Tag Archives: Zelda Rubinstein

1982 Films, Blockbuster, Horror, Supernatural Horror

Poltergeist-1982

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Poltergeist-1982

Director Tobe Hooper

Starring Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams

Scott’s Review #1,548

Reviewed September 1, 2026

Grade: A

Poltergeist (1982) was an enormous blockbuster hit when it was released. It successfully meshed sunny suburban family living with darker, fantastical horror elements.

And who can ever forget the spine-tingling catchphrase ‘They’re here,’ which went from the mouth of an adorable little blonde girl to the shivering mass audiences frightened beyond belief.

I remember sitting in a crowded movie theater as a ten-year-old boy, mesmerized by the events on the silver screen alongside other enthralled moviegoers.

In a strange pairing, Steven Spielberg, then known for sentimental yet well-made crowd-pleasers like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), wrote the screenplay for Poltergeist.

Tobe Hooper, best known for directing the brutally raw and horrific The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), directed it.

The partnership worked, with each bringing tremendous assets. Spielberg created a likable, suburban family community and a family-ready marketability; Hooper brought the dark terror and creepiness to more mainstream audiences than would see a film like Chain Saw.

Rated PG, the final product is safe horror and hardly like Hooper’s masterpiece, but the elements mesh to create a memorable 1980s trademark extravaganza.

Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), teenage Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and five-year-old Carol Ann (Heather O’Rourke) make up an ordinary suburban California family.

They busily eat breakfast, rush off to school and work, and do everything that other typical families do. Steve is a real estate agent in their planned community of Cuesta Verde.

One day, bizarre ghosts begin to communicate with them through their television set, mostly via angelic Carol-Ann. A glass of milk spontaneously breaks, silverware bends, and furniture moves on its own

Initially benevolent and playful, the spirits turn unexpectedly menacing, and when Carol Ann goes missing, Steve and Diane turn to a parapsychologist (Beatrice Straight) and eventually an exorcist (Zelda Rubinstein) for help.

At the time, the special effects were jaw-dropping. Highly impressive; one example is the tree standing outside Robbie’s bedroom.

Initially nondescript, especially in the daytime, the limbs become fingerlike with electrifying, clawing movements that eventually reach into the bedroom.

In fact, several lightning-like white swirling patterns are used, especially during the frightening conclusion.

But dizzying effects are only one part of the experience. A film needs a proper story, building tension, and characters to root for to earn high praise.

My favorite parts of Poltergeist are the Freeling family’s relatability and the slow build to a frenetic finish. Most people, especially those living in the suburbs in the early 1980s, could see themselves represented.

Parents would relate best to Steve and Diane, and teenage girls to Dana.

I recall feeling like the little boy. Could there be monsters in my closet? Could a tree come to life and become a monster?

Poltergeist works so well because the audience likes the Freeling family.

In 1982, paranormal activity and poltergeists invading a family home were not the norm in film, especially in a mainstream film.

The film also sends a message of greed and gluttony that defined 1980s consumerism. Steve learns from his boss, Lewis Teague (James Karen), that the Cuesta Verde development was built on a former cemetery and that the graves were moved to a nearby location.

But were the graves moved and not the bodies? Of course, because they stood to make money from the development.

So, the spirits’ malevolence can be understood and even supported.

The ending is clever and even provides a needed dose of humor. The family flees their neighborhood as the house implodes into a portal while stunned neighbors look on.

The family checks into a room at a Holiday Inn, where Steve promptly removes the TV.

Poltergeist (1982) is a horror movie for kids. It’s not as scary for adults, but it’s well-written and still provides enough peril.

Compelling moments, like Carol-Ann’s hands on the snowy television set, remain iconic and disturbing.

The sequels followed the original film, and remakes pale in comparison, making the original all the more memorable.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects

1984 Films, Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Sixteen Candles-1984

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Sixteen Candles-1984

Director John Hughes

Starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, Anthony Michael Hall

Scott’s Review #1,389

Reviewed August 14, 2023

Grade: B

While recently re-watching a string of John Hughes-produced or directed films from the 1980s, I set upon them with fresh eyes.

Some scenes or themes that worked in the mid-1980s would be inappropriate in a more sensitive, post-Me Too! era. movement.

Hughes, of course, was the king of the teen angst, coming-of-age, romantic comedies that usually starred Molly Ringwald.

Sixteen Candles, Hughes’s first directorial effort, was released in 1984 and launched him to superstardom and immense popularity. Films like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) would follow to much acclaim.

What he did so well was provide maturity and a message to the otherwise dumb and raunchy comedies that populated the decade. He brought a fresh female perspective, whereas others were typically male and hormone-driven.

Already angst-ridden Samantha (Molly Ringwald) wakes up on the morning of her sixteenth birthday to find her busy family has completely forgotten her special day.

Samantha already pines for the handsome senior Jake (Michael Schoeffling), but worries that her dorkiness and lack of sexual experience will be a turnoff for the popular boy.

Meanwhile, Samantha must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), the only boy in the school who seems interested in her.

As enjoyable as Sixteen Candles is, I’d list it as the weakest of the Hughes films. It serves as more of a blueprint for the genius he would become.

Ringwald carries the film with ease, which is all the more impressive since this was one of her first film roles. She infuses Samantha with a blend of confidence, insecurity, and worry, so that most American teenage girls could see themselves in her.

Pretty but not a pinup blonde, Samantha is intelligent and the girl next door. She lives in a suburban neighborhood, is middle-class, has loving but distracted parents, and siblings focused on their trials and tribulations.

Most can relate to that.

A wonderful and tender moment between Samantha and her father, Jim, played brilliantly by Paul Dooley, nearly moved me to tears. His wisdom and kindness, as Samantha emotionally reveals her love for Jake to her dad, are warm and solid, epitomizing what a dad should be to his daughter.

A series of tepid misunderstandings occurs between Samantha and Jake, who, ironically, has noticed her and shares her attraction. She freezes when face-to-face with him and flees, so he naturally assumes she is a bitch and has no interest in him.

It takes so long for the lovebirds to connect that many possibilities and scenes go unexplored. The film ends as soon as they reveal their feelings, leaving the audience with little to celebrate.

We also know almost nothing about Jake. He is a rich kid whose parents are vacationing in Europe, but what makes him tick? He could have any girl in high school and date the pretty blonde girl, but what makes him so drawn to Samantha?

The casting of the four grandparents serves no purpose other than to provide comic relief and to convey an inaccurate message about how bumbling older people are.

One refers to Samantha’s ‘boobies’ while another stinks up the bathroom.

Worse yet, the inclusion of a foreign exchange Asian student named Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) is riddled with cliches and stereotypes only played for laughs.

These characters are caricatures.

Finally, the groping and taking advantage of drunk female characters now feels dated if not flat-out inappropriate. In 1984, the scenes are meant to be funny.

Still, Sixteen Candles (1984) accurately depicts the loneliness and problems that nearly every teenager has faced throughout history. With a warm message of belonging and a sweet subtext, the film is a recommended watch, but be wary of its stereotypes.