COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN: DAY 3–“POLTERGEIST”

 “THE BEARD” KNOWS WHAT SCARES YOU…

Article by Adam Mast

In honor of Halloween, we’ll profile a new horror film every day throughout the month of October. 

POLTERGEIST (PG)-1982

Trees, storms, television sets, closets, swimming pools, clowns, ghosts…Steven Spielberg knows what scares you. He has from the very beginning. Exhibit A: The Beard’s terrifying collaboration with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE director Tobe Hooper.

Through the past 3 decades, it’s been widely speculated that Spielberg–who penned the screenplay for POLTERGEIST– actually directed this film even though Hooper was credited with the job. At this point, I don’t really give a shit who actually directed it. All I care about is that POLTERGEIST exists. We horror fans are all the luckier for it. This is an unforgettable ghost story and while that’s partly nostalgia talking (I am, after all, a proud teen of the 80’s), there’s no denying the importance of this movie in the pantheon of classic horror.

For the few of you who haven’t seen POLTERGEIST, this slice of 80’s suburban ghostly terror tells the story of the Freelings–a quintessential all American family whose lives would be turned upside down after the youngest of the clan(played by cute Heather O’Rourke) is kidnapped by a malevolent spirit within the confines of their newly constructed home.

Desperate to get little Carol Anne back, exasperated parents Steven (Craig T. Nelson) and Diane (JoBeth Williams) enlist the aid of a team of paranormal experts (led by a warm Beatrice Straight and a delightfully quirky Zelda Rubenstein) in hopes that they can stop their daughter from going “into the light.” The Freelings’ plight will ultimately lead them to the discovery of the grim secret that lay at the heart of a so called suburban paradise.

POLTERGEIST is a brilliant exercise in tension building  and it taps into nearly every fear most of us have had as some point in our lives. What’s more, POLTERGEIST escalates to an absolute fever pitch in the final act and just when it feels as if this scare fest is going to come to a close, that’s when the real horror begins. This expertly executed movie features one memorable sequence after another and ILM’s stunning visual effects hold up to this very day.

As well crafted as POLTERGEIST is on a technical level, the true key to this film’s overall success is in the casting. O’Rourke, Straight, Rubenstein, Oliver Robins, Dominique Dunne, and James Karen, are all outstanding, but it’s Williams and Nelson in particular who truly carry this film. These charming and likable actors are simply superb as a mother and father who are plunged into a nightmare of epic proportions. Their chemistry is so spot on and their love for one another (and their children) feels so genuine, that when the shit hits the fan in this picture, you feel their pain, helplessness, and fear in a big way.

POLTERGEIST is a picture perfect thrill ride. A brilliantly conceived story of an ordinary family plunged into an extraordinary (and terrifying) ordeal. It’s a movie full of unforgettable moments and sequences, and I very seldom get through a Halloween season without watching it at least twice.

There’s a reason that “They’re here.” is such an iconic phrase in pop culture. For those of you who’ve seen POLTERGEIST, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t see it, it’s high time you did. Just make sure you turn your television set off after it’s over.

COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN:

October 2nd-“THE BABADOOK“-Click Here
October 1st-“JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING“-Click Here

About Author

Adam Mast

Adam Mast has been a lifelong film enthusiast dating back to age 6 when his parents took him to see a little movie called JAWS at a drive-in theater in Northern California. This would lead him to several writing stints for various publications and outlets. Mast would also have a hand in several film projects of various shapes and sizes. In 2014, Mast would join forces with colleague John Pugh to create Cinemast.net as a means discuss film from a fan and analytical perspective. Together, Mast and Pugh would also create the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah (FMASU) in 2017. FMASU’s mission is to encourage, inspire and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history. Adam currently resides in southern Utah with his amazing wife, Tonja, and their four wonderful children.

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