When I realized that Poltergeist turned 40 this year, I knew what movie I needed to review to close out this year's Spooky Season. Few films have garnered the reputation this one has, especially for people my age, as not only an exceptionally scary movie but also as an allegedly cursed film. I'm not sure I believe in that last part but it is a film that has by and large held up remarkably well as a supremely scary movie.
Steven and Diane Freeling (played by Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams) live in the suburban housing development Cuesta Verde with their three kids, Dana (played by Dominique Dunn), Robbie (played by Oliver Robins) and Carol Anne (played by Heather O'Rourke). Late one night, Carol Anne begins conversing with the family television set while the set is on static. When she does it again the next night, a ghostly white hand emerges from the television and the house is rocked by a earthquake, after which Carol Anne eerily announces, "They're here." Strange events occur the next day, including furniture moving on it's own, glasses breaking and silverware getting bent. Things escalate when the creepy old Oak tree outside the kids' room comes to life, breaks through the window and snatches Robbie right out of bed. While the rest of her family is distracted with rescuing Robbie, Carol Ann is pulled into a portal that opens in her bedroom closet. Not knowing how to rescue their daughter, Steven and Diane reach out to Parapsychologist Dr. Martha Lesh (played by Beatrice Straight) and her colleagues, Dr. Marty Casey (played by Martin Casella) and Dr. Ryan Mitchell (played by Richard Lawson). They eventually bring in a medium, Tangina Barrons (played by Zelda Rubinstein) to assist further once they realize just how much paranormal activity they are dealing with.
Poltergeist is a unique collaboration between co-screenwriter and producer Steven Spielberg and Director Tobe Hooper. Controversy has raged to this day as to who the actual director of the film is. Tobe Hooper is the credited director for the film but rumors persist that Spielberg actually ghost directed the movie. I watched it again the other night with this controversy in mind to see if my knowledge of both filmmakers to see what I could discern and honestly, the bulk of the movie feels more like a Tobe Hooper movie than a Spielberg movie. That said, Spielberg's fingerprints are still all over it. He co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Grais and Mark Victor from a story he developed with Hooper. There are also some trademark Spielberg shots that show just how involved he was with the production and collaborated on shot setups and storyboards for the movie. Together, the two managed to craft one of the all time scary movies accentuated with a unique take on the haunted house genre and memorable special effects that still hold up today, including a couple really gnarly ones that had me wondering aloud, "This movie is rated PG?!". No doubt, this movie (along with Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom a couple years later) would bring about the need for the PG-13 rating.
The cast for the film is fantastic. JoBeth Williams does quite well as Diane Freeling, who finds herself tested in ways she could never imagine trying to protect her family from the evil forces that have invaded her home but she does a magnificent job portraying Diane's strength and resilience as she does what is needed to protect her kids. Craig T. Nelson is great as Steven, who is trying his best to cope with everything that is going on around him but of the two parents is definitely the more skeptical one, despite everything that is happening. Still, Nelson has one of my favorite moments late in the movie when he finally realizes the reason for the hauntings and has an epic meltdown on his boss, subdivision developer Lewis Teague (played by James Karen). I won't get into specifics because of spoilers, but it has been replaying in my head for the past day since I watched the movie. Beatrice Straight gives a warm and caring performance as Dr. Lesh, trying to be reassuring to the Freelings even as she tries to figure out how to help them. Zelda Rubinstein is instantly iconic from the moment she steps on-screen as Tangina, giving her character a sort of no-nonsense seriousness that makes her character so memorable. Heather O'Rourke adds a certain otherworldliness to Carol Ann while being absolutely precious and lovable that makes it easy for her to endear herself to the audience, which is important since she spends so much of the movie off screen.
Of course, Poltergeist would go on to spawn two sequels of varying quality but neither would match the original, which still holds up as the best film. I may have to cover the sequels at some point because neither is bad necessarily, but neither is perfect either. The first film stands on it's own as a classic scary movie (I think I can say that since it's 40 years old now) and perfect Halloween viewing for the whole family. I, for one, can't wait to show this one to my nephews. How else are they going to develop a totally normal and rational fear of clown dolls, skeletons, and half-finished swimming pools?
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