Movie Review: Poltergeist - Page 3

The aura of the film is, at times, truly forbidding. For the most part, however, the film is a less-than-scary camp horror film in emblematic 1980s style. Hooper’s film pushes the scares too hurriedly, leaving no room for the early build of delicate dread and instead going straight for the preposterous “tree incident.” After the tree incident, Hooper and Spielberg apparently want to backtrack to more elegant chills, but this falls apart rather hastily. The most credible and nerve-jangling sequences of the film come near the end, as the music stops and the idiotic-looking clown finally gets his reprisal on poor Robbie.

All in all, Poltergeist doesn’t stand the test of time and it mostly appears now like a B-movie of epic proportions. Many of the scenes are overacted and overshot, leaving little room for justifiable chills. The plot is persuasive enough, however, and Poltergeist is indeed worth seeing for examination of some of the more symbolic scenes. It’s also worth seeing in light of the incidents behind the scenes, from the directorial conflicts to the real-life chills. Poltergeist is more of a fascinating film than a frightening one, but it’s still a respectable vision from Spielberg and Hooper with some scrupulous effects and appealing characters.

Article Author: Jordan Richardson

Jordan Richardson is a Canadian freelance writer and ne'er-do-well. He writes stuff here and here.

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