Greetings, and welcome back to October Horror Fest! Today, I stuck with the paranormal theme, and went ALL IN. But, before we get into the movie itself, it’s story time. Believe it or not, I kinda like horror, just a tad. I know, right? It’s surprising! However, something a bit less earth shattering to you all, is that I am a BIG fan of the 1980s. My favorite movie ever made is Back to the Future, and I love the 80s and Horror so, so much. And, of course, some of the greatest horror movies of all time came out in the 1980s, including the one we will be reviewing today. Here’s where my story comes in. What do you get when you put together Horror and the 1980s? That’s right, Stranger Things. You may be thinking, “he’s finally lost his mind, took long enough!” but no, I promise I’m going somewhere with this. In season one, Joyce finds Will in Castle Byers, and surprises him with tickets to the movie we are going to review today. Of course, I knew this movie before it was told to me in one of my favorite shows, but it got the wheels turning. What if I watched it? Flash forward to earlier today, and I went to Six Flags. Of course, Fright Fest is going on right now, and they have a Stranger Things attraction for it. See where I’m going with this? I thought of Stranger Things, then of Horror Fest, and BAM, I knew what I was watching tonight. I brought it up with my friend, and we were going to watch another film (stay tuned), but decided on this one instead. So, long story short, thank you Stranger Things. Without you, I would have never watched… Poltergeist. Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…
Poltergeist (1982)
Our film starts inside a quaint 1980s home. We hear the national anthem playing, as the T.V. playing it shuts off. The man watching is fast asleep, and static begins to play on screen. Suddenly, his dog runs up the stairs, and licks the face of a little girl, waking her up. She goes downstairs, and stares at the screen, putting her hands on it…
After our cold open, we see an aerial view of the gorgeous 80s neighborhood where our main characters live. Let’s list them, shall we? The mom, and basically the main character, is named Diane. She’s an amazing mom who cares deeply about her kids. The dad is Steven, another amazing parent. They live with their three children, 16 year old Dana (eldest girl), 8 year old Robbie, and 5 year old Carol Anne (the actual main character). After a restful but fun day in the household, the family heads to bed, and we learn they are the same family from the opening credits, even the puppy is theirs. His name is E-Buzz. At night, a massive storm occurs over the house. Robbie and Carol Anne share a room (Robbie’s side is DECKED OUT in the original Star Wars Merch, I may have freaked out), and they are scared of the storm. Next to Robbie’s bed is a window that shows the very frightening silhouette of a tree. Long story short, the kids and the parents all end up having a sleepover, as the kids are too scared to sleep alone. All is well, until the same National Anthem broadcast plays, and the screen goes static. Carol Anne wakes up, almost in a trance-like state, and walks over to the T.V. This time, ghostly, wispy white hands reach out from the T.V., and a huge earthquake hits. The family wakes up, and the hands are gone. Carol Anne stares at the T.V., and turns around, uttering one of the most famous lines in horror history. “They’re here.”
The next day the family notices some strange occurrences around the house. For starters, utensils are bent almost 180 degrees, a glass of milk just decided to break as Robbie held it, and the chairs at the kitchen table move on their own. All the while, Carol Anne stares at the static on the television set inside the kitchen. Even poor E.Buzz notices the peculiarities. Dogs are known to be able to see ghosts, and the film echoes this. At Steven’s real estate job (he works with the company who is planning the suburban paradise he lives in), he has no idea of the occurrences at home. However, when he gets there, he finds out for real. Diane sends the workers digging their pool home, and shows her husband what she has seen. Carol Anne and a Kitchen chair move across the floor, just like they were being picked up by a ghost. Steven believes them immediately, and doesn’t let anyone in the kitchen. He takes this seriously. The entire family is on edge late into the night, when another huge storm hits. During it, the tree outside comes alive, and a tornado crashes down. This is where it gets really, really bad. Robbie is grabbed by the tree, and is saved in the nick of time by his father. Carol Anne is left in her room, as the closet in the room begins to glow, and acts like a black hole. It grabs everything in the room and pulls it towards it, until it finally grabs Carol Anne. She flies in, screaming.
Dana, Diane, Steven, and Robbie all rush into the house to find Carol Anne, and can’t find her anywhere. This is until the dirt and grime covered Robbie, still extremely shaken from the encounter, sits next to the static T.V., and frantically calls his mother over. They both listen, and hear Carol Anne from the T.V., pleading for help. The family can’t take the stress anymore, and begins their search for a team. Parapsychologist (basically a Ghostbuster) Martha Lesh arrives with her two team members, Marty and Ryan. After observing the absolutely crazy supernatural events in the house, and seeing how Carol Anne’s room has a never ending rush of wind inside of it, Martha determines that it is a Poltergeist. The Poltergeist brings many, many ghosts along with it. Later that night, the team and the family hear Carol Anne inside the house. This, my friends, is the inspiration for the moving lights and voice of Will Byers in Stranger Things, while he is in the Upside Down. It all comes full circle!!! Actually, most of the Byers house and its occurrences, especially that of the S1 Upside Down were inspired by this film. Back to it, Carol Anne’s cries for help grow. She says someone is there with her (Last Stranger Things reference, I promise). The lights begin to grow in strength, as the family are actually able to track Carol Anne through her voice. Carol Anne’s spirit even passes through Diane. There is a moment of peace, as Diane hugs Martha. However, notice how I said “a moment?”
Suddenly, a massive flash of light unleashes a HUGE gust of wind on the family and the team. Dana begins to panic, rushing into her fathers arms. Marty is even injured by one of the Poltergeists, leaving a nasty bite mark on his torso. Steven tells Diane to get the kids out of there. Now. Dana is able to go to a friend’s house, as Robbie stays for the time being. Late in the night, he has a heartwarming conversation with Martha and his mother. Marty goes to grab something to eat, as Ryan watches the technology. While going to cook a steak, it jumps off the counter by itself, and grows maggots. Marty runs to the bathroom, and the most gruesome scene of the movie begins. Before I describe it, fun fact, this movie is rated PG. Marty goes into the bathroom, and notices a cut on his cheek. He rubs it, but then his face becomes more and more distorted. Marty begins clawing off his own face, blood and muscle coming off, even his eyes popping out. We watch as we see his skull, and the scene becomes worse, and worse, and worse, and WORSE… It’s gone. Marty gasps, and it was just a vision. Marty returns to the living room just in time, as the wispy arms are back. They are everywhere, and all the ghosts inhabiting the house are caught on camera.
The next day, our group becomes smaller. Robbie and E-Buzz (don’t worry, tiny spoiler, the pupper makes it through the entire movie unharmed) ride and taxi to Robbie’s grandmothers. It’s now up to the parents, Ryan, and Martha. Martha and Diane are now very close friends, and she promises she will come back to the house after she drops off the footage for evidence. Ryan stays with the family, and needless to say, we do not see Marty again for this entire film. Things get real today, as Steven’s boss Teague tells him that his house and the next phase of the suburban plan will be built on top of cemeteries. Shaken by the news, Steven goes home.
Martha calls in another expert by the name of Tangina. She is old but wise, and drops a LOT of lore that I will quickly write down for you all. #1, she is a spiritual medium. She can converse with the dead, and can see into their realm. #2, the spirits have no idea they are dead, and are lingering in a different sphere of consciousness, although still inside the house. #3, since Carol Anne is still alive, they are drawn to her, and want her life force. #5, there is another entity with her called The Beast. It is powerful, and is manipulating her life force. #6, the entrance to the dimension of spirits is through the closet, and the exit is the living room’s ceiling. Armed with this information, the team initiates a plan. Tagina steps into the room, and the closet is glowing widely. Ryan runs downstairs to help, and stands next to the gate in the living room. Through tests with tennis balls, anything that comes out one side of the portal will come out the other. Diane decides to make the play, and ties herself within a rope. Steven holds one side, while Ryan holds the other. The couple kiss over the rope in the most 80s moment I have ever seen in my entire life, and Diane ventures in. While she is in there, Steven panics, and the Beast appears. It is a massive skull, but falls back into the portal before it can cause him true harm. On the other side of the portal, Diane falls into Ryan’s arms, holding Carol Anne. The two are unconscious, but wake up unharmed. They are, however, covered in Ectoplasm. The Ghostbusters would be proud. Tagina proclaims that the house is “clean”.
The next day, obviously, the family begins the move out operations. Everyone is happy and safe, but this is when I started wondering. We still have twenty one minutes left… I even texted my friend the famous Star Wars quote, “I have a bad feeling about this.” And, my friends, always trust your gut. Steven heads to the office while Dana heads to a date, leaving mother, son, and daughter at home. All seems well, until E-Buzz perks up. The storm begins again while Diane is in the bath, and a clown doll comes to live and attacks Robbie. He defeats it, but the Beast begins its final onslaught. The closet glows once again, this time looking exactly like an Upside Down Portal, still trying to drag in the children. The Beast attacks Diane after she encounters it. Its skull is still there, but it has monstrous spider legs. Diane runs outside, and falls into the still unfinished swimming pool. Inside of it, skeletons emerge. We realize the shocking revelation. Teague never moved the bodies. He just moved the headstones. The house and ground around it shake, as the neighborhood falls into complete chaos due to the Beast’s attack. She saves the children, and the trio run outside with E-Buzz. Steven arrives home, and frantically yells at Teague. He starts the car after an intense scene trying to find the key, and the family jumps in. Dana arrives home, screaming yet another famous line, “WHAT’S HAPPENING!?” Dana jumps in, and the family speeds off as the house implodes into a portal. They reach a holiday inn, and the family all walks inside. Our film closes with Steven wheeling the T.V. of his room outside, and slamming the door…
Thank you all so much for reading! I cannot believe I haven’t seen this absolute masterpiece before. It is such a work of art and has the bones of the supernatural properties to come after it, especially my favorite, Stranger Things. Thank you all so much, and I absolutely LOVED Poltergeist. And I will see you all tomorrow, for Day 13… And, before you all go, always remember. Beware the Television…
