What do you get when you put Steven Spielberg, Tobe Hooper, Jerry Goldsmith, and Beatrice Straight in a big budget MGM motion picture about a haunted house? You get "Poltergeist" an Oscar winning Best Horror Film! A top of the pick, and roller coaster ride through the supernatural world and back to ours. "Poltergeist" explores the side affects of a haunted house and its effects on a normal suburban family who inhabits the possessive house. Steve Freeling is a successful real-estate agent who has a nice house and a loving wife, with a family to die for. There is the eldest daughter, as portrayed gloriously by the late Dominique Dunne who died just after the movie was released, her boyfriend Mr. John Sweeney strangled her to death, he was then sent to prison for 6 years was then let out 4 years because of good behaviour. May her soul rest in peace. The sporty yet fearful son, and the sweet innocent not to mention young daughter which this movie is based on. The Freelings' are a happy American family who lives are turned upside down when they realize their house is “haunted” and the “poltergeists” kidnaps Carol Ann who is youngest pupil in the house. In the film that pursues, Steve and his wife Diane do everything in their power to get her back from the demonic spirit, with a helping hand of Dr. Lesh, played out Oscar worthy by Beatrice Straight, and her two assistants. The music to the film is hot, with Goldsmith clearly at one of his best moments, nominated but did not win, although he should have. His theme for the Freelings is a calm, gentle sound that compliments his theme for Carol Ann, which is quite possibly one of the prettiest themes he ever concocted. His score for the ghosts consists of structured, spiritual themes and rough orchestral brass woodwind, accompanied by a grand chorus, it starts with a low thunder, and creeps ups with the woodwind instruments as it builds the tension. The acting are top notch, by conflicted Steve Freeling, who is so confused he self destructs into a pale maelstrom in his mind, and Diane, the mother and star of the film, Jobeth Williams is at her finest as she deals with the stress of trying to find her daughter, and keeping her family afloat amidst the chaos. The children are all really good under Hooper’s direction, particularly Dominique Dunne, who shines through in all scenes she is in, even though her character has got to be the most underdeveloped! Robbie is fun to watch, as all little boys will be boys. And my personal favourite Carol Ann, the cute simple minded child who brought the most bone chilling phrase to this world…There Here!
Watching this movie was exciting like watching another old fashion horror film, most make you laugh, and most make you shiver or scare you to pieces. Most of the cast are hidden in the shadow at most times, and a good example or that is when Carol Ann has been missing for quiet some time, all of them are asleep, most of the shots you can only make out half of their face because of the shadows covering them and the moon dimmed light coming through the shear curtain which is half closed. However in one particular scene they have the nice metro colour that stands out. The old horror scenes, but the stairs don’t creek, nor are the dark cellars full with plastic doll like bodies like in psycho, however in this film shows something more outrages, something colourful like in the 1982 movie TRON, that is. Metro colour. One of the assistance of Dr. Lesh takes a break he runs to the door, washing his face he looks up to see a light bulb aluminate brightly, it gets rid of all the shadows under his eyes and nose leaving a flurried light. Soon the bulb starts turning red where we start to see the metro colour, it’s it being less pixilation than the technicolour which is shown in, “The Wizard of Oz” or, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The room gets hotter as he starts to peal his face off leaving the skull for all to view. The fake blood, the rubber skin and the plasticised skull shows. Your guts swirl and bones chill, but when it finishes you know that it was a great scene.
Special effects make this even more of a thrill ride of the ages, as Industrial Light and Magic was first starting out, and makes this one of the biggest special effects fest of cinema. Nominations for those also. Now looking at modern day special effects is compared less greatly than it was in Poltergeist, but it is an 80’s movie, and they pulled the special effects off, impressing the audience in awe. In the end they were nominated for an Oscar for best visual effects.
About the curse that is said to follow the series' past, all just tragedies and coincidence. After the third and final instalment of Poltergeist Heather O’Rourke died, her death was caused by septic shock resulting from the infection that made her attend her surgery back in 1987. May her soul rest in peace.
From the incredibly storyline, and popular actors of that time, i rate this movie.
4 1/2 out of 5
Also as i must add, you have to remember, this is a movie based in 1982, yeah people think its not great now, mybe becuase of all the latest speical effects, but mos of us will still remember Carol Anne and her Poltergeist.
