Poltergeist (1982)

The critic calls the film one of the most subversive movies ever made by Hollywood, noting how it screams to turn off the TV as suburban comforts turn deadly. It highlights the 1982 timing amid Reagan-era blockbusters and credits Spielberg's hands-on influence over Hooper's onscreen credit.

The film stands out for relocating the haunted house to mundane American suburbia and delivering a professionally mounted effects-driven scare show. The critic highlights the productive tension between Spielberg's and Hooper's sensibilities as a key strength.

The review affirms that the film holds up beautifully as the malevolent flipside to Spielberg's suburban fantasies, with his stylistic fingerprints everywhere and playful visual wit throughout. It notes the assurance of a safe landing even amid scares, making it a family film that guarantees nightmares.

It is a marvelously spooky ghost story full of creepy effects and witty moments that manifests childhood fears and wishes. The film is like an enjoyable nightmare that ends harmlessly, with strong performances from the cast.

The re-release review calls it one of the great anti-TV movies and a suburban horror classic that highlights television as a danger to the family. It notes its iconic status and enduring appeal.

The critic calls it a barnstorming ghost story that is every inch a Spielberg film despite the Hooper credit. They single out the dazzling sense of craft and a structural surprise that rivals the opening of Psycho.

The critic praises Tobe Hooper’s 1982 film as a supernatural chiller and anti-gentrification satire with Spielberg’s fingerprints but its own disturbing edge. It singles out Heather O’Rourke’s eerie performance and the film’s ability to still deliver scares despite dated effects.

The critic views it as a restrained but effective haunted-house chiller that holds attention through its succession of conjuring tricks and visual effects, despite a loose script. It singles out the family scenes and parapsychological phenomena for praise while noting it as perhaps the only successful horror film in which no one gets killed.

The film is an effective thriller because it views strange events through the eyes of a believable family rather than letting special effects overwhelm everything. It grounds the ridiculous premise in suburban routines and close observation of the characters.

The critic describes the film as an entertaining summer spook show but ultimately an 'entertaining hash' lacking rationale for the ghosts' actions or follow-through on promising ideas about kids and television. She singles out the warmth of the suburban family for limited praise while noting Spielberg's dominant hand behind the credited director.

Given the talents involved, the film is annoying because it could have been much better; the story is truly stupid despite solid acting. It focuses on flashy physical manifestations and sideshow horrors rather than the interesting parapsychological subject.

The film is a classic horror that balances shocks and fear with strong family dynamics and character relationships. It serves as a blueprint for modern haunted-house movies while marveling at the awe and terror of the unknown.

Poltergeist succeeds as the best of both Spielberg and Hooper, blending warm suburban family dynamics and populist appeal with grisly, intense horror sequences. It stands as the defining haunted-house film of its decade thanks to memorable performances and tonal balance.

The film remains remarkably effective 25 years on, with strong special effects and a focus on making audiences care about the characters. The reviewer singles out the way it invests viewers in the family's everyday life as key to its success over similar horror films.