Customer Reviews

I'm glad this was cheap! - By: M. Torr, 08 Sep 2008
As this appears to be the only region 2 version of this film, I was forced to buy it. Like other reviewers, I love the film, but am completely unimpressed with the "25th anniversary edition" DVD, hence the one star (it would have had 4 or 5). I probably won't even watch the special feature (note singular) as (a) it isn't about the film & (b) I don't believein ghosts anyway so it would probably irritate me.

There also seems to be a very odd cut at 32:48, though I suppose it's possible that was on the original print - but it really looks to me as if some footage was missing. Rather disturbing.

Grade D-. Could do a lot better :(

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Tobe Hooper's Best Work - By: Langdon Ulder, 20 Aug 2008
Poltergeist is a fantastic film, I didn't know anyone who disliked this film so I thought I would buy it & I must say that everyone was right, this film is amazing.

The film focuses on the Freeling family, who's youngest daughter Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is transported through a spectral void by a angry poltergeist. The family calls 3 supernatural investigators to see if they can pinpoint where Carol Anne is. When the investigators come up with nothing, things take a really eeire turn.


Poltergeist has great special effects for an early 80's film & they look surprisingly realistic & several moments made me jump out of my skin, that clown scared the hell out of me!


This is a 25th anniversary edition so I was expecting some extras about the film but there is only a 2 part documentary but this didn't bother me as I get DVD's for the film only but if you like lots of extras, then you may want to get a different version but the film is fantastic & when a film is this good, extras don't matter.

If you're looking for a film that has an eerie feel to it & keeps you guessing whats going to happen, get Poltergeist.

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well made but not good enough - By: Ms. F. I. Macdonald, 20 Jun 2008
I really wanted to enjoy this because this is supposedly such a great film, i even bought this special edition to enjoy it even more! However the 'horror' which was projected onto my screen proved somewhat farcical &in many parts i was doubled up with laughter!I appreciate Speilberg's work but this wasn't something i'd watch again & i've watched many horror filmsin my time.

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Will never watch again, but not because poorly made - By: M. Longazel, 03 Nov 2007
This movie scared like me no other movie I've watch which a guess is the point, but when you watch itin the theaters as a child sittingin a booster seat the scare sticks with youin a way it may not reach an adult. I only remember bits & pieces of the first time because I think I was cowaringin my seat & trying not to watch it. I wanted to give it one star, but think it is well made so at least deserves three. I don't recommend this movie for any child & have no plans to re-watch itin my lifetime.

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ONE OF THE GREATEST HAUNTED HOUSE FILMS OF ALL TIME - By: stuart, 03 Nov 2007
Real estate agent Steve Freeling (Craig T. Nelson) & his family, Diane, (JoBeth Williams) Dana, (Dominique Dunne) Carol Anne, (Heather O'Rourke) & Robbie, (Oliver Robbins) move into a new homein the suburbs. Packed with nice neighbors, beautiful scenery & a quiet atmosphere, it is the perfect place to raise a family. However, inside the house, strange things begin to happen. Chairs & furniture begin to rearrange themselves after only seconds have lapsed & Carol Anne has a strange fascination with watching the static on the TV instead of regular programming. Steve doesn't believe it until Diane shows him a special trick: a chairin the kitchen slides across the room by itself, with no one touching it. Freaked out, he callsin a paranormal research team, lead by Dr. Lesh, (Beatrice Straight) to find out what is wrong with his house. At first dealing with the spirits & declaring the house free from poltergeists, even stranger things happen to the family to convince them that they may not have gotten rid of them after all.

The Good News: As haunted house films go, this one is one of the best. Don't let the PG rating fool you, this is a scary film. Haunted house films usually only have a small margin of error, because how often can you get scared of them? The timeless ones know how to make the audience feel uncomfortable being around the housein question, & this one does it marvelously. The house looks creepy to begin with, which always helps, but the inside isn't, so it looks like a normal house. It looks like it could happen to you, & that is where the best horror comes from: it comes from the fact that it could happen to you. How could the rest of the population believe that the events happening on screen is truly terrifying? Make it happen to real-looking people. Nobody here looks like they just came from the gym, or even seen a plastic surgeon, & the chemistry between the family is so realistic you begin to feel for them. What happens at first is a nice twist: the poltergeists don't want to harm, instead they want to play. You can tellin one great scene: the chair slide. Instead of picking up the chair & throwing it across the room at the characters, the poltergeists have fun by sliding it across the floor. It's a little creepy when you first see it, & the false sense of security is just right to lure you off track. However, once the film gets going & their true nature becomes apparent, it has one great chill after another. When they bringin the paranormal team is great at that. By bringingin these high-tech equipment & other gizmo's is shocking, because we don't know what is happening to deserve this. Once we do learn of what has happened to the house, it just becomes a roller-coaster ride through to the end, with lots of action, suspense, & danger. The middle section also isn't like any other haunted house films, as we are trying to figure out what is happening to the family & how to deal with their problems instead of becoming haunted by what happenedin the beginning. It is full of new ideas & flows together nicely with the ending. That action packed ending is another perfect example for delivering chills. After escaping the spirits, the family gets out of the house, & into the front yard, when dozens of skeletons begin to pour out of the ground. Dodging them to get to their car, one erupts out of the garagein front of them & lands on the car, which is my favorite jumpin the film. That is such an action-packed ending that it just makes the beginning of the film seem like nothing really much happened. I love endings that send you out on a high note, & this is definitely one of them.

The Bad News: The beginning of the film is a bit slow, so it takes a while to get going. Also, I'm getting kind of tired of having the house be haunted by having it rest on an ancient burial ground. How about some more creativity next time?

The Final Verdict: Despite being another entryin the burial ground haunting films, this is one of the better ones. It's creepy, atmospheric, & certainly packing enough chills to make it worthwhile. Give it a shot if you like this kind of film, but it is recommended to all horror fans as well.