Come on, the kid gets sucked into the TV... That one idiot eats maggots, then peels his own face off...the big sucking closet monster...that damn spooky clown doll...and the swimming pool full of...something. It's a classic haunted house movie, transplanted into the suburbs. Enjoy.
Please tell me in what capacity Poltergeist does not entertain. The family is all pretty darn cool, especially those hip parents, smoking joints late at night after putting the kiddies to bed. (Yeah, suburbia, take that.) The kids are considerably less annoying than those in most movies.
There are a few brilliant glimpses of consumerist satire, like the scene with the remote controls changing the neighbor's channels, or the dad trying to ride a bike with a couple of six-packs under each arm. It's obvious that Spielberg had considerably more input than 'executive director'. I'd bet on it.
Things start going wacky in the Freling household, with chairs sliding around, and a mini-tornado in the kids' bedroom. They wise up after their youngest daughter is sucked into a TV and decide to call some authentic-looking university Ghostbuster types. Then Tangina shows up. The diminutive actress Zelda Rubenstein is simply great. She looks and sounds pretty silly, but she plays it straight and delivers a fun performance.
“Director” Tobe Hooper piles the 'good parts' one on top of another, especially towards the end. The ghosts and monsters and delusions that start popping up are harsh enough for the horror fans, yet just mild enough for the kids to appreciate without freaking out and insisting that you cut all the trees down within 3 blocks. (If you don't get it, see the movie.) A true rarity--An excellent Hollywood horror movie.
Perhaps a subtle poke in the chops to suburban living and consumerism, but forget all that. There are scares galore and enough real creepy stuff to keep you into it. (P.S. Avoid the sequels like you would avoid red, flaming syphilis.)
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