Poltergeist (1982) Review

Poltergeist (1982) Review

Author: Horror Movie Talk: Horror Movie Review May 12, 2021 Duration: 1:38:44

One of the best and most influential family-based haunted house movies. Poltergeist still holds up in terms of story and special effects.

Poltergeist illustration by horror movie talk podcast
@dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website.

Poltergeist Trailer

https://youtu.be/9eZgEKjYJqA

Poltergeist can be found places

Synopsis

From the director that brought you cannibalistic families in Texas, Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist is the story of the Freeling family being tormented by an unseen force in their totally not built over a cemetery house. Just kidding, it’s obviously Spielberg’s film. The Freelings are an aggressively all american family comprised of the father Steve (Craig T. Nelson), mother Dianne (JoBeth Williams), almost non-existent teenage girl Dana (Dominique Dunne), young boy Robbie (Oliver Robins), and the littlest, and most angelic little girl, Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke). Carol Anne starts talking to the TV, and not the wholesome Blues Clues kind of talking, more of the talking to whispers in the static kind of talking. 

Weird occurrences start happening, at first to the delight, and then to the horror of that family when it ramps up and the house steals Carol Anne into the netherworld. 

A Haggard Steven Freeling recruits paranormal investigators and the worlds tiniest psychic to get Carol Anne back and Exorcise the demons from their house.

Poltergeist movie poster
Poltergeist Poster

Review of Poltergeist

I am unapologetic in my love for this movie. It really is a template for family-based haunted house horror. It really has something for everyone. It’s accessible enough to general audiences that don’t want to see gore, or be constantly scared out of their gourd, but it has enough scares and good special effects to satisfy most horror fanatics.

On the scale of Ghostbusters to Exorcist, Poltergeist definitely leans more towards Ghostbusters, but it matches the quality of both in my opinion. This is another example of Spielberg being a master storyteller. There is very little fluff in this finely paced film, but there are a constant stream of little vignettes that add character, humor, or realism to the story.

Watch Poltergeist

Watch on Amazon

Score

10/10


Get 30 day free trial, with the code HMT at Shudder.com

Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.


There's a particular kind of conversation that happens after the credits roll on a scary movie, when you're dissecting the jump scares and debating the monster's motives. Horror Movie Talk captures that exact feeling, serving up weekly discussions that are as much about the genuine love of the genre as they are about critique. Hosted by a team whose passion is palpable, this podcast delves into everything from the latest chilling release haunting theaters to those hidden gems-or notorious flops-you can find on streaming services. The analysis is sharp and deeply opinionated, but the chemistry between the hosts often leads the conversation into unexpectedly funny territory. It’s this blend of thoughtful review and spontaneous humor that defines the show. You'll hear passionate debates about cinematic technique, nods to classic influences, and honest reactions to whether a film truly delivers the scares. Tuning in each Wednesday feels like pulling up a chair with friends who’ve just seen the same movie, armed with strong opinions and a willingness to laugh at the absurdities that make horror so enduring. For anyone who lives for that post-viewing breakdown, this is a consistently engaging listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 464

Horror Movie Talk
Podcast Episodes
Ouija: Origins of Evil Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:32
Synopsis In this prequel to the movie Ouija, we are given a family struggling to make a quick buck in the 1960s as spiritual mediums. But they aren’t just any regular spiritual mediums….they are frauds. Which I guess act…
Exorcist III Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:55
Synopsis The film begins 17 years after the events of The Exorcist and follows the characters Father Dyer and Lieutenant Kinderman who have kindled their friendship from the shared tragedy of losing their friend Father K…
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come Review with New Co-Host Mikayla! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:16
Synopsis & Review of Ready or Not 2 This film picks up right where the first one left off with our protagonist Grace dealing with the aftermath of her wedding night gone wrong, except this time she is reconnected with he…
Undertone Review with Taylor W. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:34
Synopsis Evy is a popular scary story podcaster recording a new episode from the home of her mother who is lying in hospice upstairs. As she takes care of her dying mother, Evy and her cohost listen to disturbing recordi…
The Bride! Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:48
Synopsis You’ve heard the story of Frankenstein’s monster many times. Once just a few months ago in fact. But that is only half the story. Something has long been missing. What we really need is a femininominon. The Brid…
Scream 7 Review with Vero [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:22
Synopsis Sidney Prescott is now a mother of a teen girl her age during the first film learns that another Ghostface copycat is afoot. When she gets her first call from the killer it’s revealed that it might be an old fri…
Psycho Killer Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:08
Synopsis In a world full of evil and depravity, hope springs eternal. Against all odds, love is on patrol. That’s right, Psycho Killer is a story about the beautiful love between two hardened cops. But that love is sudde…
Iron Lung Review with Gina Teeters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:14
Synopsis Iron Lung is about Markiplier in a submarine. That’s the one thing that I can confidently say. there are a lot of other details, but none of them seem as salient. Sure all of the galaxy’s, universe’s(?) suns hav…
The Toxic Avenger (2023) Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:54
Synopsis Peter Dinklage plays Winston, a janitor working for a super polluter company called Body Talk Healthstyle, who struggles to support his stepson Wade after his mother dies of cancer. When he is diagnosed with can…
Send Help Review with Mitch Peart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:09
Synopsis Send Help stars Rachel McAdams as a frumpy but invaluable office worker over looked for promotion by her asshole entitled boss played by Dylan Obrien When she is invited on a sausage fest work trip, the plane cr…