Now that DVDs are way down in price, I've ended up with literally thousands--I think. I have a tendency to resist the earlier releases, the ones that are obviously "cheapies" with no special features--I know that better editions are just around the bend for most films! But I recently had to make an exception for "Poltergeist". Now I had originally seen this film in a theater on its release. I have always considered it one of the best in its genre. I've seen it a couple of times since, but probably not at all in the last ten years (and for the record--all the sequels were terrible).What amazed me was that I still thought it was a terrific movie! Now, some people will think a couple of the effects are cheesy--and for today's standards, maybe they are. But they are so well integrated into the film that I don't think the modern viewer will mind. And I believe films are historical documents--I hate that George Lucas, for example, has corrupted his films with constant CGI updates. It's as sacrilegious as colorization was!
"Poltergeist" succeeds as a great film due, in large part, to it's unrelenting suspense--but, in equal measure, it relies on us to care about the family involved. I think the movie endures because it has heart and characters to actually root for. Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams are great (and believable) as the parents affected. Their love for each other and their family, and their willingness to sacrifice anything for the safety of their kids is well presented and acted. Williams, in particular, has never been better. At first, she is your typical suburban Mom--but as strange things start happening, you see her confusion, her delight, her fear, her horror, her desperation and her heroic side. It's a very nice underrated performance. And Beatrice Strait and Zelda Rubenstein both give richer, more fully realized performances than I remembered.
Who'd have thought--all these years later--that it's the characters of "Poltergeist" that have distinguished it in my mind?
It's time now! We need a Deluxe Version DVD. It's hard to believe 2007 will mark 25 years--that seems a fitting opportunity to honor a film that has stood the test of time. I'll be first in line to upgrade. KGHarris, 9/06.
All that aside, "Poltergeist" is a rippin' good ghost story. Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams play the parents of a family that unfortunately lives in one wicked suburbia haunted house. The movie develops slowly, giving us time to care about this family. Mr. Nelson and Ms. Williams are dream parents cool, funny, smart and devoted to the family and each other.
The kids are pretty typical movie kids and their performances don't detract.
Initially, there are just a few unusual and creepy goings-on. Chairs move by themselves. The youngest daughter, played by young Heather O'Rourke, makes out voices that come through the television late at night after everyone else has gone to sleep.
At about the midway point of the film the owners of the "voices" start some serious shenanigans in the house and in the confusion, take little Carol Anne hostage. You're on the edge of your seat the rest of the movie.
Some academic ghost-buster types move in and set up cameras and recorders. Next thing you know, weird things are happening to them as well.
Made before the CGI age, "Poltergeist" nonetheless has some impressive special effects. The story tries to get under your skin. It doesn't just pick one thing to be scared of. There is no 25 foot shark or machete-wielding madman. Instead it succeeds over and over again at creeping you out at everyday objects. The old oak tree in the back yard becomes a menace. Toys in the kid's room turn sinister. The kitchen becomes a fright-hall.
When everyday objects are suddenly turning against you, what can you do? These are the things the family and the ghostbusters have to deal with while they try to figure out if they can get Carol Anne back.
My first experience with "Poltergeist" wasn't watching the movie. I was in a multiplex, next door watching something else, but through the walls WE were listening to the audience watching "Poltergeist" next door shrieking and screaming. I know I wasn't the only person thinking "What in the WORLD are they WATCHING next door?" We stepped out of our movie at the end to see the overhead sign. We knew this was something we HAD to go see.
We weren't disappointed.
Buy Poltergeist (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2008) Now
This is one of my favorite movies, and I've reviewed the earlier DVD issue elsewhere. My review this time is purely for the new DVD reissue which is one of the biggest disappointments I've come across. Let's start with this "25th Anniversary." The only mention of the anniversary is a haphazardly placed sticker on the outer sleeve. The fact that it was just slapped onto the box gives the buyer an idea of how much thought went into this new DVD.Then there are the extras. A documentary about true-life hauntings. Okay, that's not bad. But wait where's the original trailer for the film that was on the earlier DVD? It's been removed. Did the trailer get sucked into Carol Anne's closet and is being held captive by the Beast? What purpose did removing the trailer serve?
This is a pointless release. My advice is to hang onto the earlier release which is anamorphic AND has the trailer and skip this one; there will be another, hopefully better, release someday. Warner Brothers should be ashamed.
Read Best Reviews of Poltergeist (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2008) Here
"Poltergeist" is one of my favorite horror pictures and I just introduced my 18-yr-old niece to the film with this blu-ray edition. She found it very scary and was stunned it was only rated PG (considering the year it was released). The picture and audio quality of this edition are both wonderful but, as noted by other reviewers, there are no real extras. Because of all the behind-the-scenes drama I have a feeling it will be a very long time before we see an edition which includes some really meaty extras. The book was nice, and had a few facts I wasn't aware of (the change from an "R" rating and the use of real skeletons on set...eww!)Be aware, however, that like all previous versions the really severe edit between the family kitchen and the neighbor's house is still there I don't think there can be a clean copy anywhere in Hollywood if this is still going on. I know it supposedly has something to do with Pizza Hut being dissed in the scene, but since it was one line I really think they could've muffled it and kept the complete scene instead of cutting a big chunk.
This is a classic, highly entertaining horror movie and well worth watching again. If you have an older version of the dvd (or even the vhs tape), now is a good time to upgrade it to blu-ray.
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Wow, what a classic! Amazing buildup, great scares, great acting. This is a really well written horror movie, and while it does show at times, it is hard to believe it's over 25 years old. Especially when you watch it on Blu Ray!No matter how many times you've seen the movie before, it'll be like the first once you've seen this amazing 1080p transfer. The image is crisp and sharp without looking digitized. There's fantastic background clarity that gives you that feeling of 3D depth that make Blu Ray fanatics giddy with delight. And the best part is the audio! Throbbing bass and delicious thunder, groans from the closet that sound like they are literally lurking behind you. Sometimes you run across a poor transfer with low budget horror movies, but you can tell Spielburg and Hooper made sure this was filmed right. Thankfully, this fantastic blu ray release is a proper representation of how the movie was meant to be seen.
Overall, if this is a favorite of yours or even if you own the DVD, I can safely recommend the upgrade. If you've never seen the 25 year old classic, there's no better time to than with this amazing release. You'll be able to experience this movie at home like no generation has gotten to do before, isn't blu ray great!
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