Read on Twitter
1/ Been trying to catch up on some of the "cultural phenomenon" movies I& #39;ve missed and tonight I watched Poltergeist (1982) for the first time. I have no idea how to feel about it. Within the context of it& #39;s time, I& #39;d give it maybe 3.5/5. As just a movie today, maybe 2.5.
2/ As a movie that legitimized frauds like psychics and perpetuated the Christian Conservative supernatural/Satanic panic of the 80s I& #39;d give it a 0/5. As a movie illustrative of the psychological mindset of that period, it is probably, IDK, back to 3.5 or 4?
3/ In a way the whole Satanic/supernatural panic of that period, where paranormal forces were very much real to some, was the QAnon of it& #39;s day. Ridiculous, illogical, but very much real in terms of how social and even legal perceptions were shaped.
4/ I remember when I was young the fear people had that things like Dungeons & Dragons or heavy metal were going to open up your home to supernatural or demonic influences, & that psychics were legit navigators of the spiritual realm. This movie both mirrors it and encourages it
5/ The real horror, to me - aside from the ridiculous superstitious mess movies like this helped make mainstream - was the tragic deaths of two of the actresses in it. The youngest, Heather O& #39;Rourke, died at 13 of an intestinal problem. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_O%27Rourke">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat...
6/ Heather died in less than 6 hours from an ailment that seems to have been totally unknown to her family before that. I can& #39;t even imagine that. 6 hours. And some people acted like it was because she was in an "ungodly" movie. I remember that well.
7/ Dominique Dunne was strangled by a crazy ex-boyfriend the year Poltergeist released. Reading about the trial is heartbreaking; her murderer could not have been more guilty and he was only sentenced to 3 years by a judge who clearly sympathized with him https://www.ihorror.com/remembering-the-tragic-death-of-poltergeist-star-dominique-dunne/">https://www.ihorror.com/rememberi...
8/ So I was sort of expecting a silly escapist horror movie and I am lost in the very real sadness of the deaths of two of the actresses in it and also conflicted over its irresponsible handling of a subject matter that contributed to a moral panic I remember from my youth.
