Poltergeist is an American horror film, directed by Tobe Hooper and released on June 4, 1982. It is the first and most successful of the Poltergeist film trilogy and was nominated for three Academy Awards. The film was co-produced and co-written by Steven Spielberg along with Michael Grais and Mark Victor—his first major success as a producer. The plot revolves around the haunting of a suburban family home that is suspected to be the work of poltergeists.
The franchise is often said to be cursed, because several people associated with it, including stars Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke, died prematurely. "The Poltergeist Curse" has been the focus of an E! True Hollywood Story .
This film was ranked as #80 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments and the Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 20th scariest film ever made.
Plot
A group of seemingly benign ghosts begin communicating with five-year-old Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) in her parents' suburban California home via static on the television. Eventually they use the television as their path into the house itself.
First, there are a few signs that the ghosts have arrived. Carol Anne carries on a seemingly one-sided conversation with a television set that's turned on but has no signal, an earthquake occurs that only the Freelings feel. Carol Anne later 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 moving and stacking the kitchen table chairs. Diane must convince Steven (Craig T. Nelson) that night by showing him. He then announces that "Nobody goes into the kitchen until I know what's happening."
During a rainstorm, a gnarled tree comes to life and grabs Robbie (Oliver Robins), Carol Anne's brother, through a window. However, this is merely a distraction used by the ghosts to get Carol Anne's parents to leave her unattended. Like a black hole, a shining light appears in the closet that pulls everything from the room into it; however, only Carol Anne was taken into their dimension. The tree attempts to swallow Robbie whole but he is rescued, and as the family watches Steven pull Robbie out of the tree, a tornado drags the tree into oblivion. They then realize that they can't find Carol Anne. They search the entire house including the hole dug for their new swimming pool, which is extremely muddy and shallow, until Robbie hears Carol Anne through the television.
Steven reluctantly calls on a group of parapsychologists from UC Irvine: Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight), Ryan (Richard Lawson), and Marty (Martin Casella), 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 reverberating throughout the room. Previously, one of the parapsychologists described a Matchbox car taking seven hours to move seven feet, calling it "antastic. 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 was born in the house. Only 5 years old, she 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. (This theory was expanded on in the second film).
After the group witnesses several paranormal episodes where they hear Carol Anne talking to Diane through the television, see spirits, and hear the pounding footsteps of the spirit, which subsequently injures Marty, Dr. Lesh leaves, with Ryan staying in the house as moral support, admitting they will need more help. Carol Anne's elder sister Dana (Dominique Dunne), shaken and overwhelmed, leaves to stay with friends. The Freelings also send Robbie to his grandmother's house for his safety.
When the parapsychologists return, they bring a spiritual medium, Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein), 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." It exploits the fact that the spirits are confused and lost, and uses Carol Anne as a distraction so they cannot move on into the Light. "To her, it simply is another child. To us, it is the Beast."
They realize the entrance to the other dimension is through the children's bedroom closet, and the way out is through the living room ceiling. 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 (during this, Steve panics, thinking that she's talking to Carol Anne and not the spirits, and pulls on the rope, causing the Beast to appear right in front of him). Diane falls through the living room ceiling clutching Carol Anne and bearing new streaks of grey hair, presumably from fright; both Diane and Carol Anne are also covered in ectoplasm. After both are revived in the downstairs bathtub, 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 returns to reclaim what he believes is his: Carol Anne. This time, the Beast does his own dirty work and comes after Carol Anne personally.
While Robbie and Carol Anne are getting ready for bed, Robbie's clown doll comes to life and pulls him under the bed. Diane, in the other room hears her son's screaming voice and tries to investigate but is pulled against the wall and ceiling by an unknown force. Robbie manages to defeat the clown doll but a strange, mouth-like portal appears in Carol Anne's closet and attempts to pull the children in yet again.
Diane tries to get to her son and daughter but runs into the Beast himself, in the form of a snarling, skeletal demon with ghastly flowing white hair (Expanded on in the second film). He blocks Carol Anne's and Robbie's door and lunges at her, causing her to fall down the stairs. Diane runs to the backyard to seek help from her next-door neighbors, but slips into the mud filled pool which is now infested by skeletons, as well as a coffin, which bursts out of the ground and opens. Her neighbors hear the commotion and arrive to help Diane out of the pool, but they refuse to enter the house with its windows now blazing with ghostly energy, so Diane runs back into the house alone to get Robbie and Carol Anne.
Through skill and luck, the Freelings finally escape the house, but not before the anger of the Beast reveals the reason (so far until the sequel) for the spirits being there in the first place: coffins and skeletal 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 in order to save money they moved the cemetery headstones but left the bodies, building houses right on top of them, thus desecrating the burial grounds. 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 (including Steven's boss) look on. The family checks into a Holiday Inn for the night. Not wishing to tempt fate, Steven puts the television set outside their room.
Cast
- Craig T. Nelson as Steve Freeling
- JoBeth Williams as Diane Freeling
- Beatrice Straight as Dr. Lesh
- Dominique Dunne as Dana Freeling
- Oliver Robins as Robbie Freeling
- Heather O'Rourke as Carol Anne Freeling
- Michael McManus as Ben Tuthill
- Virginia Kiser as Mrs. Tuthill
- Martin Casella as Marty
- Richard Lawson as Ryan
- Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina
- Lou Perryman as Pugsley
- Clair E. Leucart as Bulldozer Driver
- James Karen as Mr. Teague
- Jeff Shaw as Dirt Blocker
Production
Director Tobe Hooper claims to have experienced poltergeist activity as a young man. During his teenage years, Hooper's father had died and for weeks after his death Hooper witnessed "doors breaking in, dishes flying around the residence and other bizarre occurrences". Hooper comments that's what attracted him to the project.
Creative relationship
A clause in his contract with Universal Studios prevented Spielberg from directing any other film while preparing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . Time and Newsweek tagged the summer of 1982 "The Spielberg Summer" because E.T. and Poltergeist were released a week apart in June. As such a marketable name, some began to question Spielberg's role during production. Suggestions that Spielberg had
eBay Guides - PURCHASING AUTHENTIC COACH BAGS ON EBAY
Ebay is a great place to find authentic Coach bags and accessories. There is always such a wide variety to chose from and have excellent quality. I have a great love for these ...
coach bag, Clothing, Shoes Accessories, coach, gucci bag – great ...
Buy coach bag items on eBay Singapore - the top online shopping destination for Singaporeans. Find great variety of bargains and auction for what you want! Sign up now to shop and ...
eBay Forums: Authentic&New Coach Bags for sale! ...
Authentic&New Coach Bags for sale!
coach, great deals on Handbags Purses, Makeup, Cosmetic Cases on eBay!
Buy coach, Handbags Purses on eBay. Find great deals on Makeup, Cosmetic Cases, Briefcases and get what you want now!
eBay Guides - How to spot a fake COACH bag
You wouldn't think anyone would bother to make fake COACH bags because the originals are relatively inexpensive - at least compared to other high-fashion bags such as Prada, LV ...
eBay Canada Guides - How to spot a fake COACH bag
You wouldn't think anyone would bother to make fake COACH bags because the originals are relatively inexpensive - at least compared to other high-fashion bags such as Prada, LV ...
NWT COACH MADISON GOLD SNAKESKIN STITCH PURSE BAG 12201 - eBay (item ...
eBay: Find NWT COACH MADISON GOLD SNAKESKIN STITCH PURSE BAG 12201 in the Clothing, Shoes Accessories , Women's Handbags Bags , Handbags Purses category on eBay.
coach bags, great deals on Clothing, Shoes Accessories, Travel on eBay ...
Buy coach bags, Clothing, Shoes Accessories on eBay. Find great deals on Travel, Sporting Goods and get what you want now!
eBay - coach bag Reviews & Guides
coach bag Reviews and Guides, Read coach bag eBay Review and Guides in the eBay categories
Coach Hampton Signature Small Bag F12918 - eBay (item 200370710196 end ...
eBay: Find Coach Hampton Signature Small Bag F12918 in the Clothing, Shoes Accessories , Women's Handbags Bags , Handbags Purses category on eBay.