Poltergeist (1982)
Tobe Hooper, who directed the grimy Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and producer Steven Spielberg, the king of suspenseful blockbusters, join forces for Poltergeist, which follows the Freeling family living in a suburban California home. The film is filled with bold and unforgettable visuals: a knotted tree that comes to life and bursts into a child’s bedroom, a creepy clown doll, a face melting into bone, a little girl sucked into a television set, and a pool filled with skeletons.
The family enlists a team of paranormal experts, including a psychic, to try to rescue Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) and exorcise the sinister and restless spirits that haunt their home. They eventually discover a macabre truth about the land their home was built on. While Poltergeist is certainly scary, it also has a playful side, offering a thrill ride that gleefully drags its characters through a chaotic, rollercoaster-like experience.
