Poltergeist (1982)

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Steven Spielberg (story)
Steven Spielberg (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They're here.

Plot:

A family's home is haunted by a host of ghosts.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Television | Real Estate | Middle Class | Paranormal Investigation

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Craig T. Nelson	...	Steve Freeling
JoBeth Williams	...	Diane Freeling (as Jobeth Williams)
Beatrice Straight	...	Dr. Lesh
Dominique Dunne	...	Dana Freeling
Oliver Robins	...	Robbie Freeling
Heather O'Rourke	...	Carol Anne Freeling
Michael McManus	...	Ben Tuthill
Virginia Kiser	...	Mrs. Tuthill
Martin Casella	...	Marty (as Marty Casella)
Richard Lawson	...	Ryan
Zelda Rubinstein	...	Tangina
Lou Perryman	...	Pugsley (as Lou Perry)
Clair E. Leucart	...	Bulldozer Driver (as Clair Leucart)
James Karen	...	Mr. Teague
Dirk Blocker	...	Jeff Shaw
Allan Graf	...	Sam
Joseph Walsh	...	Joey (as Joseph R. Walsh)
Helen Baron	...	Woman Buyer
Noel Conlon	...	Husband
Robert Broyles	...	Pool Worker #1
Sonny Landham	...	Pool Worker #2
William Vail	...	Implosion Man (as Bill Vail)
Jeffrey Bannister	...	Implosion Man
Phil Stone	...	Football Announcer, NBC Sports
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Craig Simmons	...	Implosion Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Steven Spielberg		(story)
Steven Spielberg		(screenplay) &
Michael Grais		(screenplay) &
Mark Victor		(screenplay)

Produced by
Kathleen Kennedy	....	associate producer
Frank Marshall	....	producer
Steven Spielberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Kahn
Steven Spielberg		(uncredited)

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Marci Liroff

Production Design by
James H. Spencer

Set Decoration by
Cheryal Kearney

Makeup Department
Dorothy J. Pearl	....	makeup artist (as Dottie Pearl)
Toni-Ann Walker	....	hair stylist (as Toni Walker)

Production Management
Dennis E. Jones	....	production manager (as Dennis Jones)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director
Bob Roe	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Michael Muscarella	....	construction coordinator (as Michael L. Muscarella)
Craig Raiche	....	property master
Ed Verreaux	....	production illustrator
Brent W. Bell	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Martha Johnston	....	set designer (uncredited)
Dick Lasley	....	production illustrator (uncredited)
Scott W. Leslie	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Greg Lynch	....	lead man (uncredited)
William F. Matthews	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard L. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
John Dunn	....	sound effects editor (as John Chih Chao Dunn)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Alan Howarth	....	special sound effects
Bonnie Koehler	....	dialogue editor
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects editor
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Art Rochester	....	sound mixer
John Roesch	....	foley walker
Joan Rowe	....	foley walker
Richard Thornton	....	boom operator
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Curt Schulkey	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jeff Jarvis	....	special effects foreman
Craig Reardon	....	special effects makeup
Michael Wood	....	mechanical effects supervisor (as Mike Wood)
Robert Cole	....	special effects hydraulic foreman (uncredited)
John McLeod	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Thaine Morris	....	pyrotechnician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jose Able	....	animator: ILM
Peter Amundson	....	assistant visual effects editor: ILM
Charles Bailey	....	model maker: ILM (as Charlie Bailey)
Craig Barron	....	assistant matte photographer: ILM
David Berry	....	optical printer operator: ILM (as Dave Berry)
Mike Bolles	....	design engineer: ILM
Conrad Bonderson	....	machinist: ILM
Ed Breed	....	production procurer: ILM
Marty Brenneis	....	electronic engineer: ILM
Kris Brown	....	electronic system software: ILM
John Bruno	....	animation supervisor: ILM
Conrad Buff IV	....	visual effects editorial supervison: ILM (as Conrad Buff)
Laura Buff	....	production accountant: ILM (as Laura Kaysen)
Scott Caple	....	assistant animator: ILM
Melissa Cargill	....	electronic technician: ILM
Sean M. Casey	....	model maker: ILM (as Sean Casey)
Dave Childers	....	stage technician: ILM
Wade Childress	....	equipment maintenance: ILM
Terry Chostner	....	still photographer: ILM
Bob Chrisoulis	....	optical technician: ILM
Donald Clark	....	optical printer operator: ILM (as Don Clark)
Harold Cole	....	stage technician: ILM
Samuel Comstock	....	technical animation supervisor: ILM (as Sam Comstock)
Jay Davis	....	matte animator: ILM
Bob DeLuca	....	assistant animator: ILM
Dick Dova	....	stage technician: ILM
Richard Edlund	....	visual effects supervisor
Judy Elkins	....	matte animator: ILM
John Ellis	....	optical printer operator: ILM
Chrissie England	....	administrative supervisor: ILM
Rick Fichter	....	effects cameraman: ILM
Bob Finley III	....	stage technician: ILM (as Bobby Finley III)
Pat Fitzsimmons	....	stage foreman: ILM
Barbara Gallucci	....	model maker: ILM
Steve Gawley	....	model maker: ILM
Tim Geideman	....	optical technician: ILM
Ray Gilberti	....	second assistant camera: ILM
Ralph Gordon	....	optical line-up: ILM
Milton Gray	....	animator: ILM (as Milt Gray)
Mary Lou Hale	....	production secretary: ILM
David Hanks	....	apprentice machinist: ILM
Toby Heindel	....	model maker: ILM
Robert Hill	....	first assistant camera: ILM
Edward Hirsh	....	stage technician: ILM
Renee Holt	....	animation assistant supervisor: ILM
Paul Huston	....	chief model maker: ILM
Jerry Jeffress	....	electronic system designer: ILM
Ed Jones	....	optical line-up: ILM
Paula Karsh	....	production procurer: ILM
James Keefer	....	animation camera supervisor: ILM (as James C. Keefer)
Kim Knowlton	....	matte animator: ILM
Neil Krepela	....	matte photographer: ILM
Kathryn Lenihan	....	matte animation: ILM
Gary Leo	....	electronic engineer: ILM
Michael Lessa	....	key assistant: ILM (as Mike Lessa)
Ellen E. Lichtwardt	....	assistant animator: ILM (as Ellen Lichtwardt)
Mike MacKenzie	....	electronic engineer: ILM
Jeff Mann	....	model maker: ILM
Kim Marks	....	first assistant camera: ILM
Scott Marshall	....	model maker: ILM
Cristi McCarthy	....	electronic coordinator: ILM (as Christi McCarthy)
Roberto McGrath	....	still photographer: ILM
John McLeod	....	stage technician: ILM
Marghi McMahon	....	model maker: ILM (as Marghe McMahon)
Duncan Meyers	....	optical technician: ILM
Ted Moehnke	....	supervising stage technician: ILM
Jack Mongovan	....	assistant animator: ILM
Thaine Morris	....	stage technician: ILM
Lisa Jean Mower	....	special wardrobe: ILM
Bill Neil	....	effects cameraman: ILM
Bruce Nicholson	....	optical photography supervisor: ILM
Kerry Nordquist	....	still photographer: ILM
Ease Owyeung	....	model maker: ILM
Udo Pampel	....	machinist: ILM
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte painting supervisor: ILM
Paula Paulson	....	special wire performance: ILM
Lorne Peterson	....	modelshop supervisor: ILM
Gary Platek	....	laser and cloud effects: ILM
Chris Rand	....	apprentice machinist: ILM
Bruce Richardson	....	model maker: ILM
Nilo Rodis-Jamero	....	effects art director: ILM (as Nilo Rodis)
Pete Romano	....	first assistant camera: ILM (as Peter Romano)
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical line-up: ILM (as Tom Rosseter)
Michael Shannon	....	additional matte photographer: ILM
Kathy Shine	....	production secretary: ILM
Grant Smith	....	model maker: ILM
Michael Smith	....	equipment maintenance: ILM
Thomas G. Smith	....	production supervisor: ILM (as Tom Smith)
David Sosalla	....	model maker: ILM (as Dave Sosalla)
Howard Stein	....	visual effects editor: ILM
Peter Stolz	....	stage technician: ILM
Mitch Suskin	....	visual effects coordinator
Larry Tan	....	model maker: ILM
Ed Tennler	....	draftsman: ILM
Marc Thorpe	....	model maker: ILM
Peggy Tonkonogy	....	assistant animator: ILM
Mark Vargo	....	optical printer operator: ILM
Jim Veilleux	....	camera additional scenes: ILM
Laurie Vermont	....	production coordinator: ILM
Art Vitello	....	key animator: ILM
Gary Waller	....	first assistant camera: ILM (as Garry Waller)
Gene Whiteman	....	equipment engineering supervisor: ILM
Bess Wiley	....	electronic technician: ILM (as Bessie Wiley)
Terry Windell	....	animator: ILM
Jammie Friday	....	rotoscope (uncredited)

Stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (as Jean Epper)
Cindy Folkerson	....	stunts
Dana Gendian	....	stunts
Jaimi Gendian	....	stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts
Beth Nufer	....	stunts
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Felix Silla	....	stunts
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (as George Wilbur)
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts
Bobby Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Averill	....	dolly grip
Pat Blymyer	....	gaffer
Hugo Cortina	....	best boy
Tommy Klines	....	second assistant camera (as Tom Klines)
John R. Leonetti	....	first assistant camera (as John Leonetti)
John J. Linder	....	key grip (as John Linder)
Dennis Matsuda	....	camera operator
Bruce McBroom	....	still photographer
Bruce Hill	....	ultra high speed photography (uncredited)
Albert Hood	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles DeMuth	....	costumer: men
Ann Gray Lambert	....	costume supervisor (as Ann Lambert)
Buffy Snyder	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Albert Coleman	....	assistant editor
Rick Fields	....	associate editor (as R. Fields)
Mel Friedman	....	assistant editor
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gary Hellerstein	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Richard L. Calkins	....	rip's owner & trainer
Don Levy	....	unit publicist
Gerald Moore	....	craft service (as Jerry Moore)
Jerry Moore	....	craft service
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Janice Pober	....	assistant: Mr. Spielberg
Christopher Reynolds	....	production associate
Patty Rumph	....	assistant: Mr. Marshall
Daphne Stacey	....	assistant: Mr. Hooper
Marion Tumen	....	script supervisor
Beverly Webb	....	production coordinator
Denise Durham	....	assistant: Ms. Kennedy (uncredited)
Dixie Fusillo	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Randee Lynne Jensen	....	substitute production coordinator (uncredited)
Kevin King	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)
Theresa Shepherd	....	caterer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• SLM Production Group

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• C.I.C. (Norway) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1982) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Leonetti Cine Rentals  camera equipment
• Leonetti Cine Rentals  ultracam and 35 cameras/JDC anamorphic lenses
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles
• Metrocolor  the company

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:16 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1982) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (re-rating after appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:16 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

4267 Roxbury Street, Forest Hills, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Movie on the TV in an early bedroom scene is A Guy Named Joe (1943), a film about a pilot who returns to the world as a ghost. It was later remade by Steven Spielberg into Always (1989).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the kitchen chair sliding scene, even though the camera angle doesn't show it you can tell by the way Diane was carefully placing the chair on the floor that she was putting on some sort of mechanism, and when you actually see the chair slide, one of the chair legs follows the tile line perfectly revealing that the chair leg was connected to the mechanism on the floor.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Carol Anne: Hello? What do you look like? Talk louder, I can't hear you! Hey, hello! Hello, I can't hear you! Five. Yes. Yes. I don't know. I don't know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: Pinske Business (#2.8)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

The Star-Spangled Banner

One of the best horror/thrillers of the decade

In 1982, Steven Spielberg pulled off an incredible feat. In June of that year, Spielberg released two films only weeks apart that were both highly successful yet diversely different in both subject matter and their target audiences. One went on to become the highest grossing film of all-time (E.T.), the other spawned a franchise (Poltergeist).

Poltergeist had a screen credit of being directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), but history has revealed that it was Spielberg's vision, editing and overall command of the shooting that was really behind the making of this extraordinary film. Poltergeist brought back the traditional haunted house genre that lay dormant and restless since The Amityville Horror in 1979. The story surrounds a family's house that has been punctured by the spirit world that seem keen on the youngest daughter of the clan – Carol Ann Freeling, played by newcomer Heather O'Rourke. At first, the family meets the strange happenings in the home with playful pleasure, but in an instant the poltergeists intentions turn against the Freelings, and their daughter is captured and taken back to the supernatural world where communication is possible only through the bedroom television.

The Freelings waste little time and soon contact a paranormal group, well over their heads, to help them rescue their daughter from the unseen captures. It becomes clearly evident however, that the group is over matched, and they call in a poltergeist expert, Tangina Barrons (played with relative enthusiasm and wit by Zelda Rubinstein) to assist with the phenomena. Tangina then leads the Freelings through the unknown, both calming their fears and eventually finding a portal that may be the key to retrieving their daughter.

Poltergeist works as both a horror and a thriller. The cast, lead by O'Rourke, Jo-Beth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and Oliver Robins have real chemistry and are believable as a family unit, and unlike most horror films, they make sound judgments and know their limitations. When Carol Ann's bedroom becomes overtaken by the ghostly spirits, they lock the room and keep away rather than trying to fight something they cannot contain. And when things begin to look bleak, they call for help and look for experts in the field. This is an intelligent horror that doesn't have people running up the stairs when they should be running out the door.

Put together with a modest budget of less than $12 million, Poltergeist stretched it's dollars to provide us with an incredible array of special effects that still hold up well after 20 years of viewing. Sure, the scene where a scientist literally pulls his face off or when the bedroom is opened and we see items flying at random as if in a ghostly tornado, might be better served with CGI if made today, the effects still keep the story progressing with a sense of credibility.

Probably what keeps things so rooted in acceptability is how simplistic some of the special effects were in the larger scenes. A closet full of strobe lights are all that is required to convince us that it is a portal to another world and a fan gently blowing the hair of mother Williams' is believable as the spirit of her child flying past her. Simple plausible.

Whatever the reasons, Poltergeist works. One of the few screenplays written by Spielberg from one of his own stories, Poltergeist has all the elements that we now associate with the master director. There is a strong family unit, a child as the central character, above average production values and most notably, not one fatality in the entire film despite all the jilts and jolts. The closing scenes of chaos including a pool of skeletons (later revealed to be authentic), is pure movie magic with frantic pacing and edge of your seat suspense.

Since it's release, a lot has been made of the back stories and the curse surrounding the production of the franchise. Heather O'Rourke tragically died at a young age due to an internal infection and Dominique Dunne (who played a smaller role as her sister) was murdered the same year as the films release. The subsequent sequels have also included characters that died shortly after their films completion. Truth or fiction, lore or legend, these stories add to the mystique and mystery surrounding the film. Having knowledge of the ‘curse' makes it even scarier and gives it kind of a feeling like Naomi Watts' character must have experienced in The Ring, as if just by watching, you are contributing to the ongoing haunting.

Like most movies successful in the late 70's early 80's, there were sequels that were made with considerably higher budgets but less than stellar results (Superman III anyone?). Neither of the Poltergeist sequels or subsequent television programming could come close to capturing the essence of the original. Besides, how can you top what is now one of the most famous movie tag-lines of all time `They'rrreeee Here'?

Strong recommendation.