Heather O'Rourke

In 1982, when this supernatural horror classic was first released in theaters, the film’s writer-producer Steven Spielberg commented that “there are things in this movie that motion picture audiences have never seen before.” Twenty-five years later, Poltergeist continues to startle audiences with its frightening images and spine-chilling sound effects.

Nominated for three Academy Awards® in the Music, Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects categories, Poltergeist stars Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams as Steve and Diane Freeling, a solid American couple with three children whose peaceful lives are turned upside down when their home is invaded by a nightmarish poltergeist phenomenon.

Several key members of the film’s sound and visual effects crew will gather for an onstage discussion of the role motion picture science and technology played in shaping Poltergeist.

Cast Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Heather O’Rourke, Michael McManus, Virginia Kiser, Martin Casella, Richard Lawson, Zelda Rubinstein, James Karen.

Director Tobe Hooper. Producers Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall. Story Spielberg. Screenplay Spielberg, Michael Grais, Mark Victor. Cinematography Matthew F. Leonetti. Production Design James H. Spencer. Set Decoration Cheryal Kearney. Film Editing Michael Kahn. Supervising Sound Editors Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard L. Anderson. Sound Mixer Art Rochester. Rerecording Mixers Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Kevin O’Connell. Music Jerry Goldsmith. Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Edlund. Mechanical Effects Supervisor Michael Wood. Optical Photography Supervisor Bruce Nicholson. Matte Photography Neil Krepela. Assistant Matte Photography Craig Barron. Costumes Ann Gray Lambert. Makeup Dorothy Pearl. Hairstyles Toni Walker. Special Effects Makeup Craig Reardon. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. MGM/UA. 1982. 35mm. 114 mins. Print courtesy of Warner Bros. and the Academy Film Archive.

Academy Award® Nominee: Music – Original Score (Goldsmith), Sound Effects Editing (Flick, Anderson), Visual Effects (Edlund, Wood, Nicholson).

The “Prime Tech” screening series showcases Oscar®-nominated and winning films that have been recognized in at least one technical category. Panel discussions illuminate the art of filmmaking from a science and technology perspective, examining how technical elements can augment a film’s narrative capabilities and enrich the overall viewing experience.