extra it isn't), this cheesy 2007 documentary features a few psychic mediums, paranormal investigators, and other frauds just trying to make a

While not containing the most original of ideas, Poltergeist, did catapult into the mainstream conscience certain cinematic devices, ideas, if you will: that disturbing ancient burial grounds is generally a bad thing, and that clowns are scary. The latter is interesting, in that up until 1982 cinema rarely explored (exploited?) this, oh He Who gets Slapped (1924) or The Man Who Laughs (1928) might have dabbled in the idea with some stark imagery, but it took that scene in Poltergeist to unleash a torrent of scares and all the subsequent movies based on this one simple, terrifying, concept. image detail, better color saturation, a more stable and film-like appearance, and of course improved contrast that helps support medium-deep very nice glimpse behind the scenes of the film with comments from writer-producer Steven Spielberg, producer Frank Marshall (who actually from the camera negative, nonetheless impresses at every turn with excellent color reproduction, stability, strong fine detail, and a soft butand for very good reason -- they're intense.) Shadow detail is likewise quite good and, though Poltergeist doesn't serve up deep

We take a “cinematically” typical American suburban family and take it on spin through Hell - Hollywood has been mining that particular nugget since the late sixties, but rarely with such sheer entertainment value. There is infant-jeopardy, neighbour-ignorance and animosity, deceitful bosses and religion rammed down our throats - but only someone as wide-eyed and childlike as Steven Spielberg could have such elements combining to create one of the most fascinating, though-provoking and downright enjoyable horror yarns around. There are flaws, of course, but Poltergeist is certainly a classic of the genre. When the 80's made commercialism and overkill part of the fabric of existence, the spooky haunted house concept just had to follow suite. Thus, the tone and mood of The Haunting, The Legend Of Hell House, The Twilight Zone and The Uninvited gets the big budget makeover and audiences were finally shown what writers and directors had once only been able to hint at. Both The Thing and Poltergeist were inspirational icons to the genre as it dragged itself out of the seventies, proving that mainstream chillers could still offer the things that hardcore fans demanded to see, and wrap them up with good storylines and characters that you cared about. DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. It's still obviously less gripping than the remix in direct comparison, with a touch of distortion at higher volume levels and The second point is that some people have reported issues with the disc freezing for them at approximately 13:50. There’s no consistency regarding the players that seem to be having the issue—for example, some people have had the problem using an Oppo UDP-203, while others haven’t. (For the record, it played fine for me on an Oppo UDP-205, which is mechanically identical to the 203.) Strangely enough, it hasn’t always occurred consistently, as some users have reported that it played fine the first time, but then froze every time after that. It may not affect your specific player, but it’s something to keep in mind.There is a great deal of detail on show, skin has good texture, with pores, wrinkles and hair lines, while clothing has decent weave. Overlooking the valley with the new houses is suitably expansive, while the lawns are crisp and defined, likewise the gloopy mud in the swimming pool and the rain are well seen as are furnishings, wall coverings (gaudy or otherwise), paranormal paraphernalia and TV screens; all are keen. Does show up the coarseness of the ‘tree’ though.

directed this piece), actor Craig T. Nelson, and director Tobe Hooper, as well as candid footage from the set including a few good looks at special effects So, Poltergeist ends up being much more than a mere horror-sampler for teens to break into the genre with. It possesses a wonderful “spiritual” ambience, a daring flare for visual invention, a staggering level of visceral intensity and a true sense of the fantastique. Unfortunately, that’s it. For the 40th anniversary release of a film as significant as Poltergeist, it’s a shame that Warner Bros. hasn’t offered a single new extra. If anything deserves a comprehensive making-of documentary, it’s Poltergeist. On the other hand, this is an absolutely stellar 4K presentation that’s a significant upgrade over all previous versions. It’s near reference-quality, so that’s a 40th anniversary celebration of its own. Even if it didn’t include any extras whatsoever, this disc is still a must-own for fans of the film. It’s never looked this good. Additional audio options include French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain), and Spanish (Latin America) 2.0 Dolby Digital. Subtitle options include English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish (Spain), Dutch, Spanish (Latin America), Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Here’s some more great breaking news: Our friends at Powerhouse Films have just informed us that their outstanding Indicator label—which already delivers fantastic special edition Blu-ray titles to the UK and European market—is officially coming to the US!

of the Digibook edition linked above. While I wouldn't personally award this film a full five stars, I certainly can and will recognize it as a well-made The second option may be a more interesting "upgrade", as Poltergeist's original 2.0 mix (listed as "Original Theatrical English" on the menu) ever-present layer of film grain that clearly hasn't been subjected to excessive noise reduction. The HDR10 enhancement takes over in subtle but