Poltergeist (1982 film)

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Poltergeist

Poltergeist original theatrical poster
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Produced by Frank Marshall
Steven Spielberg
Written by Steven Spielberg
Michael Grais
Mark Victor
Starring Craig T. Nelson
JoBeth Williams
Beatrice Straight
Dominique Dunne
Oliver Robins
Heather O'Rourke
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography Matthew F. Leonetti
Editing by Michael Kahn
Steven Spielberg
Distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release date(s) USA June 4, 1982
Australia August 5, 1982
UK September 16, 1982
Running time 114 min.
Country USA
Language English
Budget $10,700,000 (estimated)
Followed by Poltergeist II: The Other Side
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Poltergeist is the first and most successful Poltergeist film (released on June 4 1982).

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A group of seemingly benign ghosts begin communicating with five-year-old Carol Anne Freeling in her parents' suburban California home via static on the television. Eventually they use the TV as their path into the house itself.

First, there are a few signs that the ghosts have arrived: Tweety, Carol Anne's pet bird, dies; an earthquake occurs that only the Freelings feel; Carol Anne announces, "They're here." The next morning, glasses break at breakfast, forks bend by themselves, and when the mother, Diane (JoBeth Williams), asks Carol Anne, "What did you mean? Who's here?" she answers, "The TV people." At first the ghosts play harmless tricks and amuse the mother, including the chairs in the kitchen moving around by themselves. Of course, Diane must convince Steven (Craig T. Nelson) that night by showing him. His dominant father mode kicks in, announcing that "nobody goes into the kitchen until I know what the hell is going on."

However, the ghosts have their own agenda. During a terrible thunderstorm, they distract the family with a tree coming to life and grabbing Robbie—Carol Anne's brother—through a window, and then getting what they really came after. Like a wind tunnel, they take Carol Anne through her bedroom closet into their dimension. With Robbie rescued, and the belief that it was a tornado, the family can't find Carol Anne. They search the entire house—including the new swimming pool—until Robbie hears Carol Anne through the TV.

Steven reluctantly calls on a group of parapsychologists from UC Irvine: Dr. Lesh, Ryan, and Marty, who are awestruck by the manifestations they witness. With the parapsychologists present, the Freelings show them things they've never before seen. They open the door to the children's room to reveal toys and other objects flying around by themselves and disembodied laughing voices. Previously, one of the parapsychologists described a Matchbox car taking seven hours to move seven feet, calling it "...fantastic. Of course, this would never register on the naked eye...." After they see the Freelings' house, they are all humbled.

Over coffee (and a coffee urn that moves by itself), the parapsychologists explain to the Freelings the difference between a poltergeist and a haunting. They determine that indeed, it is a poltergeist they are experiencing.

It turns out that the spirits have left this life but have not gone into the "Light." They are stuck in between dimensions, watching their loved ones grow up, but feeling alone. Carol Anne—born in the house and only 5 years old—gives off her own life force that is as bright as the Light. It distracts and confuses the spirits, who think Carol Anne is their salvation. Hence, they take her. (A different explanation was given in the second film).

What is also in the other dimension with the spirits is a hateful spirit, the Beast. It likes that the spirits are confused and lost, and uses Carol Anne as a distraction so they cannot move on into the Light. After witnessing a paranormal episode where they hear Carol Anne talking to Diane through the TV, see spirits, and hear the pounding footsteps of the Beast, they leave, admitting they need more help. When they return, they bring a spiritual medium, Tangina Barrons, who informs Diane that her daughter is "alive and in this house." She also explains the malevolent spirit in the house to Diane, saying "it lies to her and tells her things only a child can understand. To her, it simply is another child. To us, it is the Beast."

They realize the entrance to the other dimension is through the childrens' bedroom closet. By tying a rope around a live person who can enter, and presumably exit the other side, with enough time to grab Carol Anne, they could bring her back. Diane is the only choice to go. What happens next is a terrifying sequence where Diane gets Carol Anne, and Tangina coaxes the agonized spirits away from Carol Anne to the real Light. Diane comes through the living room ceiling clutching Carol Anne and holding on to a new head of grey hair, presumably from fright. Tangina pronounces that "this house is clean."

Unfortunately, though the spirits have seemingly moved on, the Beast hasn't, and wants revenge. On their final night in the house, when they are almost packed up and ready to go, the Beast punches a hole back into our world to reclaim what he believes is his: Carol Anne. This time, the Beast does his own dirty work and comes after Carol Anne personally.

Through skill and luck, the Freelings finally escape the house, but not before the anger of the Beast reveals the reason for the spirits being there in the first place—coffins and bodies begin exploding out of the ground throughout the neighborhood. When the neighborhood was first built the real estate developer Steven worked for moved a cemetery that was on the location, but in reality they moved the cemetery headstones but left the bodies, building houses right on top of them. As the Freelings flee down the street in their car, the Beast is so angry that the house implodes into the other dimension as stunned neighbors look on. The movie ends with the family checking into a Holiday Inn for the night, pushing the television set outside their room.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Other information

Poltergeist DVD cover.
Enlarge
Poltergeist DVD cover.

Warner Home Video has plans to release a 25th anniversary DVD of the first film in 2007.

London based Filmmakers Burning Vision Entertainment made the award winning short film, Bella, which was heavily influenced by the original Poltergeist.

In 2006, an episode of Family Guy aired called "Petergeist". which directly parodied the events in Poltergeist, even including baby Stewie saying "they're here", the same way Carol Anne did in the original. The episode also used some of the same musical cues heard in the film, and re-created no less than four memorable scenes.

Poltergeist is inspired partially from the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. [citation needed]

In the South Park episode, Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes , the ending of the first film was loosely spoofed.

In the Wonderfalls episode "Lying Pig", Jaye's brother declares "This trailer is clean, kind of" after helping her remove all of the talking objects a la Zelda Rubinstein.

In the music video for the Spice Girls song "Too Much" Emma Bunton re-creates a scene from the movie

In the movie 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' Jim Carrey does a spoof of the "This house is clean" line but mistakenly says "This house is clear".

[edit] Trivia

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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