This are the original reviews of Poltergeist and ET by Siskel & Ebert on "Sneak Previews" in 1982. All of the segments pertaining to the movies have been included.
As a middle-aged guy who idolized both these films, I miss Siskel & Ebert, I miss great films like this, I miss my parents, I miss the great Chinese food we ate. "E.T." is so magical, it's impossible to even rank on a top ten list. It goes beyond great cinema. Like E.T., I want to go home too.
Thanks to Blu Ray though we get to enjoy it all over again with such a high quality transfer. The level of film restoration they do for Blu Ray and UHD blu ray is so good some people say it's the best the film's ever looked.
"Okay, I'll say it: you're right, it's love." - said Roger to Gene It's always touching watching their interactions, but especially here in their discussion of E.T. I really do miss these guys.
I personally don't believe in ghosts and goblins and such, but I do believe in the existence of evil...and of good. My viewpoint is this:I believe in God, I believe that there is a being called Satan...and that Satan can and does manifest himself in many forms. I truly believe in the "Love is stronger than Hate" theme, and I also believe that, what we're seeing in this movie, is that a Family needs to remain strong and united with each other, and fight against the evils of this World...or the next. Maybe I'm wrong...I don't know...but that's kind of what I see manifested in this movie, and in the entire Poltergeist Franchise. If we do not remain strong in love and unity with each other, the evil of this World will find a way to divide us, conquer us...and totally destroy us!
I liked it for a bit but it lost me. I can't really explain why though. I loved the bit where the tree came to life and attacked the boy, it nearly eats him or something and it's night and there's a storm and the parents are trying to save him and it's awesome. But as it drags on I thought it got too camp and overacted. I'd have loved it if I was about 11 but I need something more adult. Some of the effects are pretty dated now which is why the tree sequence I thought was so good, it was all practical effects in that sequence. The older daughter character didn't even need to be in the story, she has no dialogue really and does nothing. It also portrays ghost hunters and psychics as dedicated professionals instead of the charlatans and frauds they really are.
I do agree that movie was a little bit too bombastic and superfluous with the effects (often to the point of ridiculousness), but doesn't have "characters"?
In my estimation, Poltergeist is easily in my top 5 horror films of all time. Probably it'd be more like in my top 3 of all time....The Shining is there too...
@@shannonhuard5908 Yes it can, Bladerunner, Tron, Poltergeist, An Officer & a Gentleman, E.T, 48 Hours, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Ghandi, The Thing. Every single one a classic, nothing beats 82!
“Poltergeist” and “E.T.” are two terrific summer films from 1982 especially E.T. which is really a classic. John Williams score for E.T. and Jerry Goldsmith’s for Poltergeist are real standouts in their careers. Goldsmith is missed.
Agreed. Goldsmith and Williams were essentially scoring the same suburbia from a fantasy angle ('E.T.') and a darker underbelly angle ('Poltergeist'). Goldsmith worked with Spielberg and not Hooper on the film.
Spielberg even extended one of the scenes so John's score could be expanded. This was when Williams was at his peak of awesomeness: Star Wars, Raiders, Close Encounters, Superman, Jaws, etc.
I do agree that Poltergeist was a little bit too bombastic and superfluous with the effects (often to the point of ridiculousness), but doesn't have "characters"? You know E.T. was originally supposed to be a HORROR flick and sequel to Close Encounters called Night Skies? . .. as good as the finished movie is, I still wonder what THAT would've been like?
I can't believe how many classics they gave thumbs down to... If people listened to these people they would have missed out on some of the best movies of all time.
Love both of this films E.T. was and still great today. My favorite movie of 1982. But disagree with gene siskel on Poltergeist he was way to hard on his review. Summer 82 was great time at the movies. One of the best.
Ah yes 1982, the year I finished high school. Good year for movies: Blade Runner, The Thing, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Poltergeist, An Officer and a Gentleman, First Blood, Gandhi, 48 Hrs., Rocky III, Friday the 13th Part III, Pink Floyd: The Wall, The Year of Living Dangerously, and although technically a 1981 movie which didn't reach US theaters until '82 - The Road Warrior.
I was 11 years old in 1982. My family & i had seen E.T. outside in one of the last "Drive-In" Theatres in North America. Think about it being outside at night watching E.T. under the stars it was magical !
I had the same experience with Star Wars. The 80s were a magical time for movies and 1982 especially so. To this day I don't know whether I'm grateful that I grew up in that halcyon time, or disappointed because movies have never been quite that good ever again.
One of the last drive in theaters in North America? In 1982? When Drive-In movies were back to an all time high? If you say so. Just to pour a little more salt in your unnecessarily embellished story, there are still 330 active drive in theaters in America alone. In 1982 there were literally thousands of drive in theaters in operation. Wikipedia and the internet are a thing.
"I was certain that not only would *E.T.* win [Best Picture at the Academy Awards], but that it should win. It was inventive, powerful, [and] wonderful. I make more mundane movies."-Richard Attenborough, director of 1982 Best Picture Winner *Gandhi.*
I saw this in theaters when I was close to 6 and my sister and her friend accused me of crying. There were tears in my eyes outside the theater but it was just from adjusting to the bright sun from the dark theater. Nowadays? I cry everytime.
Ha! I was just suggesting the exact same thing! I'm 47 and E.T still gets me teary-eyed!! In two Scenes!!! First, when E.T. dies and second, when E.T says his goodbyes and leaves...oh man! Just thinking of those scenes gets my eyes a bit wet!!
I recall seeing ET after coming home from summer camp. After watching it, I made my mom buy me an ET Doll. Yep, thats how much I loved the film. Still do. AND Poltergeist! That film was amazing.
Both of them (but especially Gene) really misunderstood what is going on in Poltergeist. It is way deeper than just a haunted house movie about ghosts and I’m surprised neither of them picked up on it.
@@justinpop I notice there was never a response. There usually isn’t from these types. There’s something “deeper” going on but they can never elaborate, if they say anything it’s all it’s just to tell you “wouldn’t understand.” Whatever is or isn’t “deeper” happening in this movie doesn’t translate to a movie being more likable to a critic
@@michaelmcdonald8452 @justinpop It's funny to see adults needing obvious things spoon-fed to their brains; nobody responded because it sounds like you're joking. It's a movie about love keeping people together, it's a parable against bad business types, and it has much more 'realism' than most other movies which previously depicted a scientific approach to paranormal investigation, and the hypotheses of what might be happening in those situations. There we go! I stated the obvious for the dimwits. All you have to do is watch the movie, follow the story, and observe the parts that don't have special effects.
Another thing? I saw E.T twice in the theatre. My mom and dad went to see it with their friends. Then my mom took me to see it. Afterwards, she figured that my younger brother (who would have been 5 years old at the time, would be OK to see it if she shielded him from certain bits of the film so I went a second time with my mom. I've watched E.T a number of times since and I can still, confidently and honestly say that still, at 47 years of age, I get teary-eyed every time I see E.T die. I also get wet in the glibs when E.T leaves and goes back home. This film is an emotional rollercoaster for me!! Oh man! There are few films that make me weep, but E.T. remains one of them.
The first time I saw ET I felt exactly the same as these guys. Especially the scene at the end when he has to go and says goodbye to Gertie. Damn, getting choked up just thinking about it.
Gene was never more off base than in his Poltergeist review. "Anybody can do these special effects." Really? I don't mind disagreeing with him, but he went too far when he accused Roger of being intimidated by the effects.
Roger isn't really helping when he says "Just because anybody can do special effects, it doesn't mean they aren't done right." No, Roger, not anybody can do special effects. Special effects are a very hard job. Very condescending review.
amanda davis As much as I love the show, I have a little problem with certain people who watched the show back in the day. Many people watch the show and sometimes accept their opinions as "the truth" without having an open mind and/or doing their own research. Thanks to that mindset, people are really gonna believe that everything they say is always spot on when really opinions are subjective. It's fine if people watch the show, it's not fine for people to base their opinions on a steaming pile of bullshit.
Fun fact: ET started out as a horror film called “Nocturnal Fears” which was about a family that gets terrorized by aliens, but Spielberg changed it to ghosts, and that’s how we got Poltergeist. Poltergeist and ET were also filmed on the same street
It was actually called “Night Skies.” Something tells me that if Steven Spielberg stuck with “Night Skies,” it probably would’ve had the popularity of “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial” & “Poltergeist” put together even though both are great films and maybe even scarier than “Poltergeist” even though “Poltergeist” is horrifying.
I definitely think these guys' tastes were influenced by having very comfortable lives, so they only liked to see violence depicted in certain ways which they could distance themselves from and didn't have much real impact, and were really squeamish about things that were slightly too weird or outside their little boxes of knowledge.
The only time I can recall a movie ending and seeing the entire audience tearing or just plain balling then the lights came up, was E.T. the best movie Disney never made
JoBeth Williams made Poltergeist the classic it is. Such a wonderful performance. I was 16 in 1982, and I think the way she embraced / faced the fear carried the movie. Loved it. ET too, obviously.
The reason they gave it a PG rating is because they didn't have PG-13 ratings at the time. This movie came out right before they started the PG-13 rating system.
You all got it right. It was Poltergeist, Gremlins and Temple of Doom why they started PG-13 in 1984(starting with Red Dawn). Those were all Steven Spielberg movies and he had enough pull in the industry to get PG ratings, because that drew in more people, more money. So they came up with PG-13, which is where the big blockbusters and money makers have usually been found ever since. Spielberg's plan all along??
"Well, that's the only image we could get from the film's distributor. I really don't like how they play hide-and-seek with these creatures." He says. DUDE! There's a word for giving away the surprise in a movie before the movie comes out, it's called a, "SPOILER," because most people DON'T want their movies SPOILED for them in the marketing material, or in an episode of Siskel and Ebert! You may not, "like how they play hide-and-seek," but everyone else appreciates having the surprises happen DURING the film, not before hand.
I saw poltergeist at 19 for the first time and it scared the bejeebus out of me. Glad I missed it as a child! But it’s now in my top 10 movies. So unique/creepy/clever.
I saw it in the theater in 1982. Clown freaked me out. And how about that Chewbacca jacket? The ONE scene I wish was re-done is the "face" scene. For the time it kind of missed and really misses today. Not shot today with CGI but with better effects. ... A side note, saw Poltergeist with Rocky 3 as a double feature on a Saturday afternoon. One price two movies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never see those deals again. Another side note, LOL, I puked during Rocky 3, flu, and my mom had to come pick me up. Back then parents would drop the kids and their friends off to watch the movie alone, now a parent has to go with. My how times have changed. the early 80's movies were some awesome stuff. It was a long time ago back in the mid 90's when us mid 20 something's were sitting around shootin' the shit drinkin' and talkin' and the night was winding down, someone said put in a movie... They named about twenty movies of new release (90's), sitting on the shelf and then said "E.T." HOLD IT RIGHT THERE. Us drunks put on E.T. and just enjoyed it or passed out. Good times. Enjoy your day I;m going to add this just for the heck of it, it's a classic 80's movie. If you have never seen 1988's Midnight Run do so. Don't read about it, just find out how to download it or watch it. One thing to know though is they drop the F-Bomb like 1,000 times in it, yet it is such a delightful "buddy" movie. The R rating is for F-bombs, no nudity, not too violent. Again enjoy your day. As you can probably tell, I've had a few drinks. Peace out
Couldn't agree more. From the musical score to the acting and the bits of levity these fine actors bring in. And gee, no spoiler alerts here...they basically gave away the whole movie in the review. I do agree that it was seriously intense for a PG movie, but I don't think PG-13 was a thing yet.
I love Poltergeist but I understand his complaints and there’s not much more pointless than looking back and telling a critic he “got it wrong” in real time, that they should’ve liked a movie that you like more.
What’s not to understand about poltergeist? Spirits from the grave that the house was built on haunt the residents of the house. It’s a simple straightforward story .
Exactly. Not understanding the 4th dimension stuff as too complicated and then following that up with saying ET was simple with that weird psychic/physical bond between Elliot and ET.
I love and respect Siskel & Ebert....But Gene has never gotten a review so wrong as this one! "Anyone could do these special effects." Uh.....I don't think so. So funny how so many of their reviewed films have become classics. Audiences LOVED "POLTERGEIST."
That was very fucking stupid of Gene for doing that. And Roger wasn't really helping when he said "Just because anyone can do special effects, it doesn't mean that they aren't done right". I agree that they are done right, but that doesn't mean that anyone can do them. I know the show aired long before we have the Internet, but they are magazines like Starlog and Fangoria.
Great review (for ET). It is interesting, but my nephew -- currently finishing middle school -- saw the film at our house. We talked about the actors in the film. He paused and then asked, "Who played ET? Who played the alien?" In reality, the alien was a non-CGI special effect. He couldn't grasp that there wasn't a person in a costume for the entire film.
Chris M maybe that’s cuz you’re absolutely incorrect about there not being anyone inside the ET alien. “Two dwarfs, Tamara De Treaux and Pat Bilon, as well as 12-year-old Matthew DeMeritt, who was born without legs, took turns wearing the costume, depending on what scene was being filmed. DeMeritt actually walked on his hands and played all scenes where E.T. fell over...”
Spielberg was the producer of Poltergeist, the director was Tobe Hooper. Not sure why Siskel and Ebert keep referring to it as a Spielberg movie. There’s a big difference between a producer and a director and both these guys know that.
@@logicn.reasoning9744 Of course it was. I was about that age too. Other movies that scared the hell out of me were Amityville and The Exorcist. Now, I'm like Roger and Gene; nothing scares me.
Salem's Lot 1979, also directed by Tobe Hooper, was something that scared people and is a much better watch than Poltergeist. Who knows what Tobe Hooper could've done with Poltergeist if Steven Spielberg did hijack the movie from him and did not over produce it. One very big problem in Poltergeist is the house full of merchandise that takes you out of the movie while your eyes scan the Star Wars stuff and other toys and gizmos. You cannot keep people glued to a story or create real tension if you have Easter Eggs everywhere that remind them of other movies. It was a problem in ET as well.
I never felt this movie was scary but I loved the special effects which at that time was amazing. It was a fun popcorn movie. The only scary part of the movie was the clown doll under the bed
POLTERGEIST is my #5 and E.T. is my #4 movie of 1982 1. STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN 2. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH 3. ROCKY III 4. E.T. 5. POLTERGEIST 6. ANNIE 7. THE DARK CRYSTAL 8. BUGS BUNNY'S 3RD MOVIE 1001 RABBIT TALES 9. 48 HRS 10. FIRST BLOOD
Yep, not to mention them being filled with identity politics and pc culture propaganda being shoved down our throats. It's not Hollywood anymore it's HollyWOKE.
They were sooooo wrong about Poltergeist! Became a huge hit and is now considered a horror classic that has influenced so many recent ghost movies, Paranormal Activity, Insidious etc.
Oh Gene ... wrong again. I can confidently say that over the years, I've tended to side with Roger Ebert far more often than I'd ever seen Mr. Gene Siskel's impressions.
It used to piss me off as a kid. We would watch Siskel and Ebert review the movies on Saturday night when I would have rather watched the whole movie instead.
Loved both of these movies. I still remember the moment when I found out that Dominique Dunne had been murdered. Remember this was back in 1982 and obviously there was no internet. Found out when Dan Rather announced it on the CBS Evening News that night. Just stunned! I saw interviews with her father talking about her. It was heartbreaking.
It's kind of funny to watch the older Siskel and Ebert reviews, back when they gave "yes" or "no" votes instead of the much more famous thumbs up or thumbs down.
Whoa, Poltergeist not scary? This is a very good horror film and a classic that stood the test of time. Imagine what those guys would've thought if they watched the remake. Time has proven that Ebert was right about the film, and Siskel was wrong.
My family and I saw E.T. three times that summer. It's rarely seen anymore though (I know about the commercials E.T. has been in lately), which seems unusual.
I use to watch these guys EVERY WEEK when I was a kid but I was too young in the early 80's to see how unbelievably negative Gene Siskel was to some of my absolute favorite movies today. He also didn't like The Terminator. He didn't even like Taxi Driver!
I saw ET dozens of times as a child. It wasn’t until seeing again more recently that I realized ET didn’t actually know how to speak English. He was just mimicking sounds and gestures, mostly projected from his spiritual attachment to his human caregivers. Even his connection with Elliot is likely fake, based on his ability to emote. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but watch it again and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s actually quite brilliant to write the character that way.
Maximus Prime - No question about it. At nearly every point once they meet they share the same emotions at the same time. When Elliot is afraid, ET is afraid. When he’s joyous, ET is joyous, when he’s sad, ET is sad. I tend to believe it’s mostly ET feeding off of Elliot’s emotions versus the other way.
E.T. was designed to be loved following a pretty basic formula - big eyes, big head, smaller body, sort of like a 6 month old baby or a Teddy bear. The Ewoks in Return of the Jedi also used it. That and E.T. also looked a lot like Michael Jackson ;-)
Rusty Kuntz Spoilers back then wasn’t much of a thing to get mad at unless If was something crazy (like Vader’s confession in Empire). Same could possibly said with the advent of Marvel movies, but on a much bigger scale.
These guys spoiled so many great scenes. That Poltergeist scene would have been awesome to see first time on the big screen , instead RUINED. They did it too many times.
I can still enjoy the family unit in Poltergeist but ET is too saccharine for me decades later. For me, Poltergeist is the better film. Besides, ET destroyed my favorite film of all time - John carpenter’s The Thing!
@Michael 3:15 - if "The Thing!" is one of your favorite movies of all time, somewhere along the line ... you got kicked in the head physically, or emotionally !!
E.T. the first and only movie to make me shed a tear at a movie (as a kid). I don't recall if I saw Poltergeist at the movies or on HBO -- but that movie freaked me out, and had an effect on me to this day. For some reason Halloween and Friday the 13th didn't .
The duplex of a banner year for Steven Spielberg, who spearheaded a (not-R-rated) horror classic of the 1980s and a hero to the children of that decade, BOTH in 1982.
"Good kids, bad government." It is a shame what license the film takes with this theme. The Feds would NOT have the authority to boulder over their house as happens in this film. No judge could issue a warrant on grounds that an alien might be here.
Gene was crazy not to like Poltergeist, it’s one of the greatest horror films ever made. He gave a thumbs down to a lot of classics, including Silence of the Lambs, Apocalypse Now, The Terminator, Chinatown, Rocky, Unforgiven, Taxi Driver, and Casino.
As a kid I loved Poltergeist (still do) and have watched it yearly. I was disturbed by E.T. and have never rewatched it. E.T. freaked my little 7 year old self out.
Poltergeist a No? It’s one of the best horror movies of all time and somehow they fit it into a PG rating! Amazing film with a a lot of visual metaphors and subconscious themes packed into the movie.
I was 11 when E.T 1st came out..I remember begging that a E.T of some type would visit and we could become friends.I really believed it was possible.That sense of wonder.I think with every new generation that sense of wonder gets shorter and shorter.As a kid of the 80's that sense was probably not as long as a kid from the 60's or 70's..I really feel sorry for kids today..They dont even know what they're missing
It sounds like you're missing what kids are doing, and you're making decisions about childhood that have nothing to do with what anyone is experiencing and everything to do with how you feel as you get older. It's one of the greatest fallacies of aging, to start deciding what's going on in the lives of people we don't know. You're overestimating the magical feelings of your memories.
Luckily, Spielberg came to his senses and put the guns back in on the latest release of E.T. (Too bad George Lucas didn't do the same with his "Greedo shot first" hack. He was even seen on the Indy 4 movie set wearing a t-shirt that said 'Han shot first').
At the time I thought it was stupid that they were carrying guns while chasing kids. I thought it was lame that they replaced them with walkie talkies, though.
That version is largely out of circulation now thankfully. Some of the worst changes were in the dialogue. The famous "Penis Breath" insult was removed, the word "Terrorist" was changed to "Hippy."
Gene called the government operatives in ET "evil". He apparently missed the very moving moment when Keys (the Peter Coyote character) tells Elliott that meeting an extraterrestrial is something he had been hoping for since he was a little boy. One can see in Keys' eyes and voice and words that that little boy is still there.
Why does Siskel keep referring to ET as "the creature". ET is a sentient, highly advanced being from another world. If anything, the humans are the creatures. No sentient being, no matter where they are from, should be called "the creature".
Both films are masterpieces but on a personal level from my own philosophical perspectives and experiences, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial means the world to me. Poltergeist is a different experience of grislier fun.
I think Siskel and Ebert are great, but I honestly think there was a bit of a generation gap with their connection to some of these at the time new age films. Roger mentions it’s the girl that’s attacked by her clown doll but it’s actually the boy. They honestly sound a little stodgy explaining this film like the parents who don’t get it. But they do a great job overall and their careers were definitely entertaining and informative. Two good dudes in their time.
As usual my opinion lines up more with Roger. Poltergeist is kind of uneven, but the acting, effect techniques and mood are pretty effective. Genuinely creepy moments. Of course E.T. is a classic, and i'd hate to have a movie I made critiqued up against it. Watching these reviews all these years later im amazed HOW MUCH they showed. The still of ET should not have been shown on their show.
