Search - Poltergeist [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

Scarier On Blu Ray

Tate | 08/20/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, what a classic! Amazing buildup, great scares, great acting. This is a really well written horror movie, and while it does show at times, it is hard to believe it's over 25 years old. Especially when you watch it on Blu Ray!

No matter how many times you've seen the movie before, it'll be like the first once you've seen this amazing 1080p transfer. The image is crisp and sharp without looking digitized. There's fantastic background clarity that gives you that feeling of 3D depth that make Blu Ray fanatics giddy with delight. And the best part is the audio! Throbbing bass and delicious thunder, groans from the closet that sound like they are literally lurking behind you. Sometimes you run across a poor transfer with low budget horror movies, but you can tell Spielburg and Hooper made sure this was filmed right. Thankfully, this fantastic blu ray release is a proper representation of how the movie was meant to be seen.


Overall, if this is a favorite of yours or even if you own the DVD, I can safely recommend the upgrade. If you've never seen the 25 year old classic, there's no better time to than with this amazing release. You'll be able to experience this movie at home like no generation has gotten to do before, isn't blu ray great!"

A classic family-oriented haunted house/ghost story

Joker | Michigan | 09/15/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I saw Poltergeist (1982) in the theater back in '82, I really liked it. It really was unlike anything I had ever seen before in the horror genre. It stuck with me for a long time. I used to watch it all the time when it was playing on any cable TV movie channel. I hadn't yet seen any of the classic haunted house/ghost story movies, such as House On Haunted Hill (1958), The Innocents (1961), The Haunting (1963), The Legend Of Hell House (1973), Burnt Offerings (1976), The Amityville Horror (1979), The Changeling (1980), etc. I was just a kid back in '82, so Poltergeist was really the first haunted house movie I had seen.

These days, while I still like Poltergeist, I don't rank it in my Top 10 haunted house movies of all time simply because the above mentioned movies are far superior, in my opinion. Not that Poltergeist is weak, it isn't. But I would classify Poltergeist as a haunted house movie that's pretty much suitable for the whole family to watch. It has that Stephen Spielberg family-friendly "children's charm" feel to it. You know what I mean - a middle class couple that lives in a nice new house in a nice new subdivision and they have some small children and a dog. These things alone lighten the mood right off the bat. I know I should judge this movie on its own merits, but I have grown, over time, to prefer the more serious haunted house/ghost story movies that have a dark atmosphere from start to finish and usually take place in an old mansion, like most of the movies I mentioned above. So, as a result, when I watch Poltergeist THESE DAYS, it doesn't quite satisfy my craving for really dark atmosphere and seriousness like the other movies do. Back in '82 I would have given this movie 5 stars. These days, it's 4 stars. It's a good movie, but it's too much on the lighter side for me.

I must say the movie gets darker and creepier as it progresses, which is good. Some of the scenes are scary and over-the-top, while other scenes are meant to be humorous, while still other scenes come off as cheesy. In this movie, you'll actually SEE the ghosts. For this kind of family-oriented movie, it's totally reasonable and acceptable.

I really like the clown doll in the son's bedroom. Creeeeeeppppppyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The score by Jerry Goldsmith is pretty good. Stephen Spielberg co-wrote and co-produced it while Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Salem's Lot, Funhouse) directed it.

The plot: Some ghosts begin communicating with Mr. & Mrs. Freeling's five-year-old daughter Carol Anne through the "snow" on the TV set in the wee hours of the morning. This is the way the ghosts get into the Freeling's California home. The ghosts kidnap Carol Anne and her family makes a great effort to rescue her, much to the ghosts' displeasure. Do they succeed?

This DVD has some good special features, one of which is a documentary called They Are Here: The Real World Of Poltergeists Revealed in 2 parts: 1) Science Of The Spirits, and 2) Communing With The Dead.

Overall, a solid movie that you should like if you're into haunted house movies and/or haunted house movies that are more family-friendly.
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