The Poltergeist movies are a trilogy of American horror films distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the 1980s. The films revolve around the members of the Freeling family, who are stalked and terrorized by a group of ancient ghosts that are attracted to the youngest daughter, Carol Anne. The original film was co-written by Steven Spielberg. The Poltergeist films collected a total of approximately $132 million in the United States box office.
A spin-off television series, Poltergeist: The Legacy, ran from 1996 to 1999, though it has no connection to the original films other than the title.
Contents |
| Film | Director | Writer(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poltergeist (1982) | Tobe Hooper | Michael Grais, Mark Victor, Steven Spielberg | Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg |
| Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) | Brian Gibson | Michael Grais and Mark Victor | |
| Poltergeist III (1988) | Gary Sherman | Gary Sherman and Brian Taggert | Barry Bernardi |
Poltergeist is the original film in the trilogy, directed by Tobe Hooper and co-written by Steven Spielberg and released on June 4, 1982. The story focuses on the Freeling family, which consists of Steven (Craig T. Nelson); Diane (JoBeth Williams); Dana (Dominique Dunne); Robbie (Oliver Robins); and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke), who live in a California housing development called Cuesta Verde. Their home is eventually invaded by ghosts. The ghosts communicate only with Carol Anne through the family's television set, and are under the control of a demon known as the "Beast." The ghosts, attracted to Carol Anne's life force and believing she will help lead them into the "Light", abduct her through her bedroom closet, which acts as a portal to their dimension. Most of the film involves the efforts to rescue her on the part of her family, a group of parapsychologists and a spiritual medium named Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein). Carol Anne is eventually retrieved from the other side and, following a second attack by the Beast that reveals the ghosts had originated from an improperly relocated cemetery underneath the neighborhood, the family flees from the house which caves in on itself and is sucked into another dimension. Once all the family members are in the car, they leave Cuesta Verde.[1]
The first sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side, directed by Brian Gibson and released on May 23, 1986, is set a year following the events in Poltergeist and offers an alternate explanation of the ghosts' origin. The film also develops the identity and back-story of the Beast, who had lived during the 19th century as a religious zealot named Reverend Henry Kane (Julian Beck). Kane was the leader of a utopian cult, who had sealed themselves in an underground cavern in anticipation of the end of the world, located directly below what later became the Freelings' property. Kane is anxious to possess Carol Anne in order to continue manipulating his followers after death. The ghosts follow and attack the Freelings at their current household. Aided by an American Indian shaman named Taylor (Will Sampson), the Freelings manage to escape from Kane and his followers a second time.[1][2]
The final film, Poltergeist III, was directed and co-written by Gary Sherman and released June 10, 1988. In order to protect Carol Anne, the Freelings have sent her to temporarily live with her skeptic relatives, Pat and Bruce Gardner (Nancy Allen and Tom Skerritt) and their daughter Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle), who reside in a Chicago skyscraper. However, Carol Anne's recollection of her experiences during her psychiatric sessions enable Kane and his followers to locate her and make contact through the building's ubiquitous mirrors.[1][3] After the ghosts abduct Carol Anne, Donna, and her boyfriend Scott (Kipley Wentz), Pat and Bruce enlist the help of Tangina to retrieve them, who eventually sacrifices herself to save the family by escorting Kane into the Light.
| Film | Release date (US) | Budget | Box office revenue | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | ||||
| Poltergeist | June 4, 1982 | $10,700,000 | $76,606,280 | $45,099,739 | $121,706,019[4] | [5] |
| Poltergeist II: The Other Side | May 23, 1986 | $19,000,000 | $40,996,665 | N/A | $40,996,665 | [6] |
| Poltergeist III | June 10, 1988 | $9,500,000[4] | $14,114,488 | N/A | $14,114,488 | [7] |
| Total | $39,200,000 | $131,717,433 | $45,099,739 | $176,817,172 | ||
| Character | Film | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Poltergeist | Poltergeist II: The Other Side | Poltergeist III | |
| Carol Anne Freeling | Heather O'Rourke | ||
| Steven Freeling | Craig T. Nelson | ||
| Diane Freeling | JoBeth Williams | ||
| Dana Freeling | Dominique Dunne | ||
| Robert Freeling | Oliver Robins | ||
| Dr. Lesh | Beatrice Straight | ||
| Ryan | Richard Lawson | ||
| Dr. Marty Casey | Martin Casaella | ||
| Tangina Barrons | Zelda Rubinstein | ||
| Jessica Wilson | Geraldine Fitzgerald | ||
| Taylor | Will Sampson | ||
| Bruce Gardner | Tom Skerritt | ||
| Pat Wilson-Gardner | Nancy Allen | ||
| Donna Gardner | Lara Flynn Boyle | ||
| Dr. Seaton | Richard Fire | ||
| Scott | Kipley Wentz | ||
| Reverend Henry Kane / "The Beast" | N/A | Julian Beck1 | Nathan Davis2 |
Note(s)
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The "Poltergeist curse" is a rumor of a supposed curse attached to the Poltergeist trilogy and its crew, derived from the fact that four cast members died in the six years between the releases of the first and third films.[1][9] The rumor is often fueled by the fact that real cadavers were used as props in various scenes of Poltergeist and Poltergeist II.[10] The rumor and the surrounding deaths were explored in a 2002 episode of E! True Hollywood Story entitled "Curse of Poltergeist."
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