Poltergeist (1982) ♥Movie Reaction♥ First Time Watching!

For monthly polls, early access, extended ad-free videos, and watch-along versions*, check out my Patreon: / whimsory
At no point during this movie could I have predicted what would be happening next. As always, thanks for watching!
00:00 Intro
00:37 Reaction
23:17 Outro/Discussion
*must own/rent a copy of the film to sync up with me

[@Adamantium08]

“This house, is clean” her voice kills me everytime😂😂 true icon

[@madeincda]

Jim Carrey ruined that line for me 😅

[@misterkite]

.. and a total lie.

[@maingate7672]

Yeah, considering the events which followed her statement, I would have looked her up and the conversation which followed would have been not enjoyable for her.

[@NZBigfoot]

Thing is, its kinda like in real life cases... often after actions are done to cleanse a haunting or poltergeist, it kinda stops for a while, only to come back again a year or so later, sometimes decades latter. The other issue is as they said, poltergeists are usually attached to a person (often young girls oddly enough)... it can go away but when it comes back its always around the same person, so moving even if it appears to be over, doesnt mean you've left it behind @@maingate7672

[@Bluesit32]

@@misterkite Not a total lie. The only thing remaining was the beast.

[@roddmatsui3554]

The scene with the stacked chairs was a trip in the theaters. There was no optical effect, the change was all done in real time, when the camera was looking briefly to the right. No cut. All done for real. This was a grand old scary time at the movies!

[@shawnbridges8703]

Is that a steak? Get it, it’s getting away! Made me laugh, thank you.

[@Mr-gg8ek]

I saw this in a theater at age 7. I identified with the boy because my room was nothing but Star Wars toys. We also had a huge tree in the front yard. I had nightmares about the tree sequence off and on for months afterwards.

[@zeyguy]

Poltergeist came out the week before E.T. in the summer of 1982. At the time, Spielberg commented that the two movies acted as counterparts to each other. Here's a bit of trivia. Drew Barrymore, who played Gertie in E.T., originally auditioned for the part of Carol Anne in this movie. Spielberg loved her audition, but thought she was wrong for Carol Anne, so he put her in E.T. instead.

[@loupgarou-dj3tm]

I haven't watched it in so long, I would have sworn it was Drew Barrymore.

[@rofyle]

Spielberg had originally conceived of Poltergeist as an extraterrestrial story. The haunting was going to be the work of malevolent aliens who haunted a suburban village. The story was to be a sequel to his film, Close Encounters. Preproduction even went as far as commissioning Rick Baker to create some alien monsters. He later changed his mind though, while filming Raiders. Not wanting to completely ditch the idea of a suburban haunting, he developed the story into two scripts; one that would become E. T. and the other, Poltergeist

[@davidanderson1639]

For years, rumours have circulated that Poltergeist's credited director, Tobe Hooper, wasn't actually behind the lens of the classic 1982 horror; instead, fans claimed Steven Spielberg was responsible, already being credited as both producer and screenwriter. All easily dismissed, it seemed. Hooper's work on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has made him a legend of horror cinema, and the rest of his fairly cult CV makes Poltergeist a natural fit. However, fans have noted for a while that the film's visual style seems to far more echo Spielberg's work, which led to claims that a clause in Spielberg's E.T. contract prevented him from directing another film while in pre-production on the beloved sci-fi; he reportedly accepted a producer role, but secretly ran the show on set. Claims which have now been more-or-less confirmed by one of Poltergeist's own crew members, John Leonetti. A director now in his own right, behind 2014's Annabelle, Leonetti worked as first assistant camera on the film and revealed the truth to the Shock Waves podcast. "It was a very intense, very fun, very technical movie to work on. There’s a lot going on. And candidly… Steven Spielberg directed that movie. There’s no question," he stated. "However, Tobe Hooper - I adore. I love that man so much." "Hooper was so nice and just happy to be there. He creatively had input," he elaborated. "Steven developed the movie, and it was his to direct, except 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 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."

[@maxulic]

@@davidanderson1639 Yeah, to me there's little doubt that it is mostly a Steven Spielberg film and Tobe Hooper was his alibi. He couldn't "legally" direct 2 movies at the same time, between his contract with Universal and the Directors Guild rules, but when you write a script then storyboard it, so visually that's what you want to see on screen, and you are every day on the set, this is directing it.

[@rofyle]

@@davidanderson1639 "I was doing publicity on Poltergeist, and a lot of people were talking about the Spielberg and Tobe Hooper situation. From my perspective it was Tobe’s first studio movie. Here he is on a studio lot. On a big sound stage. Steven Spielberg had written the shooting script, was on the set and was producing. And Spielberg is a consummate filmmaker. He lives and breathes movies. Very passionate, very intelligent, very articulate. And yes, I would see him climb on the camera and say, ‘Maybe we should push in on a two-shot here or do this/that there.’ And Tobe would be watching. Tobe was always calling action and cut. Tobe had been deeply involved in all of the pre-production and everything. But Steven is a guy who will come in and call the shots. And so, you’re on your first studio film, hired by Steven Spielberg, who is enthusiastically involved in this movie. Are you gonna say, ‘Stop that, let me do this’. Which [Tobe] did. Tobe directed that movie. Steven Spielberg had a lot to do with directing that movie too. That controversy still hangs there, but Tobe is so much a crucial part of that movie. And watching both of them work on that film was a fascinating learning experience for me. Tobe was a terrific filmmaker. I don’t think it’s that Steven was controlling. I think it was Steven was enthusiastic. And nobody was there to protect Tobe. But all of the pre-production was done by Tobe. Tobe was there throughout. Tobe’s vision is very much realized there. And Tobe got credit because he deserved credit. Including Steven Spielberg said that." --- Mick Garris

[@chrislaustin]

As a kid born in 71, I rarely if ever saw commercials or ads for movies during my teens, so I often got dragged to movies like this with ZERO clue as to what it was about. So I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw this, and while it scared me, I also enjoyed it very much, as it was so much more than just a "scary" movie. It had a story that wasn't just about scaring people, but it offered a more thought out reason why you were being scared, great film from my childhood.

[@richardrobbins387]

Same age as you. And the ad for this was everywhere (in my universe anyway) Just the fuzzy TV and "They're here..." was enough for me. And the movies were like the babysitter back then, either that or the skating rink. Parents would just drop their kids off to see whatever and come back in a couple of hours. That was your PG.

[@johnfredericks4376]

Movies were between $3.50 and $5, so most of us that went to the movies a whole lot as preteens and teens saw all the trailers in the theater. Usually between movies during double and triple features. Remember those?

[@stiimuli]

Same age as you but I only caught this on TV after its theater run. I do remember quite a bit of media buzz around it at the time. I too find this movie scary but also very impressive in its effects, direction, acting and themes. I don't like horror movies in general but this movie fascinates me.

[@NemeanLion-]

Same age also here, but I already had the living crap scared out me watching King Kong in 76 and Close Encounters in 77 in theaters. Poltergeist was definitely still scary at the time but more thrilling. Like Whimsory was saying, I was from gen X and was a latchkey kid. I think we were forced to grow up faster.

[@abrimfulofasha]

Exactly. Another film that did this was The Frighteners by Peter Jackson.

[@sammylane21]

My heart always melts when Carol Ann wakes in her mom's arms and greets her dad in the tub.

[@chefskiss6179]

One of the best movie-couples ever, they just made it look so effortless. Wonderful watchalong as usual with you, Whimsory, so thank you for that!

[@knowsomething9384]

Perhaps the most unappreciated thing about this film is how believable the family is. That makes it work as much as anything else.

[@deadcatthinks6725]

@@knowsomething9384 we just have to gloss over the point where the dad says his wife is 32 (the eldest kid is 16) 🙃

[@PaulMartin-qu5up]

@@deadcatthinks6725 We got some context to that. When Carol Anne slid across the floor we get that Diane was a cheerleader. In the bedroom scene when Diane is smoking up we learn that Steve was an Olympic Diving hopeful. Obviously both were sidetracked by Diane getting pregnant.

[@ericy4522]

The chemistry between the parents and cute but believably realistic family dynamics really elevate this movie to a classic :-D

[@Osprey850]

I'm only 3 minutes in and already impressed that you know that this was before PG-13 and all-night television and know who Mister Rogers is. It's nice to listen to a young reactor who knows enough cultural/film history to view the film in context and doesn't make me feel old by having things be foreign to her that are familiar to me. Cheers!

[@aklimar2208]

She's come a long way watching different types of films and doing her classic analysis to educate herself. It's a trip watching her reactions in sequence because she is slowly evolving into a more informed, well-rounded movie buff.

[@NemeanLion-]

Yes, most reactors don’t realize some of the details of that time period. I was pretty impressed but she’s very observant so it’s not shocking she knows.

[@tonyb7615]

​@NemeanLion- well the problem is they don't care. Thats why whims is such a delight. She doesn't just wanna get a video out. She wants to learn and put herself into that moment in time. She even questions us what it was like when we were little. She's capable of perspective. Something severely lacking nowadays. And that is the sign of true intelligence, thinking outside the box. It's what elevates her above the rest. It's not just a reaction, it's a journey to becomming a film buff and understanding that was this way and that's why that became that way and nowadays is why like it is. She's young and it shows, but she cares. And becomming informed so when a reference is made of something from our era, it won't be wasted on her. She definitely deserves the most respect of any reactor for that reason alone.

[@TTM9691]

Agreed, she understood EVERYTHING. She understood Gen X and the whole early 80s dynamic, got all the references.....very impressive.

[@aklimar2208]

What will be interesting is if she ever reacts to something like Platoon or The Big Short, a film that revolves around a specific real-world event and where her post-analysis will take her

[@PicnicTable2023]

Your compassion for birds is appreciated.

[@MichaelAS007]

They filmed the poltergeist house in my neighborhood where I grew up (Simi Valley, CA). That house still looks the same today and continues to scare people lol. Loved your reaction, as always.

[@Swashbuckler332]

Jerry Goldsmith was on fire at this point in his career. The score for this movie is so iconic. There are actually lyrics for the end title, “Carole Anne’s Theme,” written by John Bettis that weren’t used. The only recording I am aware of with them is a Telarc album called “Fantastic Journey.” I think the wordless version that was used in the movie actually works better, and the version that concluded the original soundtrack LP had an absolutely terrifying ending, where they had recorded the children’s choir laughing, but sped up the sound. It was quite creepy. My favorite single moment in the score is when Tangina is giving her spiel. It’s quite beautiful when she talks about about the light and the souls. But then, as she starts describing The Beast, the darkest registers of the orchestra take over, and it’s one of the most chilling music cues in any score.

[@KevyNova]

I listen to the score regularly. It’s a masterpiece!

[@DV80s]

All those original Kenner Star Wars toys. Wish I had them all.

[@thegridrunner9976]

I saw this with my cousins at a drive-in as a double feature with the Lone Ranger. I was Bobby's age so I was traumatized. The tree taking Bobby, the Steak creeping on the counter, the guy peeling his face off and the clown pulling Bobby under the bed. I needed a hall light on for years. I was terrified of this movie for years. Now, it is nostalgia. I loved this reaction.

[@MartinBeerbom]

The music was composed by the late great Jerry Goldsmith. The best movie composer that ever lived. He understood, better than most, that the music is the prime carrier of emotion, and he composed music to enhance and push emotion, and not just support the action. He always improved the movie.

[@robertbunting3117]

Steven Spielberg said in an interview that he was amazingly impressed with Heather O'Rourke because when she showed up to rehearsal the first day she had all 60+ pages of the script already memorized, she was 6. Also she's in the second one too, she unfortunately passed away during the 3rd. I remember her being on a bunch of tv shows, she was always great on screen

[@catherinelw9365]

Craig T. Nelson was the voice of the Dad in “The Incredibles”. He is a great character actor, who was also the star of the tv series “Coach”. I saw this movie when it came out in the theaters but was a college student so I wasn’t really scared but enjoyed the humor. Fun reaction! I hope you’ll do some real classic films from the 40’s-60’s, or even earlier. They are classics due to great writing, acting and directing. Try “Some Like it Hot”, or any Hitchcock like “Rear Window” or “North by Northwest”.

[@MatthewMortensen1]

I was 6 when this came out and my parents brought me and my older brothers to see this in the movie theater. All I remember is the guy peeling his face off gave me nightmares for a month and eventually sent me on a path to being a horror movie fanatic.

[@NemeanLion-]

As a kid you can’t help but get mystified by that type of experience even though it’s shocking. I saw King Kong back in 1976 when I was five years old and I tell you, I had dreams about that film for years afterward. I also had a King Kong lunch box though and some kind of board game. Little kids can’t completely process it isn’t real.

[@michaelfitzgerald38]

Same thing except for me it was The Fly. God I love that movie.

[@neil2444]

That scene was so disturbing. I saw this movie probably around the same age and I had seen nothing like that before, it scared the bejeebers out of me. I couldn't watch it again until I was much older.

[@roddmatsui3554]

It is absolutely a really upsetting scene. Gruesome!

[@Slugbug]

When I saw Inner Space, the face change scene has a moment that made me think of this scene.

[@macgibbon]

I made the brilliant decision to watch this the first time by myself, at night, in a storm, when I was 9. I never found another movie scary after that.

[@KevyNova]

Same here!

[@dahveed72]

I made the same mistake with Halloween. Thanks HBO

[@gspendlove]

As a kid, this movie speaks to one of your most basic fears: monsters in your house that want to hurt you. But as an adult, it speaks to much more complex nightmares. As a homeowner, what if something went terribly wrong with your home and you had to spend thousands of dollars you don't have to fix it? What if that tree outside falls and comes through your living-room window? What if a natural disaster happens and completely destroys the place? Worse yet, what if one of your kids goes missing? That's why this movie is the quintessential American nightmare, like The Amityville Horror which came before it. The American Dream, buggered. The breakdown of suburban peace and quiet. I'm not even talking about the money here. I'm talking about your good life turned bad, which is sadly something that a lot of families have had to deal with. But the best thing about this movie is, despite their live having been turned into a demolition derby, the family survives. They live to fight another day and may be able to get compensation for their losses. And that's the ultimate message of this one: The American family is strong, unbreakable. We can endure anything. And since the American family is the backbone of this nation, the American people can endure anything. We will persevere. You may think that's too much freight for this simple fright flick to bear, but there it is. And it's brilliantly executed, so much so you barely noticed it.

[@KenL414]

One of my favorite movie couples of all time! This movie traumatized me as a kid for sure...forget Pennywise, THIS was the original clown fear trauma film! Zelda Rubenstein as the medium was one of the great roles in horror movie history, in my humble opinion.

[@sean---the-other-one]

This and The Thing we’re both released in August 1982. We used to have three school terms in Australia when I was a kid so schoolmates and I went and saw both those movies in cinemas during school holidays. We were 14 years old, and both movies blew our minds. The practical effects from that era were so incredible. Nothing has ever come close to these movies for me. From Poltergeist my top moment has always been the guy ripping his face apart, but there so many great bits in it, and it’s at once scary, funny, thrilling, and visually perfect. One of the other bits I loved and we all knew you’d get done in by was the clown’s malevolent surprise attack. Such a good way to play on people’s dread of monsters under the bed and monsters in the closet. A fantastic movie.

[@jenssylvesterwesemann7980]

Thank you for mentioning Jerry Goldsmith's score. I feel that his music rarely gets the attention it deserves. It's a matter oof taste, of course, but, for me, Jerry is one of the greatest composers of the 20th century.

[@rhwinner]

The street exteriors were filmed in my neighborhood, Agoura Hills. A friend who lived here at the time said the crew came around knocking on people's doors wanting to know if their kids wanted to ride their bike for scenes. What's strange is the fact that in 1969, 10 years earlier, when they were building the first shopping center, they found Chumash Indian remains buried near Las Virgenes Creek, which runs behind the shopping center. It was determined that it was an old Indian burial ground. Construction had to be halted, and the remains were protected by changing the plans to avoid the area. To this day, that shopping center is there, and the parking lot lies very near the burial ground. True story.

[@sifumagoo1776]

In terms of kid acting, I'm always amazed at Elliot in ET playing drunk. He's spot on.

[@hanonondricek411]

JoBeth Williams' ferocious mama bear performance makes her the star of this movie. They're a great team but she's the action hero. It's a horror movie but the great realistic characters ground it and amazing music gives it a sense of cosmic wonder very much like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET.

[@MauriceCalis]

Well put.

[@runawaytrain9794]

I saw it in a theater when I was 19. And I'll be honest with you, Whimsory; I got high on a little weed first and enjoyed it IMMENSELY! I mean, What a trip watching this on the big screen; and no I wasn't scared. To me, it was an exciting, emotional adventure. In fact, In a few scenes, I was crying like a little girl. J/K. BTW get well, will ya? Cheers.

[@leeswhimsy]

Yes, tv stations would stop broadcasting, generally at midnight or after the 11pm national news. Once they played the national anthem and stopped broadcasting, there were no radio waves for your tv to pick up, so you got static until they started broadcasting again the next morning. I really liked the 2nd Poltergeist movie also.

[@michaelkost6060]

I was 11 when our parents took us. We were already Spielbergians, from Close Encounter to ET. NOT expecting such horror, more light, but NOT disappointed either. Theater was packed and the screams were infectious . I loved it ATT.

[@TTM9691]

Your post-film commentary was FANTASTIC. You zeroed right in on what made this film special. Definitely the realism of the family - a Spielberg specialty, especially with "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (which you will LOVE), "E.T." and this one. And also "Jaws"! Realism is what the 70s directors were mostly about, hard boiled, naturalistic realism, and this is definitely a carry-over from that. I LOVE how you analyzed the dynamic of the parents and you TOTALLY understand Gen X, obviously! I will add something to this that will deepen your understanding/appreciation: they were formerly California liberals (the pot smoking is the tell-tale sign) who are now becoming the new Reaganites (while she smokes pot, he's reading a Reagan biography). The movie starts with the Star Spangled Banner. And at the end of the day, what is the horror of this movie? A sleazy real estate businessman. Also: it doesn't say it, but agreed: the oldest daughter is not his (or maybe not hers), obviously from a previous marriage or out of wedlock. Everyone was divorcing (and remarrying) in the late 70s-80s; this dynamic is explored brilliantly in Spielberg's "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" (1977), his DAZZLING sci-fi blockbuster that he followed Jaws with. "Poltergeist" was actually envisioned as a SEQUEL to "Close Encounters".....but got split into two movies: "E.T." and "Poltergeist". So you were not wrong to think it was an alien! That's probably how the movie was originally going to be! I could go on and on, I'll just leave it as this and "E.T." came out the same month, it was the "Summer Of Spielberg" and I saw "Poltergeist" multiple times. Fell in love with Jobeth Williams who followed this with the FANTASTIC ensemble comedy-drama, "The Big Chill", amazing cast, fantastic movie. I agreed with you about the "scariest parts". Everyone talked about this movie in school: the clown, the tree, the face peeling. "The Thing" came out the same day as "Poltergeist" but it tanked, partly because it was similar to "Alien" but mostly because "E.T." and "Poltergeist" were anything anyone wanted to see that summer. It was the Barbenheimer of '82! :D

[@rhwinner]

Spielberg elevated middle-class white domesticity to an art form! 😂

[@TTM9691]

@@rhwinner The Cassavettes influence! 😄

[@istoppedthecar]

The scene where the guy rips his face off is actually explained in the novelisation as being an acid flashback (the guy used to over-indulge in LSD) which was triggered by the spooky atmosphere he had experienced since coming to the house.

[@andychandler1737]

The brilliance of this movie is its an allegory of the nightmarish realm of the ever spreading 80s suburbs.

[@tomyoung9049]

A great reaction. The face peeling scene creeped me out. But the under the bed shot hit me on a base level. I still vaguely remember the "monster" under the bed when I was real young.

[@loupgarou-dj3tm]

I shared a set of bunk beds with my younger brother, so I KNEW there was a monster under my bed.

[@davepitts9039]

Went to see another movie with some friends when I was 11( I think it was ET). On the way out, we walked by the theater playing Poltergeist during the scene with the pool of skeletons. We just heard it. Needless to say I did not see this movie for several more years.

[@johnsinclair4448]

When the clown attacked, it's face changed to a demonic grimace. But what really got into my head was the images of the parade of ghosts on the playback. They all looked like they were from early turn of the century. The same era where seances and trances became very popular. It's like so many people back then messing with Ouija boards and such opened up a "doorway" that was never closed.

[@frankrossi6972]

They were portrayed as laid-back, ex-hippie parents, smokin’ weed and talking about the days when they expanded their minds. The oldest daughter was 15, which puts her conception around 1967-the hippies’ Summer of Love. The mom probably would’ve gone out and been the protective mother had the daughter not held her own with the construction workers, but the hippie default is to ride the wave and see what happens, i.e., live in the moment and go with the "vibe" (probably hard to sell insurance to hippie burnouts). There was a similar family premise in a US sitcom that debuted a few months after this came out, "Family Ties."

[@aklimar2208]

The funny thing about Family Ties is after the pilot episode, they realized that the son (Michael J. Fox) was a way more interesting character than the hippie parents the show was supposed to center around.

[@frankrossi6972]

Yeah, but I doubt they writers/producers banked on hippie-centric humor to be front-and-center on a prime time show in '82, when hippies weren't even joked about much in pop culture anymore. I'd love to know where they thought the show was going to go before Fox's Reagan-era character broke out. Tough to say, as "Ties" was one of the first big-time '80s family sitcoms to pop up, so they sort of set the standard.

[@jogbadthebad]

Top class reaction, as always; thank you for brightening my day. All this effort while you're sick? You're making the rest of us look bad... 🙂

[@normalityrelief]

Loved the reaction! And fun (ie horrifying) fact: Custom-made plastic skeletons for the end pool scene weren’t cost-effective, so they just used real human skeletons and didn’t tell the actress until after filming. She was less than pleased.

[@JakkFrost1]

Which she talked about.

[@normalityrelief]

​@JakkFrost1 well that's what I get for watching while sleepy, must've nodded off. But maybe one or two of the 22k views did the same and missed it too.

[@dadsbedtimestories2940]

Gen X here and can confirm we had much more freedom to be who we are, the mother watching out the window was supervising but letting her daughter handle it but ready to step in if needed. We were the generation that played lawn dart chicken. My generation learned how to be self sufficient and take care of ourselves, and frankly we could use a lot more of that today.

[@guitarman8462]

The oldest daughter in this movie was the real sister of the guy who played " Jack " in the movie " An American Wearwolf In London " . She was killed by her real boyfriend . They say this movie has a curse or bad luck because death or bad luck has always followed it .

[@HollywoodByTheNumbers]

It was a Ritual. Domminque Dunne was sacrificed by the numbers. That;s why she died on 11/4 right after Poltergeist came out with is 114 minute run time.

[@CaddyJim]

*if you're reading this I hope you're feeling better by now❤* You mentioned Caroline's death almost in passing you didn't want to get into it. But you did research so you must have heard about the conspiracies of her death related to the movie. Because she was so young & it was unexpected Dominick dunne's murder is sad he was sentenced to 6&1/2yrs in prison, but he only served 2&1/2yrs of his sentence. Her father had a popular crime TV show *Power Privilege & Justice*

[@thomasn3882]

Are you nuts? You sound like it.

[@stiimuli]

Saw this as a kid in the '80's. To this day it both freaks me out and invokes a sense of wonder. Also agree that the characters and family relationships are great. Normally don't care for "horror" movies but this one is really fun.

[@CaddyJim]

The beginning national anthem is what used to play before broadcast TV would turn off. You would get the national anthem or a public service announcement before the TV turn to static snow at midnight and wouldn't turn back on till 5 a.m.

[@DanJackson1977]

You got it right... US Broadcast TV up until the late 80s or early 90s would just end around 1 or 2 am... preceded by a "sign off" that was usually The National Anthem or some other song... then cut to static for 5 hours. . It was kinda spooky.. as if the world was coming to an end. Then stations starred selling overnight airtime for infomercials and the "sign off" ended.

[@zamdrist]

Your reactions are always a welcomed distraction, thank you for that! I was 10 or 11 years-old when I saw this in the theater, needless to say it stuck with me, and so I was thrilled to watch you react to it!

[@Whimsory]

Thank you so much! 😊 I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@lobo2074]

Once you're seen The Exorcist, you're prepared for all other horror films!

[@rgerber]

i never get whats about The Exorcist. I love classic movies 70s-90s but i never got into this movie.

[@kitespongan]

@@rgerberSame

[@MikkoRantalainen]

The Exorcist only works if you have been raised Catholic and believing the stories in the Bible as historical events.

[@ThemeOfSecrets]

Seeing this in the theaters for the first time was absolutely unreal. I rank this up with The Exorcist and The Thing.

[@e.s.9080]

This WAS the summer of Spielberg. 1982 was his year with this being released around or for Memorial Day weekend (setting the bar for earlier release dates to kick off the summer releases), and just 2 weeks later...E.T., which not only stole the summer, but the rest of the year. Also, kicked Star Wars (1977) off and took over as the highest grossing film at the time for many years. Poltergeist, Rated PG, also was likely the catalyst for the creation of the PG-13 rating. Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) had to put up with people thinking that Spielberg directed this movie in that Spielberg took out a full page in Variety (at the time, a popular and respected newspaper for the Hollywood industry) declaring and congratulating Tobe's brilliant directing. We'll never know exactly how much of this film was actually Spielberg directed and how much was Tobe Hooper. It's believed that the actual gore, terrifying moments are the result of Tobe's call and the family aspect is Spiekberg. Whatever people think, it's a wonderful thrill ride for all.

[@rockero1313]

To me, the scariest scene was when the clown appeared behind the kid. A funny story about watching this in theaters. I went with a friend of mine ( we were between 13 and 15) to the first showing and stayed for the next one ( we could do that then). We sat on the second one behind these 2 girls and we scared them at some of the scary scene (like shaking their chairs or just making noises or screaming). so much fun. also... you definitely HAVE to watch "The Omen".

[@jaygould2816]

I saw this in the theater in 1982 when I was 22. It’s hard to explain now how much this movie affected people back then. Like Jaws or Star Wars, we had never seen anything like it. I drank a lot of coke during the film and after the house was “cleaned “ I finally thought it was over and started to go to the bathroom, but the usher stopped me at the door and said, “Wait, there’s a bit more”, so I stayed by the door and watched the rest. I was so terrified after that I almost pissed my pants.

[@peridot1706]

@Whimsory, Dominique's older brother Griffin Dunne was also in a classic movie from that era, American Werewolf In London (1981). He played Jack. It's a horror/comedy and a fun ride. Worth checking out, especially since we're in Halloween season! Just remember to "Keep off the moors, stick to the roads... best of luck to ya" (from the movie).

[@vytallicaq.6881]

Another famous example of a child actor being put through an emotional strain for her role was Margaret O'Brien. In the famous Judy Garland musical, "Meet Me In St. Louis", she had to produce real tears when her father announced the family was moving away from their beloved home. There was a rumor that the director told her that her dog had just died, as a ploy to get her to cry on cue. She admitted later that she had a rivalry with another young actress of the time, and her mother said something like "June Allyson would have NO PROBLEM performing this scene." And the thought of being outclassed by her rival is what caused her to break out in real tears. The ploy did turn out to be very effective. She won an academy award for the role. I'm no huge fan of musicals, but I did really like that one, because I could relate to that scene. When my dad got transferred, and told us we were moving away from our beloved home in Florida when I was 9, I burst out into tears too! The whole family did. The movie family was upset that they were LEAVING St. Louis, we were upset that we were GOING there.😂 St. Louis turned out to be a nice place too, but I still miss that beautiful beach in Pensacola.

[@wiseoldman53]

I was a teen when this movie came out in the theater, and it creeped me out for a while. Great reaction as usual! 🙂

[@Kayjee17]

Yep, I was 17, and it was the first click of unlocking a fear of clowns - IT (the book) and Hell House llc absolutely blasted that lock open and then kept it open. I just really love this movie now because it's not too scary, so I use it as a "gateway horror" to introduce my young teens to the genre.

[@shawnkroll3950]

Loved your reaction Whim. :) As 80s kid, yes, this movie scared the crap out of me. What made it worse is the little girl in this movie also passed away shortly after this film. Amityville Horror also scared crap out of me. These movies didn't need gore so much as tension. I can say my mom and dad (46 years of marriage when my mom passed) were like this my dad adored my mom and my mom adored my dad. I wouldn't say marriage is hard as you have to realize it isn't only sunshine and rainbows. There were struggles, but they worked as team. My dad was a lot like Craig T. Nelson. My father never had to hit it was his tone and presence when I knew I screwed up. :)

[@davidanderson1639]

For years, rumours have circulated that Poltergeist's credited director, Tobe Hooper, wasn't actually behind the lens of the classic 1982 horror; instead, fans claimed Steven Spielberg was responsible, already being credited as both producer and screenwriter. All easily dismissed, it seemed. Hooper's work on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has made him a legend of horror cinema, and the rest of his fairly cult CV makes Poltergeist a natural fit. However, fans have noted for a while that the film's visual style seems to far more echo Spielberg's work, which led to claims that a clause in Spielberg's E.T. contract prevented him from directing another film while in pre-production on the beloved sci-fi; he reportedly accepted a producer role, but secretly ran the show on set. Claims which have now been more-or-less confirmed by one of Poltergeist's own crew members, John Leonetti. A director now in his own right, behind 2014's Annabelle, Leonetti worked as first assistant camera on the film and revealed the truth to the Shock Waves podcast. "It was a very intense, very fun, very technical movie to work on. There’s a lot going on. And candidly… Steven Spielberg directed that movie. There’s no question," he stated. "However, Tobe Hooper - I adore. I love that man so much." "Hooper was so nice and just happy to be there. He creatively had input," he elaborated. "Steven developed the movie, and it was his to direct, except 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 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." Oh & just so you know, a lot of the corpses were actual bodies!!!

[@sithlordkaeyl21]

I was born in ‘73, and saw parts of ‘The Exorcist’ when I was 5, so when I watched ‘The Poltergeist’ in theaters, it couldn’t hold a candle to ‘The Exorcist’ in terms of “scariness”. Also, growing up in the ‘80’s was great. On the weekends, or over the summer, you’d wake up, eat breakfast, your friends would come over, or you’d go to their house, and then you’d stay out until it got dark. After school, you’d come home, get something to eat, be out until dinner, then go back out until it got dark. When it snowed, you’d stay out even after your entire body was numb and frozen.

[@thelatentobserver121]

This movie is so great. Still holds up so well. Spielberg can really set the stage, and the actors were amazing. I’ve never seen chemistry like this in other horror films… except Spielberg ones :)

[@sean---the-other-one]

Yes, I never understood the whole clown fear thing either. To me as a kid they were funny entertainers. It surprised me when I became an adult and lots of people spoke about fear of clowns. My favourite angle on this was from Jack Handey’s book Deep Thoughts where he said: To me, clowns aren’t funny. In fact, they’re kind of scary. I’ve wondered where this started and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus, and a clown killed my dad.

[@FosterTravis1071]

A John Wayne Gasey reference?

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@FosterTravis1071 I don’t believe so. He just used to write lots of funny random thoughts. For example: Laurie was offended by my use of the word puke. But to me that’s what her dinner tasted like.

[@daneng3641]

"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason." -Jack Handey

[@artieeffham355]

I wrote that exact joke and used it in my standup decades ago! Imagine my surprise when I saw it as a Deep Thought a couple years later

[@sean---the-other-one]

@@artieeffham355 I’m sure you’ve had great joy in suing Jack for his blatant plagiarism then.

[@mikefoster6018]

I was born in 1974 and watching this film SO many times after we recorded it on our (rented?) VHS video recorder XD I loved it so much, but also lost a lot of sleep over it as a kid! Things would spook me, like me Popeye wall paper etc. Interesting that it was directed by the same person who directed the brutal, visceral original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Albeit with Steven Spielberg also involved. So many of these late 70s and 80s films worked-in triumphant music amid the horror/danger i.e. Jaws, Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan etc.

[@matttyree1002]

I saw this when I was 8, and the scariest part for me was the tree outside the window... "it watches me"

[@spinynorman887]

If you thought this family looked and sounded authentic, you should see another Speilberg movie: "Close Encounters of The Third Kind" which was Spielberg's first movie after "Jaws" (I think). It's another emotional rollercoaster too! I busted out laughing when you said "The steak's getting away! Go get it!"

[@JackOiswatching]

When people ask 'Why are folks afraid of clowns?' I show them the scene where Robbie checks under the bed. That scene destroyed an entire profession in one fell swoop. 😅

[@PaulLoh]

This came out when I was 6, but I didn't get to see it until I was 7 because my dad was stationed in Korea and the army base gets movies later than they get released here in the states. We rented it on VHS, and the scariest part for me was the face ripping. I used to imagine him leaning over my bed, dripping blood on my face as I slept. Years later, when I became a film maker, I had the honor of being in a film with James Karen, who played Steven's boss. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him because his scenes were filmed in Tennessee, while mine were filmed in Arizona. He was also in Return Of The Living Dead, which if you haven't seen, you should. I am also an author, and I've written a story which kind of mixes concepts from this film and ROTLD. A group of paranormal investigators are stuck in a haunted house during a zombie attack. The ghosts in the house manifest as their worst fears, trying to scare them out of the house, into the waiting arms of the hungry zombies. I wrote that in tribute to James Karen who unfortunately has since passed.

[@crewchief5144]

We said it in the 80's, the best thing about this movie is you can FEEL the love in that family. They all knocked it out of the park.

[@JakkFrost1]

John Wayne Gacy and Stephen King are actually the ones most credited with the appearance of clown fear in society. This movie may have also played a small part, but I think it probably feeds more into creepy doll fear.

[@trevordaniels3476]

This was one of the scariest movies that I had seen as a 70s child. And during the same time as the evil dead, the 80s had the best sci Fi and horror movies. Thanks for bringing my childhood memories back. Was a blast to see your reaction to this awesome flick.

[@PuppetDungeon]

The tree freaked me out, even if the tree outside my window was a spindly lightweight, it was pretty obnoxious for shadows in lightning storms. Thing you gotta understand about 80's kids... we loved this stuff. We just payed for it with our nightmares... lol. Was great in theater because you had the comedy to help balance with the horror, so it kind of tricks you into a false sense of security.

[@Slate-writer]

Historically, poltergeists can play with your mind - so, the face guy imagined the whole thing. Spielberg really did his research for this movie.... from the dialogue by the lady researcher about what happens when you die, to the characterisation of Tangina the medium. Movies today usually don't come close to the truth of these things. Look out for Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' for the same quality of movie making, and for the same kind of realistic spookiness watch Nicole Kidman in 'The Others' and 'The Sixth Sense' with Bruce Willis 🙂 EDIT: just noticed you already reacted to Raiders of the Lost Ark !!

[@MS-19]

As horror classics go, this one stands apart. It spawned two sequels, one of them on a par with this while the other was a disaster; all three feature the brilliant young actress Heather O'Rourke who sadly died in 1988 in her 13th year. There's atmosphere, there are chills, and there's a spirit (no pun intended) of the 1980s. It delivers remarkably well. You have a remarkable tolerance for horror, Whimsory, and your reactions are great fun!

[@KevyNova]

I disagree about Poltergeist 2. It’s horrible.

[@MS-19]

@@KevyNova In terms of acting it's on par, with a successful reprisal of characters by the main cast of the original and chilling performance by Julian Beck as the villain. It's not a patch on the original in terms of plot, but it's a country mile and more better than Poltergeist 3.

[@KevyNova]

@@MS-19 the cast is great and it has a couple of scary scenes but it retcons the first and ruins the story, which is unforgivable. And being better than the third is no feat. Getting stabbed in the gut with a corkscrew is better than Poltergeist 3.

[@MS-19]

@@KevyNova As I said, the plot isn't a patch on the original ... as you've said, the plot puts a patch over the original, in a manner of speaking! Indeed, the more I think about Poltergeist 2, the more I get the feeling that it would have been a better stand-alone story, unconnected to the original. If it had been the original, perhaps it might have worked better?

[@nathanburr]

I was about the age of the kids in the movie when I saw Poltergeist. My mom was a professional seamstress and there were dolls and clown-like figures all over our house and in my room. 😩🤡😬 Also, had the internet existed back then, “They’re heeeere” would have been a popular meme. Finally, the dad (Craig T. Nelson) is the voice of Mr. Incredible. That might be why you recognize him and can’t place it.

[@OneColdMonkey]

I think Tangina's character was even more interesting in the book they released for the movie, based off an earlier script. Tangina in the earlier version is very inexperienced with her powers because she hates them and tries to never use them. She went to Dr. Lesh to help her get RID of her power, and that's how they met. At the end when Tangina says, "This house is clean," it's because of her inexperience. The Beast has tricked her and is hiding inside She Who Waits, the one spirit Tangina couldn't convince to cross over. (I think She Who Waits was also the main spirit going down the stairs in the recording.)

[@millermbe]

6:55 You caught the infamous 'Wilhelm scream" it has been used in movies for decades and now you will never not hear it again lol

[@thejamppa]

Craig T Nelson is such underrated actor. I have always loved him ever since in early teens I watched The District.

[@joshb6960]

Great reaction and analysis. Even though your videos are released so far apart, i appreciate all the work that goes into each one. Every one is high quality and you deserve all the views

[@alanhilton7336caradventure]

I saw this when I was seven and the face falling off scene just couldn't end quick enough a classic,hope you feel better soon.

[@jamesmoore4003]

Craig T. Nelson also starred in an 80’s to 90’s comedy series called Coach where he plays the head coach of a college football team…really funny show

[@r.e.tucker3223]

One of my favorite films in the genre. Thanks for reacting to it. Update: Awesome reaction, as usual.

[@r.e.tucker3223]

Poltergeist II is good.

[@haroldtielen3034]

Same here . I'm glad you choose this one whimsorry!

[@shainewhite2781]

The movie is said to be cursed as some of the actors have died: Dominique Dunne, Dana the older sister, was strangled by her boyfriend, leaving her braindead until her parents decided to pull the plug. Will Samson, Taylor, a Native American in Poltergeist 2, passed away in 1987 following kidney surgery. Julian Beck, the villainous Reverend Kane in Poltergeist 2, passed away from stomach cancer in 1985, a year before the movies release. Heather O'Rourke, Carol Anne, passed away from congenital stenosis following septic shock at age 12 in February 1988, 4 months before POLTERGEIST 3 premiered.

[@krisbrown6692]

I remember when Heather died, we were the same age, and I had a huge crush on her.

[@kingscorpion7346]

I saw pictures of Heather just before she passed away, I could hardly recognize her.😢

[@robertcartier5088]

The very word _"congenital'_ should provide enough information to show that nothing related to Heather's job had anything at all to do with her demise... Even if she had never, ever worked on any film, ever, she still would have died of the same thing because she was born with it already -- hence, "congenital". Stomach cancer can take years to kill... which means that Mr. Beck likely already had the cancer when he worked on the film. Meaning that if he had not taken the role, there was no reason to think that he would not have died on the same schedule... See where I'm going yet? People die all the time. The important thing to remember here is that correlation does not imply causation. This is a text-book example of how irrational thinking works to create the illusion of supernatural events or the general acceptance of things not seen, despite insufficient evidence to support them. Humans have pattern-seeking minds, it makes up stories to explain or connect things... This so-called curse is just the result of this phenomenon.

[@nomadman5288]

There's no such thing as "curses." I will give you a much stranger set of circumstances though. There's a house about a mile from where I live and at least 3 people that have either lived there or spent extended periods of time there all died in car crashes. One of them was my sister's best friend during childhood, another the brother of a classmate of mine and the other was a boyfriend of the same classmate.

[@anthonypritchett7848]

This has something I love in movies like this that you don't seem to see much these days. The scene in the living room when the investigator is talking about what may happen after death and she's talking in that hushed, whispery voice. I always found that to be profound and a little scary, but I love it. Same thing in The Shining when Scatman Crothers, who played the Overlook chef, Dick Hallorann, is sitting at the table with Danny trying to discuss the Shining ability and the maybe supernatural nature of the Overlook. He talks about thinking "a lot of things have happened right here in this particular hotel..over the years.., and not all them them was good." in that low, hushed tone. I've always loved the atmosphere that creates.

[@erictaylor5462]

I was 12 when this movie came out. I'm not sure which is worse, seeing this movie as a kid, or the fact it is 41 years old. I imagined what getting old would be like when I was a kid, but I never really thought constantly being shocked by how much time has passed since whatever would be part of it.

[@gregvanmatre5068]

Hope you enjoyed it. This movie gave adults nightmares lol. Thanks for your reaction vids.

[@TwilightLink77]

No that’s Exorcist

[@GreatestCornholio]

This film was always silly, it scared kids at most. I remember it being popular with my friends and we were all around 10 at the time.

[@Gonzalo_Almendra]

Hello, How was your week? My week was very good and happy 😊 This movie is one of my favorites. Warner Bros. and MGM even launched a physical UHD edition of this movie in my country. The other releases are exclusive to MGM+ and HBO Max in some countries. I hope You really enjoyed the movie 😊 🍿🎥 I hope you can respond to the message 🙏🏻

[@sammylane21]

Not sure if anyone else noticed this but the scene where the dad is sucking in and his belly was referenced in PIXAR'S THE INCREDIBLES in the "Bob's training montage" sequence. Someone at Pixar must be a Poltergeist fan, huh?

[@RedLP5000S]

I was nine months older than Heather O'Rourke when I saw Poltergeist. It traumatized me. To this day, I get very uneasy even at the mention of the film. I have extreme thanatophobia and have gone through years of therapy to try and live a somewhat normal life. Having said this, Poltergeist is my absolute favorite horror film of all time. When you talk about the Freeling family unit and how they're so wholesome, that was very common in the Eighties. My family was very much the same, minus the haunting. I have first handedly seen the steady decline of the "American Family" for decades. Sadly, it was something that I took for granted in my youth and I fear that I will never have a family like that of my own. Regardless, I haven't given up on my dream yet. I'm so sorry to see you in sickness, Whimsory. I hope you feel better soon. And yes, please watch the Poltergeist sequels. They are very good.💗

[@WyldstaarStudios]

You were definitely right not to trust the PG rating. The MPAA was far more relaxed back then. Heck, the original Planet of the Apes (1968) was rated G, and yet it featured murder, mutilation, torture and genocide throughout the film! Also a good call on how TV just ended at night. Once the programming day was complete, the TV station would play the Star Spangled Banner and sign off, leaving static on the analog CRT TVs of the time.

[@shawnmiller4781]

PG-13 as a raring didn’t exist at the time of release

[@olternaut]

You really had to be there to experience the movie fully. Back then, the movie looked brand new of course and it wasn't dated as it is now. So it had much more of an impact. The saying "They're here!" became what would be considered now a meme and one of the scariest movies of it's time period. Looking back at it now from today's point of view and I can see that it was a fun scary movie. I suppose being a kid back then made the movie that much more scary to me when I first saw it. Really, people were scared out of their minds from watching it when it debuted.

[@Shrapnel92]

Whimsory, I didn't see this movie when it came out. I was born in 92. But we had video rental stores and one night we had rented Poltergeist. I don't remember how old I was but it was definitely before 99. This was one of the movies that absolutely terrified me for many many years. It was so effective that the formula for this movie has been applied to so many other movies, specifically James Wan's Insidious. Also, Steven Spielberg obviously had a hand in this movie (literally, those are his hands in the face peeling scene) but so did Tobe Hooper and if you've never heard that name before, you've for sure heard what he's most famous for. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Poltergeist 2: The Other Side is worth checking out because you learn more about the antagonistic force and you get an amazing performance from the actor portraying "The Beast"

[@marclemieux4902]

My favourite legend about this movie is that the bodies in the swimming pool were real corpses because making props was more expensive.

[@artieeffham355]

Real skeletons, yeah.

[@suflanker45]

This movie took all the childhood fears and tossed into this nightmare fuel of a movie.

[@BlackstarBSP]

Oh yeah; growing up as a kid in the 80's... it was the best decade for films ever! Back when 'PG" movies still had teeth! 😎

[@NelsonSwampWorldTour]

My mother took me to see this for my 10th birthday (born in '72). The movie fucked me up FOR YEARS. Carol Anne's oddly perfect hair, the tree outside the kid's room, the snowy tv channel, that...meat scene. And it was RATED PG. A brilliant horror movie that was also a heartwarming family film that could've been in the E.T. universe. I love that a new generation is covering this and appreciating it.

[@jasontwitchell8167]

The exterior shots of the house were filmed in Simi Valley, California. I grew up East of there, in Chatsworth and was 7 when the film was released. It scared me silly, but I still loved it

[@boydebrook]

Want a story from someone who was at the screenings back then? Well, I was 8 years old when I saw this with my father. Afterward, we went back to his apartment (my parents were divorced 6 months earlier) and the elevator wouldn't open on his floor (he had one of the older ones where you had to pull back a gate). We had to go to the lobby and walk up 6 flights to get back.

[@arctan2010]

The music with the kids singing was haunting yet strangely comforting.

[@bghoody5665]

"Equal opportunity nightmare fuel" had me laughing. In reference to the clown doll, I'm fairly certain the expression on its face did change after it started attacking Robbie.

[@christopheryochum3602]

So glad you mentioned Jerry Goldsmith. He's one of the greatest, but most reactors say, "Ooohh!!! John Williams!" and that's the extent of their recognition of composers.

[@lurkerrekrul]

In the movie Casper (1995), there's a deleted scene where Zelda Rubinstein reprises her role as Tangina. She's not named, but she uses the phrase "Go into the light!" It has a couple other cameos too, one of which you wouldn't get unless you're a fan of 1970/80s SNL.

[@oscardiggs246]

This movie was scary for kids of all ages. Whether you were a child or a mom or a guy raiding someone else’s fridge, there was something here to make you nervous about what’s about to happen.

[@kevinslayzak1214]

The lines...."it liieessss to her" invokes SUCH a feeling of terror as a parent....or "please don't touch my babies!"........watch this when your older and you'll understand.....

[@dereknolin5986]

I saw this as a young kid, and I'm pretty sure the tree and the guy clawing his face off gave me nightmares. But honestly the most horrific thing as an adult is the idea of there being some other realm within the TV static - it makes you think, well maybe if you watched longer, you'd start to see the patterns . . . yikes!