Poltergeist - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Poltergeist or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Poltergeist

[tamara]

Oliver Robins is the only surviving child actor of this film that played a member of the Freeling family.

[ken]

Dominique Dunne's only appearance in a theatrically-released film, as she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in October 1982.

[jesus]

(at around 1h 16 mins) Tangina said "This House has many hearts." Literally there are heart-shaped items all over like the heart lamp, heart poster, heart stuck on wall, and green heart balloon.

[chris]

(at around 53 mins) After Carol Anne's voice misses the Freeling family, Dr. Lesh, Marty and Ryan hear a footsteps walking quickly by the rooftop. This is a nod for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), when (at around 51 mins) Jillian and Barry Guiler hear footsteps at the rooftop of the aliens that are trying to catch Barry.

[sara]

Jerry Goldsmith wrote this theme song and the theme song to The Omen (1976), but whereas The Omen got praise from critics for being so dark and foreboding and effectively setting a menacing, demonic tone, the Poltergeist theme was criticized for being too Disneyfied and Leave It to Beaver (1957), bullying the audience into an inappropriately cheerful and family-friendly state.

[bernard]

While the theatrical production credits lists Dana Gendian and Jaimi Gendian under "Stunts," the reissue includes them among the cast as "Special Children."

[phyllis]

In the scene with Robbie looking at the clown doll, You can see a Kenner Darth Vader Star Wars action figure case on the shelf behind him.

[addison]

The film was originally given a R rating, but the filmmakers protested successfully and got a PG rating (the PG-13 rating did not exist at the time).

[kylie]

Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight) makes the point that the paranormal activity at the Freeling home is probably a poltergeist, not a haunting, since poltergeists typically are associated with a person, and hauntings are associated with a place. However we learn at the ending that this assessment was incorrect, when Steven realizes that the house was built on a cemetery; that means it was actually a haunting, not a poltergeist.

[sara]

(at around 1h 29 mins) Steve promises Diane that he doesn't will drop the rope. Two minutes later the appearance of a giant raging ghost skull causes that Steve unwittingly break his promise.

[sandra]

Heather O'Rourke, who played the little girl Carol-Anne, and Dominique Dunne, who played the teenage daughter, are buried in the same cemetery: Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Dunne was strangled into brain-death by her boyfriend in 1982, the year of the film's release. Six years later, O'Rourke died of intestinal stenosis.

[marc]

The name of the neighborhood, "Cuesta Verde," is Spanish for "Green Slope."

[sara]

The theme music is known as "Carol Anne's theme". It was originally titled "Bless this House" and was written like a lullaby as a contrast to the horror in the film. There are lyrics which can be found on the Internet.