Poltergeist (1982) Movie Reaction & Review! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- I had a blast with this film! Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg did a great job in creating a scary atmosphere. Highly recommended for horror and thriller fans!
Hey guys, I'm Shaneel (Shan). Welcome to the channel!
My reaction and review to The Exorcist (1973) for the first time. Hope you enjoy the video!
Full Length Reactions and Early Access at Patreon: / shanwatchesmovies
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I love how real the family feels. There are so many quaint details that make them so much more human than most ghost story protagonists.
Yup I agree 100%.
@@ShanWatchesMovies That's 100% the Spielberg input. Well, he basically directed the whole movie :)
@@filegrabber1 Spielberg denies that. Of course, he could be lying. Best. Leo.
The family is the STRENGTH of the film. They are my favorite family of any 80s movie.
Yep, 80's movies had a lot of that. These days, producers, script writers, and directors try to jam "what the ideal family is" down our throats, and if we object to it, it's because we're bigots.
"I'm not a fan of this clown at all." - Shan
Me neither, Shan.
I don't know why but I hate clowns in horror films 😂
@@ShanWatchesMovies the older girl is Dominick Dunne who was strangled to death by her boyfriend just before this movie came out. The little blonde girl is Heather O'Rourke died shortly after the third Poltergeist film came out. She died of a misdiagnosed Crohn's Disease. Dominick was 21 year old when she died & Heather was 12 years old when she died.
@@ShanWatchesMovies Have you seen either of the IT movies? The 1990 one or the recent ones?
"There goes the clown. Bye clown." Made me laugh really freaking hard lol.
😂😂😂😂
So that was that maniacal sound I heard a little bit ago! Yeah I laughed out loud to. I'd love to get one of those clowns for my son in law! 😃😎
POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE is actually worth watching. It goes into more backstory about what was going on over in the ethereal plane. It also explains in detail what The Beast actually was.
Yes, and Poltergeist 3 was just plain annoying because the repetitive calling out for Carol Anne was too much and the untimely death of Heather O'Rourke made it unfortunately sad.
Poltergeist 2 also starred Will Sampson from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
Does it tell us anything that this movie didn't explain? That preacher and his cult in the sequel wasn't anything to do with the script of this movie. Listen to what's said in this movie. It's explained that the boss caused the supernatural instability by building the housing estate on the cheap, by only moving the headstones and leaving the bodies in place. The massive supernatural disturbance attracted a demonic entity, which used the angry spirits to make itself stronger. Not once did anyone mention anything about a crazy preacher leading his cult to their deaths in a cave.
Released WAY before Epilepsy Warnings were ever a thing. I think this is really one of Goldsmith's best scores...it was an instant LP buy back in the day. And thank goodness there are NO hand held shots...Matthew Leonetti's beautiful, elegant cinematography here is *highly* underrated!
I was about to say the same thing. This is before lawnmowers had warnings not to stick your hand in the blade and coffee warned you that it was hot.
@@elzar760 thats not quite the same thing as a comparison is it? After all you wouldnt not go to movies in case they had an epilepsy inducing effect. The coffee warning btw is a myth. The hot coffee lawsuit people refer to (invariably by people going "well coffee hot who would have thought it) was in fact perfectly reasonable. - It wasn't that the coffee was hot but that it was excessively hot and in a cup that wasn't suitable for a liquid of that heat.
@@elzar760did you hear the real story behind the hot coffee incident that led to the warnings? They made a documentary about it. I was SHOCKED. Like pretty much everyone else, I thought it was ridiculous that a person would sue over hot coffee being spilled on them. However, the real story is that the coffee was SO hot, that it was far beyond any safe or reasonable temperature for human handling, let alone consumption. The victim was an 80 year-old woman, whose crotch, thighs, and buttocks were left without any skin at all. The pictures are HORRIFIC. I still don't think the written warnings are reasonable, but suing McDonald's for handing her a cup of skin-melting liquid through a drive thru was more than deserved. Health codes and laws came about to ensure that employees could track the temperatures of hot beverages, and no restaurants could exceed it. I wish I had known the information for all those years, because that poor woman went through physical and emotional agony that I can't even imagine, and was made a laughingstock on top of it.
Fun fact: The dead bodies in the pool were real skeletons 💀 Poltergeist II is OK, not great but not bad either, a bit sloppy and doesn't make sense if you think back to what we learned in this film 🤷♂️. Poltergeist III is not worth watching. Of course Tobe Hooper's most famous film was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) but that one is NOTHING like this one 😂 Also I suggest The Thing (1982), Misery, Halloween (1978), Carrie (1976), The Fly (1986), Hellraiser.
A very underrated classic here with Tobe Hooper directing and it does have special effects as these was Lifeforce 1985 about space vampires. No Spielberg there.
Tobe Hooper also directed the tv mini-series of Stephen King's Salem's Lot in 1979.
When broadcast tv went off for the night (unheard of now) usually around 1am the last thing they would play is the national anthem followed by a tv card or static. Very normal for the times, nothing to read into.
Shan, something that you figured out on your onesie. For the longest time, it was just business as usual. Best. Leo.
Yup! I remember when I was very young tv channels used to shut off around midnight!
@@ShanWatchesMovies you must have lived in central time zone. That’s when they went off here, which was 1am Eastern of course.
The same era (I believe) as "It's 10 o'clock; do you know where your children are?"
Yes, midnight here in good ol central time.
The little girl's real name is Heather O'Rourke, she died while making a third ″Poltergeist″ movie. Heather died of septic shock due to congenital stenosis of the lower intestine, or bowel. She was only 12 when she passed away. Great little actress. RIP.
@gray73 The producer and maybe others molested her giving her the diagnosis.
The little actress was molested by Spielberg and others which eventually killed her.
@gray73 Lynette isn't lying, she is just more aware than you guys, doctors found internal damage that would be caused by rape/molestation, you have a lot of dark history in hollywood you don't know about. Everything gets covered up when it comes to hollywood and the deep state, this shouldn't be a mystery to even the average person. Yes it is not mainstream, CNN did not tell you this. MSM doesn't investigate, they read scripts to inform the masses of what they want them to hear. Who do you think owns all these media companies? This is not a conspiracy @Ack! Ack!
@@johnjohnnston3498 "dark history in Hollywood" doesn't prove that one specific thing. I can smell your bullshit from here.
Like I've been telling everyone it's 1950 hollywood all over again
10:44, the hands pulling apart the dummy were Steven Spielberg's.
I am so pleased that you understood Zelda Rubinstein's voice made things exponentially creepier. She was so amazing in this film. I've watched a couple other reactors say they thought it was too annoying and distracted from the film and thought she should not have been cast. Thank you for doing such great detailed breakdowns of the movies you review.
if you want some of the answers, watch part 2. You get a lot more info about how that spot is the focus of the disturbances.
You do know that those were all retcons that had absolutely nothing to do with Spielberg, don't you? In this movie it's made quite plain that The Beast is a demon, NOT a Victorian preacher as the crappy sequel said.
@@white-dragon4424 3 sucked, I like 2 just fine
Strange coincidences occurred during the filming of this series. The older daughter in real life was murdered by a jealous BF either during or right after the first Poltergeist was released. Several of the actors from Poltergeist II (Will Sampson and Julian Beck) passed away shortly after filming, of illnesses and of course, young star Heather O'Rourke died immediately after the release of the third film. I recommend Poltergeist II, but not III. Tobe Hooper's best film in my opinion, is indeed "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It is the only film that makes the audience thinks it sees more than is actually shown. Cool effect!
I agree I really like poltergeist 2 as it shows how important carol ann is to the story and she really shines in this one. 3 is a really bad film however jam always compelled to watch it with sadness as it was heather's last appearance before her death.....what a beautiful darling angel she was. Always breaks my heart seeing how she bloated out as a result of her illness. What a heartbreaking loss for her single mother....can't imagine!!!
Not coincidences. Movies take lots of people to make. People die sometimes. This whole "curse" thing needs to be put to bed. The actors from poltergeist 2 that died were old.. Heather died on the 3rd film due to a misdiagnosed congenital condition, and Dominique Dunne had a psycho jealous boyfriend. None of those things point to a curse... just a lot of shitty luck.
@@DanJackson1977 Yes, of course, but considering this is a franchise about the afterlife and ghosts, the "curse" angle is a great publicity stunt for a horror film studio to sell and advertise its film intentions. Sad about these fine actors passing away from illnesses or in the horrible case of Dominique Dunne, but Hollywood sells dreams to make a profit. It is what it is. I personally would love to see a realistic picture of Wicca, but Hollywood studios think they will make more money by demonizing witches for the general public.
@@DanJackson1977 I agree. No curse. I believe the native American character in Poltergeist II died of some type of cancer, but as I recall, the actor smoked like a chimney. The actor that played the preacher in that film looked like he wanted to croak mid-scene- in every scene. It is not surprising that he passed so soon after the film.
@@DanJackson1977 exactly....same lore around Bruce and Brandon Lee deaths.....tragic coincidence but coincidence none the less...
Television used to go off the air at a certain time back then. Televison opened and closed with the national anthem.
Around 2:30am, if I remember right.
@@travisfoster1071 maybe 1:30am. I remember the Tonight Show, then Letterman's show ... and nothing past that until like 6AM
Locally I know tv went off after the late movie sometimes as late as 3:00 on Saturday. Then long ago an inspirational minute followed by the Star Spangled Banner. Later our station used a poem instead. "oh I have slipped the surly bonds of earth on laughter silvered wings....." I am constantly amazed at your amazement at the fact that in 1982 people got out of their covered wagon and went in the studio and made moving pictures. My son once asked me if they had electricity when I was a kid. It feels like that.
I'm 45 and this film is one of the most important of my childhood. Back in the days where people first had VHS machines (sometimes Betamax) and tended to have favourite films they watched a lot.
This was quite scary when I saw it for the first time. I was about 7 years old.
No epilepsy warnings til the 90s 🤣The opening scene with the national anthem on tv was what used to happen around 1 or 2 am.. tv stations would end their broadcast day and then go to static. usually with the anthem played first. It was spooky as a kid. Felt sorta like the world was ending.. and after seeing this movie I was convinced ghosts lived in the static just like Jaws convinced me there was always a shark right offshore.
That was a rubber Yoda hand puppet next to the Darth Vader action figure case. I had both when I was young. That kind of similarity to actual life in Spielberg movies really brings them home and makes them seem a little more possible.
Jerry Goldsmith's score for Poltergeist II is a lot creepier. You can skip the third film, but please watch the second Poltergeist.
Absolutely
Funny, I would say skip the terrible second film and watch the superior in concept third one...;)
Steadicams were not used as much in this time period as they are now.
That was indeed a rotating room.
I saw this in the theater. It was amazing for the time. While some effects not particularly good, some were groundbreaking.
18:24, those are real skeletons! I found out they used real skeletons rather than use prosthetics.
And JoBeth Williams didn’t know until after shooting the film. If I remember correctly, she found out quite a few years later.
At the time, real skeletons were cheaper than plastic ones, and you could put them in a low temp oven to cure the latex added to them.
I believe they imported them for very cheap from India
@@FireTiger941 The effects crew got them from a medical supply house but they did source them from India.
Which is pretty messed up considering all the problems in this movie are because people are screwing with dead people to begin with
I agree looking back now that the effects weren't spectacular, but at the time it's all we had and watching it for the first time 😳 😲 in the theater it was spectacular!
8:30, old school visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic. The film was even nominated for 3 Oscars:
Best Visual Effects
Best Sound Editing
Best Original Score
Those went to E.T, The Extra Terrestrial.
The music in this one was Jerry Goldsmith, who at the time was the "other John Williams," ranked alongside Henry Mancini, Bernard Hermann, James Horner, and Hans Zimmer in the circle of great film composers. Goldsmith preferred to experiment in style and instrumentation rather than pick the obvious choice, and his music seldom drew as much attention to itself as Williams or Zimmer.
Here's a lovely video showing how cleverly Goldsmith composed the ALIEN score. czcams.com/video/XtJr-HLxRjY/video.html
Since you enjoy thrillers and practical effects from this era, may I recommend the less-often seen 1978 Invason of the Body Snatchers?
Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check it out!
Ah Poltergeist, one of my favourites from the 80's. Although Hooper directed it, it's obvious that Spielberg had a huge role in the direction.
Absolutely
Yes. The direction of the performances and camerawork are so distinctively Spielbergian. John Leonetti (who was assistant cameraman to his DoP brother Matthew on the film) pretty much confirmed this point in an interview on the Bloody Disgusting website.
Also by Tobe Hooper, Lifeforce (1985) & Salem's Lot (1979)
I was 8 when salems lot came out....scared the bejeebees outta me
The scene with the paranormal investigator and the steak and the chicken freaked me out so bad when I was kid. Whatever the effects they used when he starts to claw at his face had me so spooked. (my mom definitely was not concerned with age appropriate viewing , lol) That whole scene scared the hell out of me!
Ha ha, same!! I was 9 or 10 when my uncle showed me this movie and it messed me UP! 🤣
3:00, this scene is inspired by Spielberg's fear of a dead tree outside his window.
I grew up and live in Anchorage, Alaska. When I was a kid (the 70's and 80's) our local PBS station used to end broadcasting by playing Pachelbel's Canon while showing pictures of Alaska, Alaskan foliage and animals. I would often stay up on Saturdays so I could watch it. Enjoying your reactions!!
Great reaction! Weirdly enough, I used to love staring into the static on my TV when I was a little girl. Had this strange hypnotic effect. So I can see where Spielberg got the idea, because a lot of people I know used to stare into the static and zone out, too.
Same here!
@@ShanWatchesMovies I also enjoyed the blue screen of death on occasion, but then I'm a very strange person.
@@ilianacatspawn8848 😂😂😂
I grew up watching this movie over and over on Cable. And they played it a lot.
I don't remember the sequels. So take that for what it's worth.
Hello! Just found your channel, enjoying it very much. Just want to say that I grew up in the 80s here in the USA. This film scarred my childhood LOL. I remember after dark I would be scared of the TVs, on or off, and if a static channel came on, oh my goodness..... It also made me fear the stairs in our house (because something ghostly might appear and come down). I still can't watch the scene with the guy in the bathroom and his face ... I think the little kid in me is still too scared!! And let's not start about closets. Needless to say, now that I'm in my 40s, this is one of my favorite movies ever, both because it's an awesome movie and because of the nostalgia. I actually had a lot of the same toys in the kids' room! (Before it imploded or whatever...)
You should watch Lifeforce, also from Tobe Hooper.
And Tobe Hooper said, he wasn't happy with Spielberg constantly watching over his shoulder, and his interference.
The paranormal expert played by Beatrice Straight (sitting at the table as the coffee pot moves by itself across the table) also played William Holden's wife in the film Network. (She won a best supporting actress award for her role in Network.)
I first saw Poltergeist when I was four years old at a friend's house, and it left an indelible impression. The final act scared then hell out of me, especially when the mother gets pulled up the wall and onto the ceiling. Plus the music is excellent!
Apologies if someone already answered this, but early in the film you see the parents smoking pot together in their bedroom. It’s very subtle and the film does not focus on it, But it does provide an explanation for why they would not want to call the cops.
In Sugarland, TX, there are properties built over slave burials. This was actually in the news a few years ago. When I heard about that, I immediately thought of this film and why the Freelings were experiencing poltergeists.
Tobe Hooper directed the 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
"It Knows What Scares You" is the key to the plot. Robbie was afraid of the tree outside his window and the clown doll. Carol Anne wanted the closet light on early in the movie. Diane was afraid of sleep walking and falling into the pool. The demons manifested themselves in all the family's fears. Poltergeist 2: The Other Side was a great sequel to this which you should also review at some point.
Thank you for the continued explanation. When I first heard you say it was at first a sequel to Close Encounters My mouth dropped with a "get the F outahere really?!?! Also I remember when I saw this first run in the theater I thought "What Who Why would any kid want that stupid clown doll?"
If you want to see a lesser known example of a Tobe Hooper film, then try watching Lifeforce. It has been called either the most expensive B movie ever made, or a B movie with a blockbuster budget.
That "portal" at the end was an esophagus, or throat. The thing was literally trying to swallow them at that point.
The endless hall wasn't just a dolley and zoom effect. They used that, but they also extended the hall itself. If you look at the walls when she is running down the hall you can see the expansion segments.
A lot of these effects were very impressive when the movie came out. You didn't really expect perfection then but when you saw something you knew they put effort in to it was telling. Back in the day this movie scared a lot of people, lot of kids, too. Lots of folks didn't think it would be all that scary because Speilberg and a PG rating. Lots of kids scared of closets and stuffed animals for a while after that.
I've watched a few reaction videos to this classic and yours is by far the best. I enjoy your comments on the technical aspects.
I actually think this is one of the greatest films of all time. The build-up is so well crafted and the payoff is superb. And it’s also really, really spooky. Like, it has me looking over my shoulder the same way I do when I watch CZcams videos of ghost footage at 3am.
Lucas and Speilberg are buddies. Speilberg stuck star wars merch in ET as well. There is supposed to be an R2D2 on the wall in Raiders of the lost ark and the underside of the spaceship from Close Encounters.
in 1982, it was ahead of its time. It was visually stunning. Spileberg and Lucas revolutionised scifi and fasntsy and escapism films in their early careers.
I'm not a fan of Horror movies but I recommend an 80s classic called "Videodrome".
25:33, there were several deleted scenes that were cut, but can be found online as still photos, Including Original Designs for the Beast.
The anthem used to come on when TV stations would sign off each night. That's right, they used to sign off.
Poltergeist 2 was a worthy sequel. This was the first horror movie I ever watched when I was about 12. Second one I ever saw was the very, very good John Carpenter movie, The Fog. Definitely add it to your watch list.
I think (I may be wrong) that this was the film that made people really not liking clown dolls...
My mom bought me a giant clown doll a few months after I saw this as a little kid.
It went into a cupboard and stayed there til we moved.
@@richardhart5612 haha why would she do that?!
@@richardhart5612 your mom was wrong for that lol.
Indeed it was for me. Just dolls in general really. This and Child's Play. Poltergeist is one of my favourites.
There's likely a deeper intent to the anthem being played. In the dark ages before cable, when stations would sign off for the night, the screen would go to static. With a static screen being important to the plot, including the anthem was likely a subtle way of building tension in the audience as people in the early 80's would likely connect the anthem to an impending static screen subconsciously.
This is one of my favourite movies. I have lost count of how many times I've watched it. I love your observations, as many times as I have watched it, I have never noticed the Alien poster or that the clown was sitting on the bed when it was spinning in front of the paranormal investigators, well spotted! I will watch for those the next time I watch it 😊
Back in the day, before cable TV, stations used to go off the air late at night, and they would end their daily broadcast with the National Anthem.
I love Poltergeist and there is a rumour that Speilberg directed the whole film after Hooper was kicked off the set. The sequels are OK but I'd save them all for when you run out of originals to view.
The National Anthem playing was the way t.v stations would sign off back before 24/7 broadcasting. Then the broadcast would stop and you would get static, white noise not sure if it has any significance in the film but if anyone has an idea I would like to know!
Since the static screen plays an important part in the movie, I've always thought that using the anthem was meant as subtle way to build tension as many in the early 80's might have subconsciously connected it to an impending static screen.
Loved your reactions especially to the little psychic lady and the family.. Watch the second one... It continues the story! This is one of my favorites from my childhood... Great pick
One thing that may not be obvious to some is that during the years of the film most local TV stations went off the air at a certain hour. So it was common for someone to fall asleep watching TV and wake up to static after the station went off the air for the night. Most played the national anthem just before shutting down.
Same in my country, except it was till the early to mid 90s
This was the summer of 1982, which was not only to become Spielberg's summer, but his year. I believe Spielberg created the illusion that he was more hands or at least created the myths surrounding this film. His touch is evident surrounding this film to where I'm sure Tobe Hooper was not going to challenge it as this was really his first mainstream, studio financed major motion picture and who was going to contradict the director dynamo of the 1970's & 1980's. I remember late spring that year the coming attractions did a double trailer...for Poltergeist and E.T. and it was billed in the previews as the spectacular Spielberg summer. The previews were spot on because no one knew what to expect out of either film. E.T. broke all time records in just it's summer run alone and was winning big awards, Poltergeist was in the top 5 grossing films that year and 40 years later, we're still enjoying this funhouse/haunted house thrill ride. Had John Williams score for E.T. not been nominated, nor won the Academy Award , Jerry Goldsmith's for Poltergeist was a sharp close second amongst the nominees that year.
13:06, that's a good line right there.
Spielberg also did a dramatic film called 'Munich'.....loosely based on an historical event. I recall renting it on video one time, but really wish I could see it again.
I watched Munich. It was a fantastic film!
@@ShanWatchesMovies ....That scene on the houseboat with the woman is what I most remember.
So glad to see you appreciate these older movies. Even the practical effects. I love good practical effects over CGI any day! Good luck with your channel!
Fun fact: in the movie there is an odd cut in the film. It comes after when Diane shows Steven the paranormal activities in the kitchen and then they started to talk what they are going to eat and Carol Anne says "pizza" and suddenly the parents is in the neighbors door. The cut is odd because Steve says after Carol Anne's line that " I hate pizza Hut's" and it had to be cut because Pizza Hutt was one of the Sponsors of this movie.
@16:11
"I like the fact that in this film, mirrors were used...were NOT used in a scary manner and they were just there...because it was a common trope. That subverted my expectations...because I was...half the time I was looking at the mirrors for...signs of paranormal activity...but, there were none. So...I really appreciate that."
I can hear Poltergeist III laughing, along side the scene of Marty ripping his face off...
After watching your movie reactions/reviews I feel like your channel will start getting bigger real soon. Cheers, keep up the great work
A common thread through Hooper’s films are very intense and relentless third acts, “Poltergeist” is no exception to that.
One story says that Spielberg was under contract with Universal directing E.T. And was not allowed to direct any other film during the production. To circumvent this, he hired Hooper as a director for the credits, but had a huge role in the direction of Poltergeist. This as been debated over the years. I think it has Spielberg written all over it stylistically.
This is the only horror movie I can remember seeing where no characters died, excluding the canary.
Sadly, after making this film, on October 30, 1982, Dominique Dunne (who played Dana) was strangled by her ex-boyfriend. She was not replaced in the sequels, and I believe her character is not referred to again in the sequels. Actor Griffin Dunne (who appears on the tv series "This Is Us") is her brother.
Two films in a row with melty faced people! That was another scene that freaked me out as a kid, but this film was originally a PG!
Didn't notice till you pointed it out!
Poltergeist 2 takes it up a notch.
Sorry if mentioned before, but if you want mirrors watch the third one.
The national anthem would play at end of broadcasting for the night....usually midnight ...of coarse that was back in the day when we had 3 channels to watch....lol...before cable...before internet...
Enjoyed the delight and horror you expressed simultaneously at times...ie the giant skull-beast head. Really enjoyable to witness. A fun thing usually missed is the yellow VW bug near the end...def nod to the Shining! Bet that was Hooper's idea whereas all the Star Wars nods would have been Spielberg's nod to his good friend Lucas.
I was 8 when I saw this in 1982 and it was so scary! But it also hardcore shaped my interest in the paranormal & spirituality....and remains in my top 10 to this day.
Yeh they used a rotating room set for both Carol annes room so the toys would go into the closet. And yeh for Dianes bedroom they also did the same thing so she would go up the wall as it went around and they place the camera in the middle of the room in set position and make jobeth and the room go around. Still neat.
One of my all time faves. Spielberg and Hooper mixing every day suburbia with supernatural horror and wonder via peak ILM FX. Plus JoBeth Williams is my forever fave movie mum ♥️
There have been several crew members that said Spielberg directed this film for the most part. Camera assistant John Leonetti said this....“Candidly, Steven Spielberg directed that movie. There’s no question. However, Tobe Hooper - I adore. I love that man so much…[Hooper was] so nice and just happy to be there. It was really more of a set-up because Steven developed the movie and it was his to direct, but there was anticipation of a director’s strike, so he was ‘the producer’ but really he directed it in case there was going to be a strike and Tobe was cool with that. It wasn’t really anything against Tobe. Every once in a while, he would actually leave the set and let Tobe do a few things just because. But really, Steven directed it.”
The national anthem or America the Beautiful would play at the end of the night (around 1 or 2 a.m.) during the time that television was free in each American household, then the screen would turn to static. A lot of us would fall asleep by then or else the static would "get ya."
5:03 ,that made me jump when I saw this film 17 years ago. I have it on BLU Ray.
😂😂😂
You really need to see Spielberg's first movie. Duel.
The static at the start of the movie: Back then, t.v. still went off at night, usually about 1:00 a.m. They'd play the national anthem, then sign off with the station call letters, and then there was only static until the channels came back on around 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. (Can't remember what time it came back on.)
If I'm not mistaken, this was the first movie (or the first really big one) to use the "built on a cemetery" idea as a reason for hauntings. After that, everything jumped on board and it's just not scary anymore.
TV channels back then use to go off the air at a certain time. Unless you lived in a major US city. This was before the all night info commercials on almost every channel.
When you have an 800-pound producer like Spielberg, it's probably unrealistic to expect that he is not going to exert control over every facet of the movie. With that in mind, he did hire Hooper for a reason. Check out Tobe's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A classic. Best. Leo.
One of my all time faves. One of the fist realistic looks at the modern nuclear family, a Spielberg trademark. (Close Encounters, Sugarland Express, Jaws, E.T.)
Its funny you mention the directing. There was a huge controversy over who actually directed the film. The controversy was so huge, in fact, the Directors Guild held and investigation based on many people coming forward with allegations and an article in the LA Times. Spielberg gave all his support to Hooper crediting him for directing. The investigation ended in favor of Hooper awarding him a big payout for not receiving proper credit over Spielberg on the poster and during most of the ad campaign. To this day there are many people who were once involved with the film still debating on who actually directed.
The film opened the same summer as E.T. That summer was deemed the “Summer of Spielberg” because of both these blockbusters ruling the box office.
The first sequel was good, though not as good, but the entire family returned sans Dana, RIP. The third sequel was ridiculous and not worth the time. The remake was pointless as well, smh, another victim of the ongoing “lets update the classics” trend. Made to be as forgotton as the remakes of Fame, Carrie, Footloose and, Im sure, the update of West Side Story.
Steven actually directed the movie. The directors guild was on "strike" so Steven couldn't direct the film and remain in the guild. So, he hired Tody to be the director but Steven was on set everyday and basically directed the movie for him.
That's exactly what it looks like!
That's not true..... Spielberg was producer......it's a Toby hooper film 🎥 he absolutely directed it.... his fingerprints are all over it...... Spielberg as good as he was never directed a film like poltergeist! He is a great storyteller but ties not have the ability to instill Terror in his films like hooper did!
Yeah, this isnt true. Spielbergs contract prevented him from directing 2 simultaneous movies. He was working on E.T. at the same time. That is why he handpicked Tobe to direct. It had nothing to do with the strike.
The first half of Close Encounters is very like Poltergeist: flashing lights, reverse gravity, violent shaking and items vibrating and moving on their own.
@@broadsword6650 yes that was a good film but they are just the special effects visuals, close encounters is not a frightening film it doesn't have suspension and induce anxiety and tension.....even Jaws didn't really have those elements....speaks to my point of Spielberg not being that sort of director.
According to several people who worked on this film, after the third day Tobe Hooper was no longer the director. Spielberg directed everything after that point. Apparently Hooper was having some personal problems and Spielberg, not wanting to ruin his career, simply took over directing and gave him the credit. In my opinion Hooper's best film is Salem's Lot. The 2 part tv movie he made in 1979.
Although, Hooper, received credits for directing, it is well known that Spielberg was on set, and behind the camera often.
Good horror is timeless. Even if they've made crappy horror movies for the last couple decades, if someone made a really great one right now, I have no doubt it would be embraced if it was done well.
"Looks like its the final act of the movie".... hahahaha
22:41, but there have been rumors that Spielberg Directed the film , yet there was a clause in his contact to prevent it. He acted liked a hands on VFX supervisor to see what works and what doesn't.
Felt more like a Spielberg film than anything.
The dynamic and warmth of the family is what makes this film rise higher than the competition for me. For the same reason, "Signs" is my favourite film by M. Night Shyamalan. As far as the sequels go: The second movie is worth a watch; avoid the third completely.
Hi Shan , I am so happy I am subscriber to your channel . I just finished watching your reaction to The Exorcist a few minutes before watching your reaction here to Poltergeist . I guess I might be one of the few people maybe.... but I happen to like the trilogy of Poltergeist . Although before the first one was released in theaters the oldest daughter was murdered in real life when she would not get back together with a recent ex boyfriend.... he served about three years in prison before he was released . In the second Poltergeist movie two other cast members died of natural causes after the second movie had been finished but not released , and in Poltergeist three although she was listed as dying of natural causes however if "Carol Ann" had been properly diagnosed she would have lived .
I really like your reaction to this movie and thought it was very accurate . Much appreciation to your channel.
11:16, they had lights strapped to them and walked backwards up the stairs to look like they are walking forward.
TV wasn't 24-hour back then. Ah, the good old days!
I first convinced my dad to let me watch this movie with him when i was 7 years old as i was going through a big boy phase back in 1995. At the time i had a 2 foot tall stuffed clown doll that sat at the end of my bed and a pet yellow canary who lived in a cage in the kitchen dining area next to a set of wooden chairs and table....enough said.
That's actually Stephen Spielberg's hands ripping the face apart
Saw this film so many times back in the day - was a fairly frequent item on HBO / Showtime cable.
I've seen the sequels, but I prefer to ignore them for this. Binged a bunch of your fantasy films tonight. Great reviews.
I'd suggest a watch of several fantastic films: 1999 "Sleepy Hollow", 1956 "Forbidden Planet", 1994 "The Crow" 2000 "The Cell", 1985 "Ladyhawke", 1994 "In the Mouth of Madness", 1998 "Pleasantville",
I saw this in the theater was I was 9. That clown still freaks me out.
EDIT: forgot to mention, the scene when the chairs stack themselves on the table is (sort of) famous b/c they did it in one continuous shot. They're around the table, camera follows her to the cabinet, then stacked. It took several ppl to pull the chairs out then a crane lowered the stack.
24:28 - Kahn was on of many Spielberg collaborators, editing almost every his movie
Craig T Nelson is the lead who plays the father, AKA Mr Incredible.
Great video :-) It doesn't get much love by purists but I really like Poltergeist II, it creeps me out ... I think the return of the original cast and development of their characters just really worked for me. But I gather the rest of the movies aren't worth bothering with.