13 Creepy movies #7: 'Poltergeist'

October 30, 5:02 PMWinter Park Movie ExaminerJack Calvert

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Heather O'Rourke sees the 'TV people' in 'Poltergeist' (1982)

After making life a lot easier for a whole generation of lifeguards (see Jaws, 1975), Steven Spielberg clearly knew how to scare us out of our wits, if not out of the water. When word hit the street that Spielberg was writing and producing a supernatural horror film to be directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) fame, the anticipation was electric. Close on the heels of E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial (1982), Spielberg turned his attention from sci-fi fable to paranormal shocker with another one of his massive 'event' movies (aren't they all?) the subtly titled, Poltergeist (1982). Anything but subtle, Poltergeist was big and loud and overproduced as a Superbowl half-time show, nevertheless the film was an irresistable crowd-pleaser of the sort we had come to expect from the director of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Tobe Hooper may have been listed as director, but this was clearly Spielberg's film. That Poltergeist opted for splashy action and visuals over creepy atmospherics was no surprise, but what made the film so good were the endearing performances by its cast of then relatively unknown actors such as Craig T. Nelson and  JoBeth Williams. (Similarly, what had made Jaws such a great movie wasn't the clunky mechanical shark, but rather the performances and onscreen chemistry of lead actors Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw.)

Nelson and Williams play a suburban couple, Steve and Diane Freeling, whose upscale SoCal tract home is beseiged by a legion of angry ghosts. It seems that the house is part of a sprawling development called Cuesta Verde, which, unbeknonwst to the Freelings, was built over an old cemetary. During construction, the developers apparently moved the tombstones but never bothered moving the bodies; Freeling's house is presumably targeted because Steve was one of Cuesta Verde's top salesmen. When the household furniture starts rearranging itself--a very funny scene--Nelson and Williams are startled but unalarmed; when their son, Robbie (Oliver Robins) is attacked by a tree, and their youngest daughter, Carole Anne (convincingly played by wide-eyed toddler Heather O'Rourke) is seemingly swallowed by the very walls of the house, the terrified couple seeks help from a team of paranormal investigators and a spooky, charismatic psychic (Zelda Rubinstein).  

Despite Poltergeist's penchant for blazing strobes and vigorous acrobatics--objects don't simply fall off the shelves, they gallop around the room--the film deserves kudos for strong performances, Jerry Goldsmith's musical score, and a handful of genuinely spine-tingling moments, such as young Carole Anne's first eerie conversation with the unseen 'TV people.' Oddly enough, my favorite moment is the quietly amusing 'Holiday Inn' scene at the very end.

A fine thrill ride for the Halloween season, Poltergeist is safe for most audiences but may be too intense for younger children. Rated PG for some language and scenes of supernatural horror.

Poltergeist is available for rental from Netflix and Blockbuster Online, and may be purchased on DVD or Blu-ray  from Amazon.com.

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