DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Starring Craig T Nelson, Jobeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Heather O'Rourke
Release date Out now

The Freeling family enjoy an ordinary life in their Californian home, until spirits suck little Carol Anne into another dimension…

“They’re hee-ere…”

Tobe Hooper may be credited as the director of Poltergeist, but the film bears all the hallmarks of writer-producer Steven Spielberg (to this day controversy still rages over whether Spielberg directed much of the picture himself). But whichever filmmaker was the driving force behind it, the movie stands up as one of the best big budget, mainstream horrors ever made.

While Spielberg is often accused of sentimentality, there’s an honesty to his characters that is a world away from the sugar-coated emotional manipulation of lesser writers. We care about the Freelings because they’re so likeable – ordinary, affectionate but also with a believable sense of fun about them (witness Diane or Steve larking around in the bedroom, or the humorous way the parents often address the children). Jobeth Williams and Craig T Nelson are terrific as the parents whose light-hearted attitude gives way to an iron determination to get their daughter back, while Heather O’Rourke is remarkably winning as the little girl sucked into the spirit world.

The expertly paced build up gives way to well-timed, gore-free shocks (chairs stacking up by themselves, a tree bursting through a bedroom window), before the still-excellent special effects come into play in the final third. Just when you think the film couldn’t get any better, in walks the inimitable Zelda Rubenstein as the oddball medium Tangina, a character who was popular enough to return for both sequels.

For a ‘25th Anniversary’ edition, this DVD is shockingly bereft of extras. Don’t expect any insight into Spielberg’s involvement with the direction or anything on the famous ‘curse’ of the movie (Heather O’Rourke died during the making of Poltergeist III aged just 12, while Dominique Dunne – who plays the older Freeling daughter Dana – was murdered by her boyfriend at 22). In fact, all you get are two throwaway featurettes on real life poltergeists and mediums. Still, the remastered print looks and sounds great. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 8/10
The movie stands up as an all-time horror classic, but you might have to hold on for the 30th Anniversary for any decent extras.

Click here to read an interview with Tobe Hooper.