{"id":24298,"date":"2026-09-01T14:35:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T18:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/?p=24298"},"modified":"2026-09-01T14:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T18:51:22","slug":"poltergeist-1982","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/?p=24298","title":{"rendered":"Poltergeist-1982"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poltergeist-1982<\/strong><\/p>\n

Director Tobe Hooper<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starring Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scott’s Review #1,548<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Reviewed September 1, 2026<\/p>\n

Grade: A<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tobe Hooper, best known for directing the brutally raw and horrific The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), directed it.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

One day, bizarre ghosts begin to communicate with them through their television set, mostly via angelic Carol-Ann. A\u00a0glass of milk spontaneously breaks, silverware bends, and furniture moves on its own<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

Initially nondescript, especially in the daytime, the limbs become fingerlike with electrifying, clawing movements that eventually reach into the bedroom.<\/p>\n

In fact, several lightning-like white swirling patterns are used, especially during the frightening conclusion.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Parents would relate best to Steve and Diane, and teenage girls to Dana.<\/p>\n

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

Poltergeist works so well because the audience likes<\/strong><\/em> the Freeling family.<\/p>\n

In 1982, paranormal activity and poltergeists invading a family home were not the norm in film, especially in a mainstream film.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

But were the graves moved and not the bodies? Of course, because they stood to make money from the development.<\/p>\n

So, the spirits’ malevolence can be understood and even supported.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The family checks into a room at a Holiday Inn, where Steve promptly removes the TV.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Compelling moments, like Carol-Ann’s hands on the snowy television set, remain iconic and disturbing.<\/p>\n

The sequels followed the original film, and remakes pale in comparison, making the original all the more memorable.<\/p>\n

Oscar Nominations:\u00a0<\/strong>Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 … Continue reading Poltergeist-1982<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[312,11644,13,11808],"tags":[6868,12557,12561,12560,12562,12558,12559,1078,1065,10751],"class_list":["post-24298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1982-movie-reviews","category-blockbuster","category-horror-films","category-supernatural-horror","tag-beatrice-straight","tag-craig-t-nelson","tag-dominique-dunne","tag-heather-orourke","tag-james-karen","tag-jobeth-williams","tag-oliver-robins","tag-steven-spielberg","tag-tobe-hooper","tag-zelda-rubinstein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24298"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24316,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24298\/revisions\/24316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsfilmreviews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}