Poltergeist (1982)

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

One of the creepiest movies of all-time, Poltergeist is a classic. It comes from a decade which saw the production of many horror films that still make our October movie playlists. It has all the features of a movie that you just can't watch alone like thunder, lightening, clowns, and corpses.

Stephen Spielberg claims that while he produced Poltergeist, he did not direct it. If that's true, then official director did an amazing job of channeling Spielberg's 80s style. He captures Spielberg's ability to portray children as both natural and distinctly alien and mysterious. He captured his swooping camera shots and his slick use of special effects.Whether Hooper did all that, decided he didn't like it and never did it again, or whether Spielberg was the puppet master, the result is a terrific, fast-paced thriller full of terrific moments, suspense and humor.It was also a movie I was shocked to learn my girlfriend had never seen. When I asked her what I thought she had a whole analysis of the movie as a commentary on suburban culture. It made sense, so I guess it's deeper than I realized.The only scene I don't like is the one I feel certain is all Tobe Hooper's; that face melting thing. It's gross and feels out of place. Well, out of place in a Spielberg movie, anyway.

To me, a 10 is a perfect movie, 9 is near-perfect, 8 has its flaws but is undeniably a classic, and 7 is a very good movie that's not quite as influential or memorable. That's Poltergeist. Don't get hung up on it, it's just my opinion. Poltergeist is superbly crafted, well-acted, and beautifully shot. The score is excellent and the special effects hold up. This movie is not as scary as some other horror classics. Most people would complain about this. For me, it's a positive: it makes the movie better for those getting into the genre. If you're big into horror from nowadays, I definitely wouldn't recommend Poltergeist, but for those who are passing fans of horror or who want to into the genre, or if you don't like horror but your friends want to watch something scary so you all watch Poltergeist. Also, I would recommend it over the 2015 remake. 80s films just have such charm, even when it's on-the-nose (Star Wars memorabilia, the dad reads a book called "Reagan: the President, the Man"). Also, don't bother with the bad sequels.

Everything seems normal in a home of a typical American family, when they begin to experience supernatural phenomena. At first they seem to be entertained by the events, but when the younger daughter disappears and the demonstrations become violent, only then they realize that they have a problem.Directed by Tobe Hooper and written and produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie is somewhat slow suffering from an irregular pacing and only begins to warm up seriously near the end. When they get their daughter back, they decide to stay in the house rather than leave it no matter what, but somehow someone behind camera figured out that that stupid attitude was needed for the final showdown of special effects. And that's the only reason that gets me to score a maximum of 4/10, the incredible special effects for the year 1982.As another reviewer already pointed out, there is an episode of the original series "Twilight Zone" ("Lost Little Girl") with a very similar story, which raises serious doubts as to the originality of Spielberg's script. If you don't believe me use the net to check it out.