Poltergeist is a American horror media franchise consisting of 4 films and 1 television series. The franchise revolves around the members of the Freeling family, who are stalked and terrorized by a group of ghosts, led by a demon, that are attracted to the youngest daughter.
Films[]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poltergeist | 1982 | Tobe Hooper | Steven Spielberg Michael Grais Mark Victor |
Frank Marshall Steven Spielberg |
| Poltergeist II: The Other Side | 1986 | Brian Gibson | Michael Grais Mark Victor |
Michael Grais Mark Victor |
| Poltergeist III | 1988 | Gary Sherman | Gary Sherman Brian Taggert |
Barry Bernardi |
| Poltergeist | 2015 | Gil Kenan | David Lindsay-Abaire | Sam Raimi Rob Tapert Roy Lee |
Television Series[]
Cast & Characters[]
| Characters | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poltergeist | Poltergeist II:The Other Side | Poltergeist III | Poltergeist: The Legacy | Poltergeist | |
| 1982 | 1986 | 1988 | 1996 | 2015 | |
| Carol Anne Freeling | |||||
| Tangina Barrons | |||||
| Steven "Steve" Freeling | |||||
| Diane Freeling | |||||
| Robert "Robbie" Freeling | |||||
| Dana Freeling | Dominique Dunne | ||||
| Dr. Martha Lesh | Beatrice Straight | ||||
| Ryan Mitchell | Richard Lawson | ||||
| Dr. Marty Casey | Martin Casella | ||||
| Reverend Henry Kane / "The Beast" | Julian Beck Noble Craig (Vomit Creature) |
Nathan Davis Corey Burton (voiced) |
|||
| Jessica "Grandma Jess" Wilson | Geraldine Fitzgerald | ||||
| Taylor | Will Sampson | ||||
| Bruce Gardner | Tom Skerritt | ||||
| Trish Wilson / Patricia "Pat" Wilson-Gardner | Nancy Allen | ||||
| Donna Gardner | Lara Flynn Boyle | ||||
| Dr. Seaton | Richard Fire | ||||
| Scott | Kipley Wentz | ||||
| Madison "Maddy" Bowen | Kennedi Clements | ||||
| Eric Bowen | Sam Rockwell | ||||
| Amy Bowen | Rosemarie DeWitt | ||||
| Griffin "Griff" Bowen | Kyle Catlett | ||||
| Kendra Bowen | Saxon Sharbino | ||||
| Carrigan Burke | Jared Harris | ||||
| Dr. Brooke Powell | Jane Adams | ||||
| Boyd | Nicholas Braun | ||||
Kill Count’s[]
Before the films[]
- Henry Kane - Died of unknown causes.
Poltergeist (1982)[]
- Tweety (bird) - Died of natural causes.
- Total - 1
Poltergeist 2: The Other Side (1986)[]
- Jessica Wilson - Dies of old age/natural causes.
- Total - 1
Poltergeist 3 (1988)[]
- Tangina Barrons - Turns into a desiccated corpse when Carol Anne's spirit doppelgänger reaches through the mirror and touches her, Donna’s spirit doppelgänger comes out of her deceased body. Later goes on to the afterlife with Henry Kane.
- Dr. Seaton - Pushed down an elevator shaft by Donna’s spirit doppelgänger.
- Total - 2
Reception[]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Poltergeist (1982) | 86% (59 reviews) | 79 (7 reviews) |
| Poltergeist II: The Other Side | 37% (19 reviews) | 49 (10 reviews) |
| Poltergeist III | 17% (18 reviews) | 40 (10 reviews) |
| Poltergeist (2015) | 31% (128 reviews) | 47 (27 reviews) |
Poltergeist curse[]
The "Poltergeist curse" is a rumored attached to the Poltergeist trilogy and its crew, derived from the deaths of two young cast members in the six years between the releases of the first and third films. The rumor and the surrounding deaths were explored in a 2002 episode of E! True Hollywood Story titled "Curse of Poltergeist".
- Dominique Dunne, who played eldest daughter Dana in the first film, died on November 4, 1982, at age 22 after being strangled by her ex-boyfriend John Thomas Sweeney. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison, but was paroled after serving three and a half years. She also appeared in the 1982 movie Shadow Riders.
- Heather O'Rourke, who played Carol Anne in all three Poltergeist films, died on February 1, 1988, at the age of 12 due to complications from an acute bowel obstruction.
Home Media[]
Other media[]
Novelization[]
A novelization version of Poltergeist (1982) was written by James Kahn, adapted from the film's original screenplay. It was printed in the United States through Warner Books, with the first printing in May 1982. While the film focuses mainly on the Freeling family, much of the book leans toward the relationship between Tangina and Dr. Lesh away from the family. The novel also expands upon many scenes from the film, such as the nighttime manifestation of outer-dimensional entities of fire and shadows in the Freelings' living room, and an extended version of the kitchen scene in which Marty watches a steak crawl across a countertop. In the book, Marty is frozen in place and skeletonized by spiders and rats. There are also additional elements not in the film, such as Robbie's mysterious discovery of the clown doll in the yard during his birthday party, and a benevolent spirit, "The Waiting Woman", who protects Carol Anne in the spirit world.
The novelization of Poltergeist 2, titled Poltergeist II: The Other Side, was written by James Kahn and published by Ballantine Books in 1986. The cover features an image similar to the film's poster. The book also better explains many of the unexplained things in the film. The older sister Dana is said to be away at college. There is a better establishment of the psychic powers in Carol Anne, Diane and the grandmother, which is what attracts Kane. The absence of Dr. Lesh is explained. Tangina spent time post the first film exploring the plane between worlds and encountered Kane. She reached out to Lesh in her dreams who was drawn in and died. Making Tangina's guilt over her failure double. Thus Tangina reached out to Taylor for assistance. Taylor was a descendant of a former member of Kane's cult that left before they sealed themselves in the cavern. Thus explaining his connection and inside knowledge of Kane.