Poltergeist (1982)

Tagline: It knows what scares you.

Poltergeist movie storyline. A memorable supernatural horror film from co-producer/co-writer Steven Spielberg and director Tobe Hooper (better known for his cult horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)). This was Spielberg’s first smash hit as a co-producer, paired with Frank Marshall (who later produced Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)). Its classic ‘haunted house ghost story’ is fascinating to watch, with extraordinary special effects created by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic team, from a screenplay by Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor.

It was released at the same time as another suburban tale with otherworldly visitors: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and can also be interpreted as a threatening, scarier version of director Spielberg’s pre-E.T. film: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Compared to both films, Poltergeist is the dark flip side for Diane and Steve Freeling (Williams and Nelson) in the Cuesta Verde housing development, with ordinary objects that turn threatening (for example, a suburban tract dream home, a backyard tree, a favorite doll, a closet, and a TV screen).

The famous poster reflected one of the more memorable, spookier moments of the film, with young 5 year-old Carole Anne (Heather O’Rourke) pressed against a television showing nothing but white noise, saying, “They’re here.”There were two, less successful sequels in subsequent years: Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988). Many filmgoers have been intrigued by the seemingly-tragic legacy of the film, with the unexpected deaths of star Dominique Dunne (in her last film role before her tragic murder by her live-in boyfriend) and O’Rourke (who died six years later just before the second sequel’s release).

Poltergeist is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. Steven Spielberg wrote and produced, but had a clause in his contract to prevent him from directing another movie while he made E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Therefore, Hooper was selected to direct based on his work on The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It is the first and most successful entry in the Poltergeist film series. Set in a California suburb, the plot focuses on a family whose home is invaded by malevolent ghosts that abduct the family’s younger daughter.

Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on June 4, 1982, the film was a major critical and commercial success, achieving in being the eighth-highest-grossing film of 1982. Years since its release, the film has been recognized as a classic within the horror genre and has gained a cult following. Aside for being nominated for three Academy Awards, the scene of the clown attack was ranked as #80 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments and the Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 20th-scariest film ever made. The film also appeared at #84 on American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Thrills, a list of America’s most heart-pounding movies.

The film’s success helped spawn a franchise consisting of two sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), and a remake of the same name in 2015.

Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Starring: JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Michael McManus, Virginia Kiser, Martin Casella, Zelda Rubinstein, Richard Lawson
Screenplay by: Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais
Production Design by: James H. Spencer
Cinematography by: Matthew F. Leonetti
Film Editing by: Michael Kahn
Set Decoration by: Cheryal Kearney
Makeup Department: Dorothy J. Pearl, Craig Reardon, Toni-Ann Walker
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Distributed by: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists
Release Date: June 4, 1982