Questions
When did Poltergeist come out?
It was released on June 4, 1982. It went on to earn about $121.7 million worldwide on a budget of roughly $10.7 million, making it the eighth highest grossing film of 1982.
Who directed Poltergeist?
Tobe Hooper directed it, while Steven Spielberg wrote the story, co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Grais and Mark Victor, and produced with Frank Marshall.
What is that famous line from the movie?
Carol Anne’s chilling "They’re here." The American Film Institute ranked it the 69th greatest movie quote of all time.
Why is there a controversy over who really directed it?
Spielberg was contractually barred from directing another film while making E.T., so Hooper took the chair, but debate persists about how much creative control Spielberg had on set. A Directors Guild investigation led to MGM/UA paying Hooper $15,000 over the credit dispute, and Spielberg published an open letter defending Hooper’s role.
Were Poltergeist and E.T. really made at the same time?
Yes. Spielberg was reportedly on the Poltergeist set often while also directing E.T., and the two films were released about one week apart in June 1982.
Who played Carol Anne, the little girl?
Heather O’Rourke played Carol Anne Freeling. The main cast also included Craig T. Nelson as Steve, JoBeth Williams as Diane, Dominique Dunne as Dana, Oliver Robins as Robbie, and Zelda Rubinstein as the medium Tangina Barrons.
What is the "Poltergeist curse"?
Two young cast members died young: Dominique Dunne was murdered in 1982 at age 22, and Heather O’Rourke died in 1988 at age 12 from complications of Crohn’s disease. The alleged curse later became the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story episode.
Where was it filmed?
Principal photography took place mostly on Roxbury Street in Simi Valley, California.
How did they do the wild wall-crawling scene?
The filmmakers used a rotating set technique to create the famous scene of a body appearing to crawl along the wall.
What is the deal with the TV static scene?
Carol Anne inexplicably starts talking to the television set while it displays post-broadcast static, which is how the family first realizes something supernatural is happening.
Did the movie almost get an R rating?
Yes. It initially received an R rating over a gruesome bathroom scene, but Spielberg and Hooper successfully appealed and got it changed to PG, which was unusual for a film this intense.
Who wrote the music?
Jerry Goldsmith composed the score. He earned an Academy Award nomination for it, though he lost, and a poster for Alien, another film he scored, appears in the children’s bedroom.
Did the movie win any awards?
It was nominated for three Academy Awards (Original Score, Sound Effects Editing, and Visual Effects), losing all three to E.T. It won a BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects and three Saturn Awards, including Best Horror Film and Best Supporting Actress for Zelda Rubinstein.
How many Poltergeist movies are there?
The original was followed by Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) and Poltergeist III (1988), plus a 2015 remake starring Sam Rockwell and Jared Harris.
How was the movie received by critics?
It holds an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, though Gene Siskel was less impressed, giving it one and a half stars and calling it "very, very silly."
