Although Steven Spielberg came up with the story for "Poltergeist", wrote the original script and produced the film, he did not direct it. He was too busy with other projects, most notably "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial". Since "Poltergeist" was a horror film, it made sense to hire a horror director. Tobe Hooper, of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" notoriety, fit the bill.
The story begins with a nuclear family living contentedly in their nice new home in suburbia. The father (Craig T. Nelson) is a gruff but caring salesman, the mother (JoBeth Williams) is a free-spirited housewife, devoted to her three children. They include teenaged Dana (Dominique Dunne) and angelic little ones Robbie (Oliver Robins) and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke).'
The mother is so good natured that she thinks it's funny when her daughter teases, then flips off hooting construction workers. She's also delighted to find that the house has the creepy habit of rearranging chairs and scooting objects across the kitchen floor. However, her mood changes to terror when her little Carol Anne is sucked into the television, screaming "Help Me-e-e-e!" from inside the set.
Fortunately, Daddy is resourceful enough to find a team of parapsychologists to help rescue their daughter. They show up the very next day, in time to film a stream of ghosts parading down the staircase. They bring in know-it-all psychic midget Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein), who soon has the parents heroically, dramatically and repeatedly risking their lives to save their children. Whatever suspense has been built is for nothing, as the silliness (a spook wants to play doctor with Williams, while Nelson takes a swim in the mud with some lively skeletons) of the special effects takes over. The blaring score makes it difficult to pick up dialogue. By the time the house self-destructs, all credibility has been long been lost.
"Poltergeist" packed the theaters, however. Two sequels followed, with Spielberg not participating. The original cast was largely resurrected for 1986's "Poltergeist II", which did well enough for there to be a "Poltergeist III". This last film only had O'Rourke and Rubinstein. It was the final film for O'Rourke, who died at the young age of twelve from intestinal stenosis. (51/100)
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