HMRWS - Starring Poltergeists!

[Seil]

This is a really cool movie. It's the first film I know of that's all about maybe probably asking your realtor whether or not your house was built on a graveyard.

'Cause forget "Is it near a school? How far are we from down town?" What you really need to be asking is "Will we have to call in a medium if we want to dig a pool in the backyard?"

The Cast Speaking of real estate agents, Craig T. Nelson plays a very successful one named Steven Freeling. He and his wife, Diane (JoBeth Williams) live with their three kids Dana (Dominque Dunne), Robby (Oliver Robins) and Carol Anne (Heather Rourke). Tangina Barrons is played by Zelda Rubenstein.

The Plot While cleaning the house one day, Diane discovers that Carol Anne's pet bird Tweety has died - Carol Anne is devastated. In what has to be the most adorable funeral scene ever, Diane and Carol Anne put Tweety in a shoe box, where Carol Anne also places in a few personal items like a small cloth, "for when it's bedtime," a photo of her and Tweety "for when he gets lonely" and a twizzler "for when he gets hungry."

That night, Carol Anne is sleeping in her parent's room, where they've left the television on. The channel they're watching finishes broadcasting for the night, and the screen dissolves into static. Static that Carol Anne begins talking to. Slowly, something comes out of the TV, and swirls around her family sleeping on the bed before blasting into the wall, causing the room to shake. Carol Anne simply says "They're here."

The next morning, strange things begin happening. Very strange, like stacked furniture. Diane discovers that people can be pulled along the floor. When she shows Steven, he's weirded out and says that no one is allowed in the kitchen until they figure out what's going on.

That night, Robbie is attacked in his room by a tree. Carol Anne is sucked into her closet. Steven and Diane are completely out of their depth and call in a group of parapsychologists.

Personal Opinion Pretty cool - really nifty effects. Carol Anne is quite possibly one of the most adorable kids to ever be on film. It's a shame she died only six years after the movie was made.

There's a lot of really cool scenes, including a hell of a good reason to hate clowns, and some really cool make-up and special effect effects. Diane and Steven are shown to be some pretty laid back people, with a healthy love life and a love of pot. They're also shown to be pretty grounded and reasonable, and they love their kids.

There's not a lot that can be said about the parapsychologists.

Final Opinion A classic of American cinema, and a must-see for horror fans. Is it scary? A little bit - lots of the horror centers around young people or kids, and there's a couple of times I found myself totally caught up in a particularly tense scene.

Chances are that some people might find this film a little bit dated, but it's definitely worth a look.