History Film / Poltergeist

* ElectromagneticGhosts: The ghostly orbs and the glowing ghost can be shown on three video screens with three different filters on three different television sets. When you take a closer look, [[https://i2.wp.com/caps.pictures/198/2-poltergeist/full/poltergeist-movie-screencaps.com-7927.jpg?strip=all it shows the ghosts' faces and bodies]].
** When Marty takes a picture of a flickering light, he said that it was electrical and tells the Freelings that they can smell the charge.
** The parapsychologists use an EMF detector equipment to detect the paranormal activities in the house.

* ElectromagneticGhosts: The ghostly orbs can be shown on three video screens with three different filters on three different television sets.

* IncompetenceInc: PlayedForLaughs, the drivers for the moving company aren't doing their company's image any favors when they reverse their moving truck into the new home's mailbox. One might wonder where they hired ''that's driver.

* IncompetenceInc: The drivers for the moving company aren't doing their company's image any favors when they reverse their moving truck into the new home's mailbox.

* ChekhovsGun: Two of the gifts the dad buys (the cell phone and the camera drone) play a role detecting the ghosts and then Maddie, respectively.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Spookys_158.jpg]]

* CoolGate: The entity, known as [[spoiler:the Beast]] create one in Carol Anne's closet, with the exit in the living room ceiling.

* CoolGate: The ghosts create one in Carol Anne's closet, with the exit in the living room ceiling.

* OffscreenRealityWarp: The ghosts demonstrate their talent at chair stacking during a brief period when the camera is not on them.

* SnowyScreenOfDeath: The ghosts first communicate with Carol Anne through an untuned television set.

* CanaryInACoalMine: PlayedWith, the Freeling's pet canary dies as if to signify a harmful presence is coming over the house.

* TokenMinority: The only non-white person in the film who has a major role is Sophie, a member of Brooke's Department of Paranormal Research, who is black. There's also Kendra's BlackBestFriend, Lauren, but she has a very minor role and only appears in webcam video.

* EndlessCorridor: Diane comes across one of these in their home supposedly caused by poltergeist activity warping the laws of physics or hallucination. It's a VertigoEffect.

* EndlessCorridor: Diane comes across one of these in their home supposedly caused by poltergeist activity warping the laws of physics or hallucination.

* AllJustADream: A recurring experience throughout the series: A character appears to become drawn into a terrifying, life-threatening experience only for the experience to abruptly end and show that nothing happened.

* PlotHole: Maddie is very apprehensive when the poltergeists start invading her room and begs Griffin to stay with her before he flees. However, in the next scene, she calmly approaches the closet-portal in curiosity which apparently ignores Maddie's abject terror over the situation and feels like a NonSequitur.

* DetectEvil: The burglar alarm is able to fulfill this role, as the poltergeist invasion is detected by this security system.

* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler:The other dimension.]]

* WholePlotReference: To "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E26LittleGirlLost Little Girl Lost]]", an episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959''.

%%ZCE * TheDollEpisode: The clown doll again.
%%ZCE * DownTheRabbitHole: Carol Anne's sojourn to the other side.

* ShoutOut: While Diane and Steven are in bed, we see they are watching the film "A Guy Named Joe." This is a movie from 1943 where a dead Air Force pilot comes back to Earth as a ghost to pass his knowledge onto an up and coming rookie. Spielberg would go on to remake this film later in his career under the title "Always."

%%ZCE* SoundtrackDissonance

%%ZCE * VertigoEffect: Helloooo, stretchy hallway of doom...

* WholePlotReference: To "Little Girl Lost", an episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone''.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: After the immortal statement of, "They're here!", we see a bulldozer tearing up ground for the pool. As it does, it digs up the cigar box Tweetie was buried in, [[spoiler:previewing the reveal of what the development is built on]].

* {{Novelization}}: The story of the movie was written into a novel by James Kahn.

%%ZCE * OrpheanRescue: For Carol Anne.

%%ZCE * PeekABooCorpse: Steve has a few things to say to his realtor about his new neighbors.
%%* {{Poltergeist}}: ...manifesting like this.

* OffscreenRealityWarp: The ghosts demonstrate their "Mad Skillz" at chair stacking during a brief period when the camera is not on them.