie is awesome. I know you're probably worried because of things you've read online about it being scary, gory, or boring, but don't be. The violence is never gory. The occasional cursing never gets too bad. Despite everything that happens, there's a sense of hope that stays the entire movie. Let your kids see it. They'll thank you.

One of the biggest moments of my childhood was seeing _Poltergeist_ for the first time at 7 years old. I saw it on a 4:3 set on a very old DVD in my parents' bedroom, after my mom had recently come home from the hospital after surgery. One night, my dad came home from the library with some DVDs, and one of them was _Poltergeist_.
I popped it into the DVD player without hesitation as I'd wanted to see it since I was 5. I knew from the moment it started, _Poltergeist_ was going to be a great movie, but little did I know it would become my favorite movie of all time, and I'd want to experience it again and again.
Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams star in this classic as Steve and Diane Freeling, who live with their three children, 16-year-old Dana (Dominique Dunne), 8-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and 5-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) in Cuesta Verde, CA, soon learn that their home is haunted, and that the spirits talk to Carol Anne through their television. Everything seem normal at first. Dana gives construction workers the finger and talks on the phone later than she's supposed to, Robbie is a huge Star Wars fan, and Carol Anne feeds her goldfish an entire tube of food. One night, a tree tries to eat Robbie, but they quickly save him. When the ghosts kidnap Carol Anne through the closet, they are forced to fight the evil spirit that holds their daughter if they ever want to see her again.
Well-acted, well-written, and well-directed, with great special effects, _Poltergeist_ is, in my opinion, the greatest ghost story of all time. Let's start with the acting. The way lines are said, the facial expressions, body language, everything about the characters feels real. Craig T. Nelson's performance as Steve is the most real dad in a movie I've ever seen. JoBeth Williams' performance as Diane is the most real mom in a movie I've ever seen. Heather O'Rourke gives the best performance by a 5-year-old I've ever seen. Zelda Rubinstein is also great. It doesn't even seem like they're acting. The performances are top-notch.
The special effects still hold up, because they still look real.
The plot is still _very_ original, because it's set in modern suburban America, and it's about a normal family that loves each other, rather than an abusive husband and father.
_Poltergeist_ is so well-written that nobody has to die, nor does it have to be gory to keep us on the edge of our seats.
Hooper and Spielberg keep it subtle by hardly showing the ghosts.
_Poltergeist_ features a great plot, great acting, great directing, and great writing. I can't recommend _Poltergeist_ enough. _Poltergeist_ **is** a kid's movie, so it's not all that scary, though there are scenes that may scare you or creep you out, but you won't be scarred for life. In the end it really is a fun thrill ride. It's a movie every kid must see by the time they're 8 years old. For some reason, I find myself trying, sometimes unsuccessfully, to hold back tears every time I see it.
_Poltergeist_ is my favorite movie of all time, it truly is a great classic, and it still holds up after over 30 years as its message is still relevant today. _Poltergeist_ tells the story of a family nothing can tear apart. It's a classic good versus evil story, a story of perseverance in spite of your worst fears coming to light, and holding it together in spite of everything seeming to fall apart. It's about never giving up hope. When I watched Craig T. Nelson, I saw my dad on that screen, and I see him on that screen even more now. When I watched JoBeth Williams, I saw my mom on that screen, and I see her on that screen even more now. Your experience might not be exactly like this, but there's no denying that this movie is awesome. I know you're probably worried because of things you've read online about it being scary, gory, or boring, but don't be. The violence is never gory. The occasional cursing never gets too bad. Despite everything that happens, there's a sense of hope that stays the entire movie. Let your kids see it. They'll thank you.

We know it as the beast.

The Freeling family are happy and functioning perfectly well until one night their youngest daughter announces that thru the TV, the supernatural are here!

Poltergeist divides the horror crowd big time, the gore fans are simply not impressed by the events in the film, while ghostly supernatural fans such as myself see it as a wasted opportunity. But strip away the flashy production and you start to see the core joke of kids infatuation with the goggle box, so yes, the film could easily be titled under the banner of being a Black Comedy. But be that as it may, and lets not be under any illusions here that, Poltergeist is not a knowing wink wink horror film of substance, the film really could have been a truly terrifying piece of work to cater for all tastes, and I firmly believe that that was the main intention of the makers from the off.

Thus lies the chief problems with Poltergeist, it tries so hard to cover all bases it gets that confused to the point it veers from tedium to shock and back again before you have time to digest, and it kills what should have been a genre masterpiece. There are moments in the film that chill the blood, the sense of creeping menace hangs heavy during a storm, a toy clown becomes evil personified just by being lit in the stormy light, and then? Well it violently switches to something involving a tree that wouldn't be fit for Creepshow 27! On the film goes, suspense with chairs and pieces of meat, and then BAM...monster time! It just doesn't work, it's a collage of genre splicing that both director Tobe Hooper & producer Steven Spielberg are firmly to be held responsible for, because it's obvious that both their signature's clash to create an uneasy bedfellow.

Yet as uneven as it is, and as blatantly plagiarised as it is of Twilight Zone episode Little Girl Lost, I still find myself enjoying watching Poltergeist, with its slick production and some memorable moments; the clown, poor darling Heather O'Rourke saying "they're here", the first chair sequence, and the always creepy Mrs. Tuthill, all things that help to make it a frustratingly enjoyable nights viewing. 6/10

Just don't go into the light afterwards I guess...

Like most of my contemporaries, I remember as a kid staying up late at night during the AMC Halloween horror movie marathon week (or was it a complete 31 days?) and watching the Freeling family get spooked by some O. G. paranormal activity; watching their house turn into a portal for spirits, some of which abducting their youngest daughter.

Unlike some of my contemporaries, I'm very split on this film. As a fan of the genre, horror always intrigues me, even when it's done poorly/reuses the tired tropes. When rewatching _Poltergeist_ for what seems to be the twentieth time - now in my early twenties - the movie seems dated, to the point where what made it bone-chilling in the first place, seems calm and a little ridiculous. Perhaps I'm desensitized to this type of movie. Perhaps I'll appreciate it more when I do have a family, when I _am_ Craig T. Nelson. But currently, the film struggles against its pacing, unconvincing effects (see scene in the children's room where the closet tries to vacuum them up, and the "face" scene - you'll know), and the nature of it attempting to be both family friendly and a horror movie. Sustained over the years since its release, however, are the performances by the cast, specifically the parents.

Overall, it's still a fun film; but because of some considerable flaws, it hasn't aged too well. Recommended for kids? - Hell yes. How else are they going to attain the fear of clowns?