[Nerdspresso] "Poltergeist" still has spirit, but does it scare?

By Jeff Stanford, Special to Southpoint Access

I remember when “Poltergeist” came out in the summer of 1982. All my friends saw it because it was a PG-rated horror movie.

They were raving like it was “The Shining” for preteens. I’ll be honest: I was a bit of a wuss back then, and those nonstop descriptions of the guy ripping his face off gave me the willies. I didn’t watch “Poltergeist” until adulthood.

My wife told me it was her favorite movie of all time, so I had to accept the challenge. She explained that “Poltergeist” was the first movie she remembers seeing in a theater. So not only did she see this scary movie as a youngster, but it was her first moviegoing experience. My wife knows how to push my buttons.

I’m a sucker for stories about your first movie.

I love hearing your tales of discovering the silver screen. The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was “Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.” It’s a comic take on the classic castaway tale, with Dick Van Dyke stranded on a tropical island. Obviously, my wife’s first movie was edgier than mine. She was a much cooler kid than I was.