Poltergeist (1982) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!! 

Schedule Update: Next week will be Train to Busan and a special reaction of Halloween on Halloween! The following week will be Aliens followed up by Naked Gun! Thank you everyone for your support! It means the world to us! Even though October is coming to a close, we will still be doing horror movies on this channel! We went through every single comment on all our videos and recorded every movie recommendation as well as how many times it was recommended and how many likes it got! So rest assured knowing your voice is heard and we have all that great information to help guide the movies we post for a long time to come! PS: My wife says sorry for the scream :)

I saw this a few times in the cinema back in 1982. You had to wait in the lobby before you went in and you could actually hear the screams and shouts of the audience as you waited. We all just looked at one another wondering what the hell are we in for??? Good times! 😆

I'm partly convinced this movie influenced the rise of 24 hours broadcasting.

The most precious "Hi Daddy" in cinematic history at 19:08

38 years later, and it’s still the most spectacular haunted house movie ever made. Been watching it so many times since the 80:s, and I never get tired of the film.

One of my all time favorite horror movies, it just has a feel not many can replicate.

What a great line from Tangina: “It lies to her. It says things only a child can understand. “

Ah the clown jumpscare, it never gets old.

There's something so indescribable how it blends horror, humor, a sense of magical discovery with at the time a very unusual take with a more "realistic" take on ghost hunting. So damn good.

The key to Poltergeist has always been the family dynamics. You really become attach to them and want things to end out okay for them. It looks like the two of you felt the same way. Great reaction.

"Mom strength." Diane is one of the great 80s horror moms.

Fun fact: Diane (JoBeth Williams) in an interview that aired on entertainment channel VH1 in December 2002, said: I would have to go into this huge tank of what I thought were mud with these skeletons - which, by the way, I thought were plastic, but later found out they were real skeletons. It was a real nightmare. Williams expanded on the remark in a separate interview, aired as part of the TV Land show TV Land: Myths & Legends in 2008: You have to understand that this sequence took probably four or five days to shoot. So I was in mud and goop all day every day for like four or five days with skeletons all around me [as I was] screaming. In my innocence and naiveté, I assumed that these were not real skeletons. I assumed that they were prop skeletons made out of plastic or rubber. I found out - as did the whole crew - that they were using real skeletons, because it’s far too expensive to make fake skeletons out of rubber. And I think everybody got real creeped out by the idea of that.

Tobe Hooper directed "Poltergeist", Spielberg produced and co-wrote it. Tobe Hooper is best known for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"! The dad is Craig T. Nelson! He had a long-running '90's sitcom called "Coach". He's awesome! Heather O'Rourke died at the tender age of 12 due to a medical misdiagnosis and older sister Dominique Dunne was murdered at the young age of 22 so this franchise developed a "cursed" reputation as a result. Poltergeist literally means "noisy ghost" in German. Lol. "They're here" became a hugely popular catch-phrase in spooky situations to this day!

As a kid....this movie...and the sequels....scared me more than any other horror movies or franchise. To this day....the old man in Poltergeist 2 walking and singing that song...is about the scariest thing Ive ever seen lol. Im saying this to give alot of credit to the producers and directors...especially Speilberg. Because the fear lies in the way the movies were shot more than the substance.

Fun little fact with the actress who played the mom JoBeth Williams. The skeletons in the pool with her were real skeletons. She didn’t find this out until after the filming. Great reaction!

The trick hallway was all practical. A combination of zoom, dolly, and accordion-like walls. Best. Leo.

The parents are THE BEST. Pot-smoking, silly people, still in love with each other, and who genuinely care for their kids. I loved Jo-Beth Williams little excited jump up and down move in the kitchen when she realized that her husband was seeing what she was seeing. Thanks, gang!

You two are a lovely couple. I love your sense of wonderment and appreciation when watching these older films. You guys watch movies the same way we oldsters did when seeing them for the first time. This seems so uncommon in this day and age. When most of the young, and some of the older, reactors watch these older films they seem bored, jaded, overly critical and unimpressed. Lacking patience in story build up, having no appreciation for character development, atmosphere and tension. You two must be "old souls". You have become my favorite reactors, replacing "Cinema Rules" (Who are great by the way, you should check them out) as number one.

Zelda Rubinstein was a national treasure! :)

One of the most famous horror films that said to have been cursed, where 2 of the original actors in this film have died: Dominique Dunne was strangled by her ex boyfriend after the release of the movie, and was left braindead for 5 days before they pulled the plug. She was 23. Heather O'Rourke died at the age of 12 due to Stenosis and septic shock in her intestines. Her last film was POLTERGEIST III.

Fun Fact: The father who plays in this movie as Steven Freeling actor Craig T. Nelson also voice the father Mr. Incredible / Bob Parr in the Disney The Incredibles.

Jerry Goldmith's score for this film is one of his best and it doesn't get mentioned enough when people talk about his work.

This movie lets audiences of today see that all TV stations and broadcasts used to end in the middle of the night. This gave the viewer an indication to actually go to bed especially since there was literally nothing left on TV to watch and as there was no Internet or smart devices there was nothing but the radio on at that time so unless you were with your buddies drinking you would haul your butt out of the recliner or off the couch and climb into bed. In a way we need that to come back as people are addicted to their devices or flipping channels and can always find something to watch at anytime of day or night. If they shutdown or went off the air it would give your eyes and your mind a chance to actually rest and unwind but that isn't gonna come back that's for sure.

Ah, that "sweet music" is the genius of the late and awesome power of Jerry Goldsmith.

Spielberg's early stuff is his best. If you haven't seen Jaws it is a must see. The amount of direction involved with multiple conversations going on in some of the scenes is superb. Even with the dated effects it is a masterful movie on all points.

The house imploding was a physical effect. A model of the house was wired up and pulled back thru a hole and filmed at 300 frames/second, then slowed down for the movie.

You two are definitely my favorite of the "First time watching," videos. Great to see your reactions to one of the best horror films EVER made!

The kitchen table gag was done with the chairs being bolted together. Super quick grips finish the illusion before the camera panned back. Best. Leo.

I'm an Eighties kid and I have 4 sisters, 3 of whom are older than me. My parents let us watch Poltergeist (I mean, why not?) The maggoty drumstick on the floor absolutely disgusted and scarred my young life. We had a lot of chicken dinners that I couldn't enjoy, because my sisters would chant "maggots in the chicken" over and over and I'd throw a tantrum about it. My dad would laugh just a little before telling them to stop 😒 Some of the imagery is frightening, but very well done. I think today's audience can appreciate the animation and special effects that were used, with some clever sequences (like the chairs rearranging themselves at the table and the Disneyesque hand coming out of the television). I see this as a family film, as crazy as it might seem. The family is close. The mom is a badass (an Eighties superhero, really). The paranormal team is likeable, especially Beatrice Straight, the older red-head with the words of wisdom about ghosts. The undercurrent of humor doesn't let the film slip into "dread" territory, unlike its inferior sequels, which are straight up horror.

You guys are watching all of my favorites! You have NO idea what seeing that guy pull his face off did to kids back in the day

The sweetest "Hi Daddy" ever recorded.

I love the family aspect about this movie. I think it's what I liked about the Conjuring movies. They have the family element and use it well.

Two minutes alter the end credits start to roll, the awesome orchestral music is joined by what sounds like a choir of children singing "la, la, la . .. " to the tune of the score. This continues for about a minute more, after which the sweet sounding "la la la's " dissolve into childish, maniacal laughter - as if ghost children are perhaps laughing at the folly of the Freeling family . . . This goes on for over 20 seconds until the sound fades and the screen goes to black . . . This movie doesn't let go literally until the last possible second!

It's supposed to be a Tobe Hooper movie, but you can clearly see the Spielberg influences of family and humour. A classic.

The clown doll jumpscare never gets old for one reason only: we’ve ALL been through that stage of being scared of something in our room as kids. So it frightens us on a personal level. That being said, I find it kinda sweet that Samantha grabbed your arm tightly during that scene. If I was younger, that would’ve definitely been me with my mom.

This film was rated PG: kids were tougher back then. Nominated for Best Original Score by legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith: film music was great back then. Practical effects: Special effects required blood, sweat and tears back then.

This was mind blowing in the theater in 82.

“Theyyy’re heeereee!!” Gets me everytime 😱😱😱

Now tell me if those new fangled "paranormal activities" movies even hold a candle to the good ol' days scary flicks...

No matter how many times I see this I still get chills and goosebumps when she's screaming from inside the TV

I was traumatized by this movie as a child. Any and all reference to this film to this day makes me uneasy. I have an almost paralyzing fear of the word Poltergeist. This is why it's my all time favorite horror film.

This movie is a major contributing factor as to why I've hated clowns ever since I was a child.

Spielberg got the idea for the scary tree outside of the window, because as a kid......he had one outside of his own, that used to give him the creeps.

As a gen X'er that watched this in the mid 80s, I'm glad that younger generations such as yourselves are open to watching something made before the naughties and appreciate it too! I've tried showing this to some Millennial friends of mine, and they couldn't get through the first quarter of the film, and complained that they're watching something from 82!.. haha As to the the reason why this film didn't seem to have any kind of closure or resolution, please watch Poltergeist 2, the story continues and you'll find out what it's all been about! 💀 👻

One of the best movie endings of all time, in my opinion. It helped to relax everyone after the stressful ride they had just been through.

Two years ago during Halloween Horror nights, Universal Studios made a scarehouse based on this film, one could walk through the suburban house and it was great. They even created the practical effect of the infinite stretching hallway.

I love that you both wear quality headphones so you get the great audio effects!

You did have a point. Getting the daughter back didnt get rid of the ghosts. Since Steve Freeling was the one to figure out the house was built on an ancient burial ground, after getting their daughter back he should've been the one to know that sleeping in the house one more night was a very bad idea. I would get out immediately even if I'm told my house is clean. Especially after I find out my house was built on top of the dead

I watched this movie when I was a kid in the 80s. It always creeped me out. Especially, that kid's bedroom with the door purposely shut and the psychic with the baby voice, the static tv.

The elongating hallway scene is done by having the camera zoom in while the camera is moved backwards. Or maybe it's zooming out as the camera moves forward. It's one of those. I forget.

Another great movie choice guys. The corridor shot, with the door seemingly close but then moving away is a relatively easy shot to do. It was also used in ' The Shining ' as well as a few other movies. All you have to do is pull the camera backwards while at the same time, focusing inward towards the door. Doing both at the same time creates that effect. You can of course do it the opposite way which creates the opposite effect too.

Guys. This was the best reaction review I've seen you both do. I'm surprised that such an old great horror movie like this would have moved you so much. The reactions were real and just like the ones we encountered years ago. It was a joy watching you react. Thanks.

"Poltergeist" and "American Werewolf in London" SCARED the SHIT outta me as a kid....still give me the chills all these years later.......THAT is the mark of a truly great and timeless film!

"I'd be more sad for the little girl if I wasn't already afraid of her." LOL

Freaking loved this film after seeing it in the theatre back in the 80’s. I even bought Jerry Goldsmiths awesome soundtrack on vinyl. What makes it so special is the family.... just so well realised with non of the angst that current day movies insist on having. A family we’re happy to root for and spend time with. Craig T Nelson is terrific and I totally fell in love with Jobeth Williams. Even before it was available on vhs, I managed to get a bootleg copy that I virtually wore out! This film just has so many great moments that can still give me that lovely tingle on the back of my neck that is so rare these days......I’ve lost count of just how many times I’ve watched it over the years. I watched the remake of this some years ago and can remember not a goddamn thing about it.....it’s a perfect example of dismal modern storytelling. I just don’t care. Original Poltergeist is an absolute gem. Fun fact: It was Steven Spielberg’s hands pulling the face of that guy.

The clown jumpscare is so good that it makes people forget to talk about how freaky the bodies in the pool jump is.

I'm so happy to hear that you are going to react to movies that are not just horror movies.

The way this movie kept fear of the clown in plain sight but in its back pocket till the end of the movie was brilliant.

The novelization of this movie is hard to come by these days, but if you can get your hands on it it’s really interesting. Tangina in particular is almost a tragic figure, so gifted with her second sight that she has a hard time differentiating between fate and coincidence.

Glad you had fun, scary “fun”. I remember when I moved to Los Angeles in the late 80s, I found a book that listed places in/around L.A. that we’re used for film locations. The Poltergeist house was the first place I drove to in Simi Valley. Found the house. Sat in awe. And wondered how the owners felt about all of us who had to find the house and sit in awe.

Ah, thank you! I had fun laughing at your reactions. *LOL* That clown scarred my sister for life- she say this movie when she about 8 years old and I can still scare her with that clown. This is one of my fave horror movies ever! I still have fun watching it these days. This kind of intense movie is what we cut our teeth on back in the 80s. Not much compares these days, really... Or I'm just that desensitized. Glad you enjoyed it!

Music by Jerry Goldsmith he has done The Omen, The Twilight Zone Movie , Alien and tons more to enjoy,

This show creeped me out during my childhood. When I saw it I was maybe 6 or 7 (about 5 years after it came out) and I had long blonde hair like Carol Ann. My dad would turn off the lights and put the TV on snow and say “they’re heeeeerrrrre” , Thanks 80’s dad lol

This was a great reaction. Usually, I prefer one person reactions. You two compliment each other very well. Very laid back vibe but intense at the same time. 👍👍

The girl who played Carol Ann actually died a few years after this was filmed. I believe of septic shock due to an issue in her intestines. So sad.

Great reaction guys. I was a teenager when this movie came out. Iv'e always liked this movie!!! This movie came out is when the best of movies came out. Just my opinion.

Not your typical haunted house, which is normally some old run-down mansion or creepy estate. This takes place where you would least expect it to happen... modern-day suburbia. It's disturbing to realize that in spite of all our advances in technology, there are still things out there that we can't comprehend. This is what makes this movie so great. One of my favorite films.

Ah, the static! I remember being allowed to stay up past ten PM for the first time when entering high school in the 1970s. Every school night from then on I watched the CBS LATE MOVIE (which showed some utterly bizarre movies from NIGHT OF THE LEPUS to BLUE SUNSHINE), counted the commercials that followed the movie (the record was 17), watched whatever program came on afterwards (random but short documentaries; my favorite was about two prospectors in the west who disappeared weirdly), then the National Anthem and finally the static, which, in a dark bedroom, made you feel like you were the only conscious person on earth. The British comedy THE YOUNG ONES referred to this broadcast cut-off feeling in one episode: The hippie Neil says it's like the TV is saying "There's no more telly . . . time to go to bed."

This movie uses the classic formula of building the tension to a peak and then giving you a laugh to release the tension. Then start it all over again. I've been watching this moving now nearly 40 years and I still love it.

Some of the best moments of any supernatural film. Practical effects for majority of the movie. This has never been topped for this genre

The practical effect of imploding the house is still probably my favorite special effect of all time. ILM built a detailed model, complete with furniture and light fixtures and everything, about 3 or 4 feet wide and deep. They set it facing upwards, attached to a funnel and an industrial vacuum. They used an extremely high-speed camera so that it would appear to be imploding in slow motion. While it was imploding, a crew member blasted it with a shotgun. So awesome.

A classic in horror. Poltergeist actually means noisy ghost in German. While the others in the series are not as well loved, they do add to the story. Hope you get a chance to see the rest of the trilogy. The Poltergeist franchise include the original trilogy: original (1982), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), Poltergeist III (1988). There was a reboot in 2015 and a tv series Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996-1999). Small Spoiler: The name of the Beast is Kane.

"Watching this right before bed." Hahahahaha. Oh this will be good. Great to see this classic film can still terrify :) Steven Spielberg at his best.

One of my favorites. I was kept away from this on cable as a kid, but when I finally saw it I loved it.

Hands down the best paranormal film of the 80s

In the novelization, Tangina is an unwilling psychic who hates her powers and has never really learned how to use them. She's doing all this because the psychic trauma of the Freelings has reached out to her, and she's hoping that being studied by the redheaded lady will lead to a way to get rid of her powers so she can lead a normal life. So when she says, "This house is clean," she's being deceived. The Beast is actually hiding in She Who Waits, a spirit who doesn't cross over when Tangina tries to get them all to go to the light.

I saw this in the theater when I was 12. I cannot tell you the number of sleepless nights I had afterward, but it was totally worth it!

RIP Dominique and Heather.

Although Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is credited as the director of Poltergeist, multiple crew members have now confirmed that Spielberg directed virtually all of the film. Oh & the skeletons in the flooded swimming pool.....yeah, they are real!!

Great reaction - with the exception of the guy in the closet clawing his face off, the special effects were outstanding, especially for 1982. I saw this in the movie theater back then, and it scared everyone silly - it's a different experience seeing this on the big screen.

Poltergeist is definitely one of those rare haunted house movies to have heart and scares 😌. Plus as of haunted house movies go, poltergeist was one of the first to flipped the idea it on its head by taking place in every day suburbia where all the houses look the same, instead of the traditional old Victorian house/ Mansion. Showing that a normal everyday family could have a poltergeist problem in the most of unlikely of place. Which tells alot of truth when it comes to real paranormal case out there. That's why I think poltergeist really is on its own thing, and is why I don't compare it to something like the Amityville horror.

One thing I love is that even though they constantly shift tones, it doesn't feel inconsistent. The humor is very true and really helps to see this family as real and someone the audience can feel like they know, so when hell starts breaking loose we're concerned, these are real people really suffering to us. And the powerful grounding with the family dynamic and behavior, this world feels real and when the supernatural enter it, it doesn't stop feeling real, it feels like the supernatural is real, as real as anything else in this.

I think you two would appreciate "In The Mouth of Madness" (1994) John Carpenter....and a horror comedy-ish - THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)

I had forgotten how many scary situations are in this movie. It was great reliving them thru your reactions and great comments. I can’t wait for your reactions to Alien!

Few movies scream 80s like this one: a family horror movie. It came out right at the peak of the genre, when someone had the idea: "hey, why not make a horror movie, I mean a real one, but for kids?" It was typically a kid's first really "scary" movie, after which many more would come. It was like a gateway drug for a generation of horror movie fans.

Woohoo one of my favorites! This is a movie you think about when you’re home alone yikes , it was scary at the theater when it came out and still gives me the willies , thanks for reacting and screaming that was fun!

15:14, the visual effects were done by Industrial Light and Magic.

This is quite easily the scariest movie I've ever seen. I think partly because so much of it is just the fear of everyday objects, and then because of how creepy it is, just adds up to sheer terror for me.

I'm 16 and it takes a lot to scare or scar me when it comes to horror movies, but the sequel is terrifying to me. I checked everything I drank for about 3 weeks after watching. If a movie is able to do that than just impress me, they DEFINITELY did it right.

One tiny little detail the film doesn't draw overt attention to: at the end when the coffins are bursting through the floor, one comes right up through where Diane had drawn the circle in the kitchen, the spot that made the chair move. Filmmaking was so different in the days before digital effects. The house implosion was a scale model, complete with miniature furniture, which took four months to build and which was destroyed in the space of a second by wires and a vacuum, shot in super-slow motion. Had the shot failed, they'd have had to spend another several months making a replacement model. Fortunately, they got it the first time.

Not sure if you guys have watched it yet but GREMLINS from is another great Spielberg produced/ 80s horror movie. It's also perfectly suited for the season: Halloween and pre Christmas.

I very much appreciate how the both of you embrace each movie regardless of type or time period it was created. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. TBR Schmitt. I'm still playing catchup to these enduring reactions. Thanks again! GREAT reaction 🖒🖒

I love rewatching your reaction to the clown doll taking the kid under the bed.

The characters/actors are OUTSTANDING in this film. They sell it even more so than the amazing effects, and the waste of time, insulting 'remake' contained NONE of the attributes that made THIS film an absolute CLASSIC. Interesting effects note: The final shot of the house being 'sucked into another dimension' was actually a miniature house, set on it's back with a camera on top facing the front...a vacuum was attached to the backside, instantly sucking the miniature house into it, then the footage was slowed down to depict the model breaking apart and vanishing... The miniature house, now encased in a square of plexi glass, sits on Steven Spielberg's desk to this day.

Check out 4:57 - the poster on the wall behind his bed. It's a poster for the 1988 Superbowl. The movie was made in 1982. Also on the night of the Superbowl XXII January 31st 1988 Heather O'Rourke who played Carolanne became violently ill. She died the following day, 1st February 1988, in San Diego, the location of Super Bowl XXII - Interesting glitch in the matrix, right?

Highlights for me are the tree eating the little boy...really grabs me on a visceral level...and those coffins coming up out of the ground. I've seen it so many times but great to relive it like the first time for someone else. At this point I really watch it to appreciate the art of the incredible practical special effects, at their very pinnacle just before CGI began to take over everything. So glad Spielberg made the decision to keep it all old school for this one, because I think that's why it remains such a good view instead of seeming outdated.

I love "Poltergeist"... I guess that I would have to count it as my most favorite movie of all time. I always thought it was kind of weird that the kids have an "Alien" poster in their room. Not exactly a movie for kids! BTW, Alien is my second favorite movie of all time 😊

Damn the slow burn. These are 80's movies!

Ghostbusters before Halloween if you can. I love seeing people watch great old films for the first time.

One of the original scary horror movies. I saw this as a kid and it still pops back into my head once every so often some 35 years later.