Mired in controversy and urban legend, Poltergeist is a cinematic landmark that still influences the horror genre today.
If you’re looking for a “review” in the traditional sense, then let me just say I love this movie. This video, however, is a “review” in the literal sense (using the Miriam-Webster definition “a retrospective view or survey”), in that I’m going over the history of the film and its place in sci-fi cinema history.
In other words, please stop commenting on how my videos aren’t what you consider “reviews.”
#Poltergeist #StevenSpielberg #TobeHooper
00:00 Introduction
01:54 Synopsis
02:48 Production Background
03:25 The Director Question
05:20 Casting
08:59 Filming
10:27 Post-production
11:44 Release & Legacy
12:22 Shameless Self-Promotion
13:07 Opinion & Analysis
16:33 Outro
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Related video reviews:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – https://youtu.be/5jQ8027iAPQ
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – https://youtu.be/Y0k2cLRB80s
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To me this always looked and felt like a Spielberg 'directed film', regardless of who actually formally was the director. It has that very vibrant sense of suburbia built up out of many small details and moments, just like Amity Island in 'JAWS'. And the use of lighting is trademark Spielberg, even if the colour scheme is more typical of Hooper. We even get a real estate boss who is a variation on Murray Hamilton's Amity mayor. Jerry Goldsmith has only spoken about working with Spielberg on this film. His music score received a much better sound dub/mix than Williams got on 'E.T.', where a good deal of Williams cues were effectively buried down in the mix. The way I would sum it up is that Spielberg provided the overall vision and canvas and Hooper filled in the brush strokes. The cast are all great. The only gripe I have is that the 'All is well again' only to be followed by the 'Worst is yet to come' formula feels a bit contrived.
Just last night:
Wife: I've never actually seen Poltergeist.
Me: *adds another item to the list of things her parents failed her on.*
Heeey, I work in Hopkinsville, KY. But I live in TN.
Because the movie basically has so much involvement by Spielberg, it basically has two heads: Hooper and Spielberg. It has heterogeneity as a YouTuber who has a cooking channel likes to promote in food. It offers up a Spielberg like family and home explaining what is at stake before Hooper slowly introduces the horrors. The horrors are an angry intrusion on the characters' lives.
When I first saw it, I found it to be a very effective horror movie that didn't rely on gore to be scary. It also didn't rely o cruelty against its characters, a cruelty seen as some sort of comeuppance on them or torture porn.
This movie was never scary. It felt like Jurassic Park. It is the best haunted house movie though.
great video.
there is one really strange scene in the movie. the parents are in the kitchen while discovering the phenomenons of the house and then the movie cuts away into the middle of a conversation.,
'We opiate ourselves on the comforts of a crumbling Empire.'
Unknown
& in answer to your question… favorite Haunted House Flic, 'Burnt Offerings'!
14:00 Along the same lines, another thing that makes Poltergeist unique is how the characters are actually dealing with confirmation of the supernatural. If people have found out that ghosts are real, and therefore souls and the afterlife are real, that should blow their minds. Yet it's so rarely shown in movies like this, and it seems like a big missed opportunity for character development. Except here.
Great ghost movie! One of the best! 👻 #tobehooper #jerrygoldsmith
Wait, it was cheaper to get real skeletons than fake ones for that scene? How does that work? Can I assume that there are regulations in place so that wouldn't happen today?
awesome movie…one of my favourites. But it's not horror.
Horror classic 🦖
This was an excellent film, regardless of who or how many directed it.
The mundane setting of the suburbs helps juxtapose the horror elements of the story
in the best way possible.
Your takes are usually spot on, but this review clearly needs more love for James Karen.
Let me guess. Nobody's complained… until now.
Nice work
GREAT VID as ALWAYS! Funny TRUE story for you. When this movie came out, I was dating a teacher and she and her teaching aid decided to take their 5th Grade class to see this film. She asked me to come along and an extra set of adult eyes. Well, none of us had any idea about this movie and… Suffice to say, there were SCREAM of terror from the 5th graders and she and her aid only barely kept their jobs.
The trailer for this movie is a nostalgia trip while still sending chills down my spine.
The kitchen table/ chair scene, where the camera pans away for a second and when it returns all the chairs are suddenly stacked in a pyramid on the table, has always been one of my favorite scenes in any movie.. the timing was perfect!
I need to watch Poltergeist again. I can barely remember anything about it. The one scene that still stands out to me is from the sequel – the braces scene. I've never worn them, but that scene disturbed me a little as a 10-ish year old.
Favourite Haunted House movie….I don't know whether it qualifies as it's a bit of a stretch to get to Haunted and the house is only really in the 3rd act, but In the Mouth of Madness is one of my favourite movies of any genre.
Honourable mentions: The Shining, Beetlejuice and Evil Dead 2013 (again may not strictly qualify, but I prefer it to the original).
I agree with your take on the director issue, I think that's probably spot on. My way of viewing this has always been kind of like the first time your Dad lets you drive the car. You may be sitting in the driver's seat with your hands on the wheel. But Dad's pretty much telling you every move to make, even if only subconsciously–with a look, or because you know what he would do in this situation. You're technically driving, but Dad is looking on, and you know he has to be made happy with what you're doing, or else you won't get to drive next time!
Hey TUG, I watched the first two episodes of Netflix's new anime Exception last night and it's good. Just thought I'd pass that on as it's something you might enjoy too.
Classic movie just picked up the 4k can’t wait to rewatch it
I’m surprised it didn’t get a 40th anniversary re-release like what Universal did with E.T..
I remember I talked my mom into taking me to see this when it was released. Because the name "Spielberg" was on it, my mom figured this was going to be tame material. She was wrong. And I was THRILLED. I love this film.
Truly a classic! One of the best horror/ thrillers of the 80's & beyond. A very solid story, well acted, cutting edge SFX for the time & of course the great Jerry Goldsmith. Just a hell of a enjoyable ride. The sequels are watchable, Poltergeist: The Legacy was pretty good. Poltergeist 1982 was the 2nd best horror movie of that year….all hail "The Thing".!