Poltergeist (Blu-ray Book) [Blu-ray]
Poltergeist (Blu-ray Book) [Blu-ray]
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 10/14/2008 Run time: 114 minutes Rating: PgWhat a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make Poltergeist. The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg’s E.T., it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg’s ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.) Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O’Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper’s magnum opus, or the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, which came along two years later, Poltergeist is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. –Jim Emerson
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Love this classic!
This movie has a fond place in my heart, and the Blu-Ray release did not disappoint. Although more extras would have been nice, the picure and sound quality are excellent. Highly recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of the movie.
5 Stars Blu ray makes a classic film shine
Here we have one of the scariest films of the 80’s - a classic. Who can forget “Carrie Anne, Don’t go into the light!!” Films of this age are hit and miss with blu ray transfers. Sometimes the quality is subpar and sometimes the film is so dated however good the transfer it lacks any true oomph. Luckily neither of these two things happen here.
The blu ray transfer shines. Colors are crisp and there is no grain visible from age. One might think that the type of visual effects used this long ago might not transfer well but they certainly do. They pop. Added to this brilliant picture is audio that keeps the tension mounting and will have you jumping at every scare. Dialogue is strong and audio effects utilize all speakers to their max.
It is great to see that such a classic film has not aged and is just as effective today. This blu ray disc also comes in a special hardcover case that has a great booklet about the film. For those who remember the film definitely purchase it on blu ray in its new glory. Those who have never seen it will get a definite treat.
4 Stars Poltergeist on blu-ray
“Poltergeist” is one of my favorite horror pictures and I just introduced my 18-yr-old niece to the film with this blu-ray edition. She found it very scary and was stunned it was only rated PG (considering the year it was released). The picture and audio quality of this edition are both wonderful but, as noted by other reviewers, there are no real extras. Because of all the behind-the-scenes drama I have a feeling it will be a very long time before we see an edition which includes some really meaty extras. The book was nice, and had a few facts I wasn’t aware of (the change from an “R” rating and the use of real skeletons on set…eww!)
Be aware, however, that like all previous versions the really severe edit between the family kitchen and the neighbor’s house is still there - I don’t think there can be a clean copy anywhere in Hollywood if this is still going on. I know it supposedly has something to do with Pizza Hut being dissed in the scene, but since it was one line I really think they could’ve muffled it and kept the complete scene instead of cutting a big chunk.
This is a classic, highly entertaining horror movie and well worth watching again. If you have an older version of the dvd (or even the vhs tape), now is a good time to upgrade it to blu-ray.
4 Stars Poltergeist Bluy-Ray
I loved this movie as a child and still do,the blue-ray looks and sounds much better than the dvd,but again not nearly enough extras on this blue-ray,could have been so much better,this classic movie deserved that treatment.
5 Stars So Glad the Blu-Ray Came Out
I am sooooo happy that this movie finally came out in Blu-Ray format. Poltergeist was scary, creepy, fun, and captivating all at the same time. The Blu-Ray version is crystal clear and sounds great. A must buy for anyone who likes Blu-Ray quality or scary movies.
Filed under: Blue Ray Movie Reviews