“Poltergeist’s” (1982) status among haunted-house films has been equaled many times, but in one way it stands as unique. It was released on June 4, 1982, exactly one week before “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” So Steven Spielberg – producer and co-writer of “Poltergeist” and director of “E.T.” – was competing for box-office dollars against himself.
For genre fans, June 1982 will never come close to being topped, as it saw the release of these two films plus “Blade Runner” and “The Thing” (both on June 25) and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn” (often picked as that saga’s best film, also on June 4).
Homey suburbia
Directed by Tobe Hooper with Spielberg providing regular on-set input, “Poltergeist” has the same homey suburban feel as “E.T.” Robbie Freeling’s (Oliver Robins) half-room features “Star Wars” toys and an “Alien” poster. Making this a rare all-ages horror movie, Robbie’s is the POV we’re supposed to take. The tree outside his window is scary because Robbie thinks it’s scary. (And also, honestly, it is pretty damn scary.)
“Poltergeist” (1982)
Director: Tobe Hooper
Writers: Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, Mark Victor
Stars: JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson
What might’ve been too much Rockwell-by-way-of-the-’80s schmaltz at the time is now exactly what we want. “Poltergeist” brings us back to comforting childhood the way other haunted-house movies don’t. The family dog wanders through the house, from Steve (Craig T. Nelson) asleep in his armchair to Diane (adorable JoBeth Williams) in bed to teenager Dana (Dominique Dunne) to Robbie to Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke).
Heck, Spielberg and co-writers Michael Grais and Mark Victor flat-out make Steve an agent for the development. The Freelings bought the first house. A wide shot shows us the suburban sprawl of identical homes and plots for the new ones.
“Poltergeist” ultimately takes a stand against such developments – or at least this one, as it’s built atop a cemetery. Yet I have to agree with Steve when he says “Who could complain about a day like today?” as he looks over the rows of houses from atop a hill in mid-summer. Granted, he’s being sardonic, because he in the midst of some chaos at home.
The idyllic (now nostalgic) nature of the Freelings’ home gets us into the movie. It also makes “Poltergeist” into one of the least scary haunted-house movies that’s still really good.
In the same neighborhood as ‘E.T.’
This is by intent, I think. While you’d assume two Spielberg films would overlap theater runs only if they aimed for different audiences (like “Jurassic Park” versus “Schindler’s List”), “Poltergeist” and “E.T.” are set in the same suburbia at the same time. They have the same vibe of discovering something mysterious. Carol Anne welcomes the supernatural force with “They’re here” with the same innocence that Elliot would embrace E.T.
Likewise, the adults take in what they see at face value. Their house is clearly haunted (chairs stack themselves into weird patterns, the kids’ room looks like a “Harry Potter” wizarding class on the last day of school, and Carol Anne speaks from inside the TV).
The straightforwardness leads to sly comedy, built around the visit of clairvoyant Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight), who some theorize is modeled after Lorraine Warren. One of Lesh’s assistants breathlessly tells of video-taping a Hot Wheels car moving on its own. An unimpressed Steve opens the bedroom door to reveal ILM going to town with flying-object effects. Afterward, the veteran Dr. Lesh’s hands shake as she raises her teacup.
“Poltergeist” makes fun of its suburban niceness if you read between the lines. When Steve lists his family members’ ages for the police, we can calculate that Diane had Dana at age 16! And the promiscuity of Dana, herself 16, is a running gag, as she’s familiar with the Holiday Inn from a previous visit her mom doesn’t know about. Dana has hickeys on her neck when returning to the narrative after an absence.
But the big takeaway is that “Poltergeist” remains a classic mix of family warmth with excellent practical effects. Although too slow-paced as house-cleanser Tangina (Zelda Rubenstein) enters the fray to set up the grand finale, it’s one of the all-time great PG horror movies. It might not have the scares you crave as an adult, but it brings back childhood fears about the bigness of the world in a wondrous way.