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Poltergeist
Poltergeist (1982)
Credits
Title: Poltergeist
Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Written by: Steven Spielberg
Michael Grais
Mark Victor
Produced by: Steven Spielberg
Frank Marshall
Kathleen Kennedy
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography: Matthew F. Leonetti
Edited by: Michael Kahn
Steven Spielberg
Production
Distributors: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Released: June 4th, 1982
Rating: PG
Running time: 114 min. (1 hr. 54 min.)
Country: USA
Language: English
Budget: $10,700,000
Gross: $76,606,280 (US) [1]
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"They're heeeeere."
Carol Anne Freeling — (audio)Listen (file info)

Poltergeist is an American horror movie of the supernatural thriller and haunted house subgenres. It was directed by Tobe Hooper and written and produced by Steven Spielberg along with screenwriters Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Distributed by MGM, it was released theatrically in the United States on June 4th, 1982. The premise of the film centers around the Freeling family - a group of yuppies who find themselves in a dire situation when their youngest daughter, Carol Anne, gets sucked into the television set.

Cast[]

Notes & Trivia[]

  • The tagline for this film is, "Some things have to be believed to be seen.".
  • Principal shooting on Poltergeist began on May 11th, 1981 and concluded on August 4th. Most of the film was shot in Simi Valley and Agoura Hills, California.
  • The MPAA originally gave Poltergeist an R rating, but the filmmakers protested successfully and received a PG rating for the movie. [2]
  • On October 30th, 1982, actress Dominique Dunne's end her relationship with abusive boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney. Sweeney went to Dunne's house, dragged her outside and strangled her, leaving her brain-dead. Dunne was removed from life-support on November 4th, 1982.
  • William Vail, who plays the part of an "Implosion man" is also known for playing the role of Kirk in the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which was also directed by Tobe Hooper.
  • Actors Craig T. Nelson and Richard Lawson both appeared in the 1973 film Scream Blacula Scream.
  • Examples of symmetrical chair stacking, as demonstrated in this film, can also be found in the "The Ties That Blind" episode of the North American version of the TV series Being Human.
  • In the "Phantom Traveler" episode of the TV series Supernatural, the characters of Sam and Dean Winchester are walking through an airline talking about the existence of a possible poltergeist. An airline worker passing by partially hears them and says, "Poltergeist? I love that movie!"
  • Actress Beatrice Straight is also known for playing concerned mother Marion Creighton in the 1985 Wes Craven television movie, Chiller.
  • This is the first work in the horror genre for visual effects editor Conrad Buff. He is also known for working on the 1995 movie Species as an editor.

See also[]

External Links[]

References[]


Poltergeist logo
Film Series
This article relates to the films within the Poltergeist movie franchise.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the Poltergeist films category.
Tobe Hooper logo
This article relates to the works of film maker Tobe Hooper.
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