Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

Steven Spielberg directed some of his best films in 1970s, but as an author he was never particularly associated with that particular decade. His orientation towards family friendly entertainment has put him at odds with New Hollywood and its serious artistic dramas. Spielberg had to wait for another decade to become the embodiment of everything what Hollywood is and stands for. This process began in 1982 when he made debut as producer with Poltergeist, 1982 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper.

Protagonists of the film are real estate developer Steven Freeling (played by Craig T. Nelson), his wife Diane (played by JoBeth Williams), 16-year old daughter Dana (played by Dominique Dunne), 8-year old son Robbie (played by Oliver Robins) and 5-year old daughter Carol Anne (played by Heather O'Rourke). The family has found new, seemingly perfect, home in Cuesta Verde, Californian planned community. Their idyllic life begins to shatter when Carol Anne begins to converse with mysterious people that, according to her, live in TV set. What follows is series of unexplained and increasingly sinister incidents that culminate when mysterious force snatches Carol Anne and brings her in what appears to be portal into another dimension. Freelings can hear voice of her daughter from TV set, so they call the team of paranormal investigators for help. They are joined by spiritual medium Tangina Barrows (played by Zelda Robinson) who finds out that the house is haunted by ghosts of people buried on the cemetery which was later used as location for Cuesta Verde and that Carole Anne was abducted by malevolent force she calls "Beast".

Decades after its premiere, Poltergeist is matter of debate about who was the real director - Spielberg or Tobe Hooper, film maker known for his cult horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hooper might have been director, but Poltergeist is unmistakably Spielbergian film. The script uses Spielberg's favourite method of approaching the subject from the perspective of protagonists who belong and want to protect their family. Film also makes that family as average and "normal" as possible and, unlike most horror film that deal with ghosts and haunted houses, the plot here isn't set in isolated, decaying castle. Instead Freelings face supernatural evil in the very modern, "cool", freshly built house that represents everything an average American middle-class family would aspire to. Realistic approach can be seen in a brief scene when Steven and Diane casually smoke marijuana, identifying them as typical Boomers who once rebelled against the establishment only to enthusiastically embrace materialist values of Reagan's America. Spielberg very cleverly uses that "normality" to increase horror, because the audience can easily identify with average protagonists. Mr. And Mrs. Freeling are also played by actors who were relatively unknown at the time, making their ultimate fate harder to predict than when played by established stars. Hooper directs film with great skill, perfectly using relatively huge budget at his disposal, which becomes evident near the end of the film when Poltergeist features special effects that are impressive even decades later. Poltergeist also benefits from another great musical score by Jerry Goldsmith, whose cheerful lullaby-like main theme sounds so much at odds with otherwise dark and disturbing rest of the film.

Poltergeist is mostly well-directed film, but there are few scenes that have slight problems with continuity. Some of the scenes, especially at the end, feature too much grotesque and potential disturbing content (paranormal investigator hallucinating that his face is decomposing, Diane swimming in pool with zombies) and this makes Poltergeist not particularly suitable for the younger audience, the very viewers it was supposed to be made for. This film, with the old school approach to horror and rather unusual lack of any fatality or serious injury in the film (with the exception of Freeling's pet bird) was nevertheless refreshing in the era when the genre was associated with gore and psychotic maniacs slicing up sexed-up teenagers. Poltergeist was huge commercial success, predating Spielberg's main hit E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for a week. Sadly, one of its stars, Dominique Dunne, was brutally murdered by ex-boyfriend months after the premiere, and Heather O'Rourke never reached adulthood because she succumbed to septic shock six years later. These and the tragic deaths of actors involved in two sequels were basis for urban legend about "Poltergeist curse". Whether you believe in the curse or not, Poltergeist becomes more disturbing experience when you know that real life sometimes can be more sinister than the imagination of Hollywood's most talented film makers.

RATING: 7/10 (++)