Poltergeist

hooptober X - film 1 one tobe hooper film kicking off my first ever hooptober with one of my all time favourite spooks. there’s so much i love about this film i have to give it five stars.  my three favourite moments in Poltergeist:for me, one of the genuine scares in this film is the chairs - we see them on the floor tucked around the table, we look away for a second, we look back and they have been arranged silently into a carefully balanced tower on the table top. there’s something so unsettling about the way the Big Bad of this horror is completely unhidden and yet we go so long without really seeing it or understanding it. we the viewer, along with Carol Anne and her mother, are lured in by this phenomenon like any predator lulls a child into feeling safe, we feel like this thing - whatever it is - is oddly friendly, child-like, and playful. when things go bad we have the same sinking feeling of betrayal as Carol Anne does when her T.V. People turn on her.  something this film does so well in my opinion is that balance of hiding and revealing the poltergeist. you can’t not talk about the lighting. hooper INVENTED strobing. in an era where so many movies are shot so dark that you can hardly see, this is such a classic example of using light in the opposite way and still being able to stir up terror. the closet door opens and the camera pans to Carol Anne with this full white light, saturating the whole screen, sat on her bed staring back at this light. part of what makes it so effective is the clarity of it all, nothing is hidden in the shadows and yet we still can’t see this villain. this presence doesn’t make any attempt to conceal itself, a terrifying example of how evil can so easily invade a home and the innocence of a child.  the thing i love most about Poltergeist is that it’s a love story. maybe it’s corny and it’s a trope i normally roll my eyes at but i don’t care, i love the way the searing love of our married couple brings Carol Anne back, fighting brutally to show their daughter that this Thing is not her friend, that it is not to be trusted, that she has love and safety and life. i think the message of love being the way out of predatory relationships is a powerful and always relevant one. one of the scenes where the chemistry of Steve and Diane is so beautifully executed is when they go to their neighbours house to ask if he has noticed any paranormal activity in his own home - realising the absurdity of the question, of the situation, of asking this man - Ben - anything, of being bitten up by mosquitos while standing on his porch - they are equal parts giddy, scared, and embarrassed. i adore how real the scene is, amongst light shows, ghosts, clown dolls come to life, killer trees, and an evil steak, there is this strangely heartwarming moment of a couple in love with each other, just trying to understand. that’s what i love so much about this film.  how maybe times can i say “love” in this review? anyway, i can’t wait to watch this again next halloween. shout out to the teenage daughter serving realness throughout.