Released in June 1982, last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) directed Poltergeist.
To refresh your memory, Poltergiest follows a family of five, happily living in suburban California until paranormal activity begins occurring in their home. They later learn that everything is happening due to the housing development having been built on top of a cemetery. This aspect of the back story was changed in the sequel, with everything being tied back to a cave where a cult leader and his flock died.
Co-written and produced by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist was original intended to be a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but things (as they do in Hollywood) changed. Spielberg was unable to direct due to contractual obligations with E.T. and then Hooper convinced him to remove the sci-fi element and create a paranormal film instead.
Despite the changes and challenges, Poltergeist was a success with 3 Academy Award nominations, and going on to be one of the top 10 highest grossing films of 1982, after earning over $100 million at the box office.
Sequels followed in 1986 and 1988, with a remake released in 2015.
Poltergeist has a cult following in horror movie scene, but little mainstream recognition compared to that of other horror franchises of the ’80s and ’90s (Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th) likely due to there not being a recognisable evil character.
Both Family Guy and American Dad! have each done their own animated parodies. If you’ve ever watched Scary Movie 2 (2001), you may recall their Poltergeist parody:
The scene with Carol Anne and the television is iconic, and clearly favoured by tattoo collectors, but a rewatch of the film could assist you with developing some different tattoo ideas.
If I were to get a Poltergeist tattoo, I’d probably choose the clown doll that attacked Robbie; the clown was creepy looking even before turning evil.
Considered one of the most cursed movie franchises (due to weird happenings on set and the deaths of cast members) I cannot guarantee that a Poltergeist tattoo won’t bring you bad luck – as long as you select a proficient artist, that will likely lessen your chances.
Are you willing to see what happens if you add a Poltergeist tattoo to your collection?
The Tattooed Archivist 
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