I should add that I think there's a reason why films like The Haunting, The Uninvited, and The Innocence are (to use Uncle Bingo's word) "hailed" while something like Poltergeist may not be.

The reason is that those films were mostly quiet, understated, and psychologically frightening while Poltergeist is best remembered for it's over-the-top special effects, loud noises, and flashing lights.

The Haunting, The Uninvited, and The Innocence were ambiguous, suggestive, and left much to the imagination of the audience, which many people find unnervingly frightening and unforgettable on a very primal level.

Poltergeist has some of that, and that's when I think it worked best. The little old lady whispering "He'll tell liiiies to herrrr.....", the clown puppet changing positions as the boy lies terrified in his bed amongst the dancing shadows of the tree in the wind, etc...

But when it starts to become a bombastic roller coaster of sights and sound, it loses a lot of that psychological terror and becomes more of an action-packed thrill ride, which is great and all, but perhaps doesn't get under your skin and stay there the way the others do.

Bottom line, Poltergeist was a ghost story infused with all the trappings of the 1980's Spielbergian spectacle, and because of this aspect, I fear it will always be a dated example of 80's excess, rather than a timeless classic. Again, I need to see it again to be sure.

Last Edited By: Rakshasa Feb 17 10 12:26 PM. Edited 2 times.