Part of Shocktober
Steve Freeling (Craig T. Nelson) moves his family into a new housing development — but strange things soon start happening. It appears that the Freelings are not alone. At first, the spectral presence appears benign, simply moving objects around the house. But then, the hauntings intensify — and Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), the family’s youngest member, vanishes through a mysterious portal.
Director Tobe Hooper’s (THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE) surprisingly effective haunted house frightfest, originally conceived as a horror follow-up to producer Steven Spielberg’s CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, traumatized an entire generation of children upon its initial release. Alongside a stellar cast, the unequalled Zelda Rubenstein as spiritual medium Tangina Barrons quickly became one of the most iconic performances in the history of the genre.
“Does what it's supposed to do about as well as it can be done. You want to see a movie about the house next door that turns out to be haunted? Here it is, done just right.” —Bill Cosford, Miami Herald “POLTERGEIST proves closets are full of skeletons and scurrying ids. Hooper and company arouse childhood fears, teasing away adult defenses, making us hunker in our seats as the kids dive under the Star Wars sheets. It gives us the jeebies, third stage, without letting up, but spiritually, it's uplifting.” —Rita Kempley, Washington Post
