I was a senior in high school when "Poltergeist" first came out. I was living in El Paso, and there was a little theatre on the other side of town that boasted the best screen in Texas. Though it paled in comparison to the screens available today, I made sure I not only went to see it there but also made sure to bring along the girl I was interested in dating. After all, it was supposed to be a scary movie and who better to see a scary movie with. "Poltergeist" was everything I hoped it would be, considering Steven Spielberg was producing it. It was easily the best 'ghost story' movie to date at the time, the special effects being state of the art (again at the time) and the scares considerable. Even my arm pretty much ended up as I expected, with nail marks all over it from my girlfriend digging into it.

Though I felt it went a little over the top towards the end and I really didn’t like the big scary face in the closet, to this day I still love pretty much everything else about "Poltergeist." Oddly enough I didn’t have a copy of the movie on DVD until recently, however I did own the VHS (remember those?) of it at one time. My wife and I have seen the movie together a few times thanks to that copy, and even though she's (thankfully) not the same girl I saw it with 25 years ago, my arms still end up with the same marks. (I still love kidding her that I intend to buy a clown like the little boy had in his room… she hates clowns…)

I really don't know where to begin as to commenting on what makes it such a great film. Perhaps it was the casting of Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams who did not come off looking like big stars but instead were able to embody the physical presence of everyday people. I think in part a lot of what made the film so scary was that it took place in a normal looking house, like one we all have lived in at one time or another, as opposed to taking place someplace that looked 'scary.' Only "The Amityville Horror" before it used that type of setting so well.

Here director Tobe Hooper and producer Spielberg set the Freeling family in a nice, new suburban setting. The homes are new, the lawns are new… everything is new. All seems well with the world until strange things start going bump in the night. At first most of the occurrences happen out of sight, but as they steadily escalate things start flying around right in front of everyone. When they're youngest daughter (Carole Anne) goes missing, it becomes the last straw and they bring in experts to figure out what's happening. Suffice to say, all hell breaks loose.

Sadly, "Poltergeist" suffered from sequel-it is, spawning horrible follow-ups that in turn gave the entire series as bad name. Those of us who saw the original know that isn’t the case, but newer audiences who are only know that they hear, might not be so ready to give it a chance. Still, I was glad to hear that Warner Brothers was intending to not only re-release the film on DVD after so many years, but were actually going to celebrate its 25th Anniversary with a one night showing at theatres across the country. Realizing that was the only way to really experience the movie, I had made plans to go but they fell through.

Still, having a copy of the new DVD release made up for it when I popped it into the player a few nights ago. I have to say that the new transfer is absolutely beautiful. I guarantee "Poltergeist" has never looked or sounded this good. The technicians really did a great job of restoration, making this DVD almost a must buy. Now, I say almost a must buy because… there is only one… count 'em one… special feature. And to call this special feature lame would be a compliment.

After 25 years of near cult status, all we have to show for it in the way of features is a 2 part documentary looking into the world of the paranormal. We hear from mediums and parapsychologists about the nature of poltergeists, while talking about a lot of the events in the movie. That's it. No behind the scenes featurettes, no interviews with cast or crew (except producer Frank Marshall and actor Richard Lawson, who show up briefly in the documentary), not even a mention of the "Poltergeist" curse. And if you aren’t familiar with the rumors of a curse, just google it you'll get some of the scoop. I really feel like Warners could have given fans of the movie a lot more, the film itself certainly deserves it.

In some parts "Poltergeist" might seem little dated (clothes, special effects), but it still does the job of instilling fear into those brave enough to watch it late at night, by themselves. And trust me, they’re thanking God that most new TV's don’t give you a snow covered screen anymore.

Directed by: Tobe Hooper
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Zelda Rubenstein, Beatrice Straight, Heather O'Rourke
Extras: 2 Part Documentary - They Are Here: The Real World of Poltergeists Revealed
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 10/9/2007
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG
Website

We'll give Poltergeist: 25th Anniversary Edition a B-.