Poltergeist (1982)

 

Ghost stories have always been a staple of cinema, but there's little denying this one jumpstarted the supernatural craze all over again. Steven Spielberg wanted to make an old-fashioned ghost story, but even though he wrote the entire story and screenplay, still handed directorial duties over to Tobe Hooper. There is however little denying this has the Spielberg stamp all over it, save for the more genuinely scary stuff. It might be a little tame for today, but 'Poltergeist' is still a classic to be reckoned with.

The Freeling family is a pretty bog standard household. Dad works for a real estate company that has just finished building another part of a town called Cuesta Verde and of course the family lives in one of the model houses there, as Dad is the top salesman for the company. Things seem pretty normal, until the youngest (Carol Anne) starts talking to the television. From that point on, furniture starts to inexplicably move around the house and things get increasingly strange. During a fierce storm, the old tree outside the house tries to swallow the young son, but this is all a diversion, as Carol Anne is sucked through the television by what can only be described as ghosts.

The family is distraught and seeks the help of a small team of parapsychologists, who find out Carol Anne is stuck somewhere in limbo with a lot of ghosts. They also enlist the help of a powerful medium and eventually manage to rescue the little girl from the beyond.

But that wasn't the end of their ordeal... 

There's no denying that this is a film that is really well put together. True, the suspense does lack a bit for the most part, as the first two acts deal more with distress and a little suspense more than anything else. You wouldn't call it scary though. The of course absurd premisse is sold really well by a good cast of actors, who might not be the biggest names out there, but that adds to their believability. 

However, even if you think and feel that most of the story isn't all that scary, then the film hits you with a ridiculously intense final 15 minutes that will most likely have you gripping the edges of your seat.

Well played, guys. 

'Poltergeist' is an absolute classic of the genre and a staple for those who like ghost stories. It is creepy fun and even if some of the effects look rather dated now, it still manages to give you chills. 

It will also make you absolutely hate toy clowns.