Reviewed: 9/30/2025
VIDEO REVIEW
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While technically directed by Tobe Hooper, this is a story by and has all the earmarks of a Steven Spielberg film. Apparently he was a little too busy at the time (contractually ) doing a little movie called E.T. (ultimately released a week apart from this), so he let his bud Tobe take care of “directing” duties here. But also as producer, Spielberg seemed to be rather enthusiastically involved. Regardless who directed it, this is a pretty solid creepy ghost story with a bit of an emotional punch.
Ah, the old broadcast television sign-off of the Star Spangled Banner, back when even TV stations had bedtimes! At first kind of offbeat and odd as the youngest daughter Carol Anne gets involved with the statics, things in the Freeling household in a growing California suburb go quickly from quirky to kinda fkn terrifying. Given the supernatural nature of the happenings, I mean, who the fuck else ya gonna call? Ghostbusters didn’t set up shop for at least another 2 years, and they all the fuckover on the east coast. So yeah. Quandaries. Just don’t listen to what the TV people say, whatever their form. Seems they don’t have your best interest at heart. Huh!
Overall pretty solid supernatural drama. Big score, good effects, decent actors and story. The Suburbia aspect competes with the most horrific parts of this movie, really. Illustrated oh so well. Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams do a fantastic job as parents presented with unfathomable shit. Seriously. What would you do. WHAT. WOULD. YOU. DO?!? Psychics, full-sized or otherwise, can work wonders when you find the right ones. I totally forgot about the other Psychologhost lady in this, she a bit overshadowed by. Well. You know. If you don’t, watch it, it’s a solid popcorn horror flick with a little extra depth.
Great Scene: Interesting to see an old gory scene from here, looking in a mirror. Even when first seeing it, not the best effects. But damn, it was memorable. And that counts.
Ratings Notes: I was wondering if this was the first PG-13 movie. I kinda had rememberances of that, but No. However, it was Spielberg’s Temple of Doom and Dante’s Gremlins a couple years later that were the final straw. This was originally slated with an R, but Spielberg powers intervened and a PG was assigned. But yeah, this is the perfect category of too intense for PG, but too mild for R.
Sequel Notes: Well, there’s been some bad associations with this and the actors over the years, I can attest to none. I watched part 2. It had some interesting scenes and one of the most creepy-ass preacher characters committed to film. I only recently discovered, it was in fact NOT Joe Biden in the part. Huh! The 2015 remake produced by Sam ”Evil Dead II” Raimi and starring Sam Rockwell? Fkn awful from my recollection. None of the charm, inventiveness, humor and emotion this one has. Who makes a crappier version of a story? Shame.
