My Top 13 Favorite Scenes from The Poltergeist Trilogy

Before I get to the list, let me start with a small introduction to this series of blog posts. My Top 13 lists will often be very personal and probably even a bit biased at times, but I'll try to explain my reasons for choosing what I choose to the best of my ability. It's also my goal to post a new Top 13 list regularly, maybe even weekly, but that's not set in stone at this point. This blog is still very young and things tend to change with time. Also, you may be wondering why I'm doing Top 13, as opposed to say, top 10. Mostly, it's just for the unlucky connection to the number 13, the relation to Friday the 13th, and the best number I could think of for horror lists. Nothing too crazy, eh?

I thought I'd kickstart the lists with my Top 13 Favorite Scenes from The Poltergeist Trilogy. Now, I probably could've found 13 great moments from just the first movie alone, but I wanted to make things a little bit more interesting. Since most people seem to loathe Poltergeist 2 and 3, I wanted to point out the scenes I find memorable, creepy, and just plain good from them. Even if they don't hold a candle to the original (how many sequels really do?), they're still enjoyable to watch and each are entertaining in their own right. So without further ado, let's start this list!

#13  Poltergeist 2 - Robbie's Braces

I had a hard time deciding on number 13, but I remembered how much this scene scared me as a kid. It's also a callback to the tree scene in the first Poltergeist movie, so I thought it deserved to make the list. The effects don't quite hold up as well today, but it's still a pretty clever scene, and I can't recall a another horror movie ever using braces in a creepy way.

#12  Poltergeist - Stacked Chairs

The great thing about this scene is the build-up. First, the chairs just become "untucked" from under the table after Diane tucks them in, and then in one continuous shot between her walking from the table to the kitchen and back again, the chairs are stacked up top. This blew my mind as a kid, and even knowing how they did the effect now, I can still appreciate how tough it must've been to pull off well. It's a creepy and unsettling scene.

#11  Poltergeist 3 - Kane at Carol Anne's School

I swear, Poltergeist 3 gave me a lifelong fear of mirrors. In this scene, Carol Anne is at school and her classroom happens to have a two-way mirror. In the mirror, she sees Kane standing at the window, but he's not there when she looks at the window herself. To me, Poltergeist 3 made the best use of mirror scares in horror movie history. It's such a simple but effective scare too. You see something in the mirror that's not there when you turn around. Poltergeist 3 found new ways to do this scare over and over again without it ever getting old. The movie isn't without its flaws, but in my opinion, its creepiness, for the most part, works well.

#10 Poltergeist 3 - Bruce's Lingering Reflection

Another creepy mirror scene when Tom Skerrit's character, Bruce, is getting ready in front of a mirror, walks away, but his reflection remains still. Nancy Allen's character, Pat, turns around and witnesses the reflection walking away after Bruce has already left the room. The reason this scare works well for me is because it comes after a very normal scene. They're discussing Carol Anne living with them, an art gallery opening, and even ends on a silly joke about hiring a sexy maid. This scary moment comes out of nowhere, but not in a jump scare kind of way, and therefore becomes pretty effective.
 

#9  Poltergeist 3 - Bathroom Scene

As Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) is getting ready to go out, Carol Anne pops her head in the door to pay her a compliment. While the reflection Carol Anne remains in place, Donna hears a knock at the door, opens it, and finds Carol Anne standing there. This is yet another example of the creepy mirror scenes in Poltergeist. It's a great "fake out", as it's such a mundane exchange between the girls you would have no reason to think anything out of the ordinary was taking place.

#8  Poltergeist - Steven Confronting Mr. Teague

In the climax of the film, Steven (Craig T. Nelson) comes home to find all hell breaking loose, and he loses it. His boss, Mr. Teague (James Karen), admitted earlier in the film that the housing development Steven and his family live in was built over a cemetery. In his rage, Steven goes off on Mr. Teague for moving the headstones but leaving the bodies.

This might be a strange scene to pick for a Top 13 list, as there are so many scary moments from Poltergeist, but I just look forward to this scene every time I watch the film. The flashing light from the haunted house behind them, Craig T. Nelson as a father at the end of his tether, and James Karen's expression of absolute horror and dumbfoundedness make this scene stand out for me. When Craig T. Nelson lets out his crazed, "Why?! WHY?!", it gives me chills every time. It's just such a well-played scene by both actors.

#7  Poltergeist 2 - The Introduction of Kane

This scene where we lay eyes on Reverend Henry Kane for the first time is one that has haunted me since childhood. Julian Beck plays the role in such a convincing way, he manages to steal the show in every scene he's in. The kindness he shows towards Carol Anne, when we the audience knows that he wants to take her back to "the other side", is unsettling to say the least. In my opinion, he's the best part of Poltergeist 2. It's difficult to give a face to a faceless villain, but Kane is a genuinely creepy guy, and even looking back on the first Poltergeist film, his character fits in well in the established world. It's truly a shame that Julian Beck died before the movie finished and didn't get the chance to reprise the role in the third movie.

#6  Poltergeist 3 - Hall of Kanes

In my favorite scene of Poltergeist 3, Kane appears in the hallway mirror standing in the doorways of the neighboring apartments. Donna walks by without being able to see him, however, Carol Anne, who's home alone, hears each time the reflected Kanes slam their respective doors. The whole shot is done really well. I assume a double was used for Donna and they had to walk in sync, but I swear I can't see a single flaw, so maybe that's not the trickery used, I dunno. The fact that almost thirty years later I have no clue of the movie magic used is a good sign in my book.

I think the special effects in Poltergeist 3 were ahead of their time, and dragged down by perhaps a not-so-strong script. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the movie. If it wasn't part of the Poltergeist universe, I don't think it would get as much flack as it does.

 

#5  Poltergeist - The Clown Doll

Arguably, the scariest scene in Poltergeist is when Robbie's toy clown comes to life and attacks him. This was a great scene because the set-up happens in the first twenty minutes of the film and doesn't come back around until almost an hour and forty minutes in, but you never forget that doll throughout the film. When it reappears, you can't help but get a sinking feeling that something bad is (finally) about to happen with it. It's a great horror movie payoff and legitimately scary no matter how many times you've seen it.

#4  Poltergeist - The Beast Guarding the Bedroom Door

This was a tough call for me, only because this scene is so brief. But I had to go with it, because I love this creature design! The way it builds in front of the children's bedroom door and growls, it's scary as hell. And JoBeth Williams' expression of terror is spot on...she makes the audience feel her fear. When she tries to confront it, the damn thing grows and knocks her down the stairs. Now, that's intense! Overall, a great effect that stands out in the midst of many great effects in the film.

#3  Poltergeist - The Spirits on the Stairs

In the middle of the night, spirits come of the children's bedroom and descend down the stairs. Once they disappear, the family and paranormal specialists review the footage caught on camera to see that the circles of light actually look like human figures. I love this scene because it's both beautiful and creepy. It also gives some visualization to who the poltergeists are without giving away too much.

#2  Poltergeist - Steven and Mr. Teague Discussing Housing Development

Ok, ok, I know I'm probably gonna get a lot of "huh?" expressions for choosing this one and so high on the list too, but hear me out! This scene has no nostalgic merit for me and therefore I feel like it deserves to be given a great deal of credit. Let me explain. When I was a kid, I saw all three Poltergeist movies between the ages of 5 and 6 and rewatched them numerous times. I always found this scene incredibly boring. I mean, two grownups standing around talking about housing development? Bring on the freakin' ghosts already!

But as I was rewatching the movie recently, I realized how much I love this scene today, despite hating it as a kid. At first glance, it almost seems like filler to explain Steven's absence from work and the consequences of it. However, as you begin to examine the scene, it's so much more than that, and actually has little to do with that at all. We see Steven and Mr. Teague on the hillside, looking down at the houses in Cuesta Verde, where the Freelings live. Mr. Teague starts talking about developing new houses here on the hillside and offers Steven one of the new homes for being one of his top realtors.

Now, doesn't that sound like filler? Well, as Steven and Mr. Teague are talking, you see a fence in the forefront of the shot. As the camera pans out, you see what's behind the fence--a vast graveyard. This is where the pieces of the scene start to fall into place. Mr. Teague says they'll move the graveyard, and when Steven objects, he tells him how it was already done before--in Cuesta Verde.

The following shot is where this scene becomes truly effective. The camera pans into Steven's face as he realizes what's been done, some suspenseful music starts to play low in the background, and we start to see Steven becoming a little bit more unhinged than he already was. This also sets up the scene for later in the movie that I mentioned in #8.

The build up is slow but rewarding. The glimpse into Steven's psychological turmoil garners both a feeling uneasiness and sympathy. It's a scene that's easy to overlook, which is why I have such a fondness for it now. It's one of the most important scenes in the movie, and yet it's one that's rarely talked about and would never make any lists--until now, that is.

#1  Poltergeist - The Coffins Coming Up Through the Floor

In the climax of the movie, as Diane is trying to escape the house with Carol Anne and Robbie, coffins begin to rise up out of the floor. The whole climax is one of the most intense, edge-of-your-seat moments in horror movie history. It just keeps throwing scares at the audience relentlessly, starting from the scene with Robbie's clown doll coming to life. The coffins at the end are the icing on the cake. When they come up through the kitchen floor, you have that quick flashback moment of all the freaky things that happened in the kitchen (the stacked chairs, the chair and Carol Anne sliding across the floor), with the bodies just a few feet underneath. Everything comes to a head, and by the end of the film, you feel as exhausted as the family looks.

It's rumored that they used real skeletons on the set of Poltergeist and Poltergeist 2. If this is true, the coffin scene becomes all the more chilling. They certainly look real to me, but who knows for sure? Either way, the coffins rising out of the floor is one of my favorite moments in horror movie history, not just in the Poltergeist franchise, and that's why I chose it for the number one slot.

I hope you've enjoyed my first Top 13 list. I'm sure many will disagree with this list, and that's fine. I'd love to hear what your favorite scenes from the Poltergeist Trilogy are in the comments below! :)