
Released in June 1982 to wide critical acclaim and robust box office (it ended the year in the domestic top ten), the original Poltergeist movie has since gone on to claim a place as an ’80s cultural touchstone. Little Carol Anne’s memorable “They’re here…” entered the zeitgeist as a catchphrase, and impressionable audiences still can’t look under their beds for evil clowns 33 years later. Like all successes, the movie has many fathers, some real, some uncredited but felt. With a Poltergeist remake hitting theaters, we’ve collected some of the more infamous stories from the original production—fascinating as a window into early blockbustering, ego and authorship. Note: This isn’t about the “Poltergeist curse,” a sad series of offset tragedies, but rather, the very real difficulties of high-pressure Hollywood moviemaking.
Poltergeist opens Fri 22.